Eat organic food

Too many pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in your food? Try eating organic.

Organic food certification requires that crops and livestock are grown and reared naturally, without artificial fertilisers, synthetic pesticides, chemical feeds, growth-promotion drugs or routine antibiotics. As a result, organic produce is chemical-free, often higher in the nutrients and minerals our bodies require, and most importantly, it can taste better. Also, meat derived from free-range and organic farms comes from animals that have been treated more humanely.

How to do it now!

Buy and eat organic food
Organic food is becoming available everywhere. Check your local shops, supermarket and farmers markets, as well as online.

Fruits and vegetables where the organic label matters the most
According to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organisation that analyses the results of government pesticide testing in the United States of America, the following twelve fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide levels on average. Because of their high pesticide levels when conventionally grown; it is best to buy these varieties as organically grown:

  • Apples
  • Cherries
  • Nectarines
  • Capsicum
  • Peppers
  • Grapes
  • Peaches
  • Carrots
  • Kale
  • Pears
  • Celery
  • Lettuce
  • Strawberries

Non-organic fruits and vegetables with low pesticide levels
These conventionally grown fruits and vegetables were found to have the lowest levels of pesticides. Most of these have thicker skin or peel, which naturally protects them better from pests, and which also means their production does not require the use of as many pesticides.

  • Asparagus
  • Eggplant
  • Pineapple
  • Avocado
  • Kiwi
  • Peas (sweet)
  • Broccoli
  • Mango
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Cabbage
  • Onion
  • Tomatoes
  • Corn (sweet)
  • Papaya
  • Watermelon

Online organic shops that will deliver the good stuff to your home include:

New South Wales

  • Harvest Hub – Have a network of “Hubs” in Sydney where you pick up your produce.
  • Doorstep Organics – Delivery Address: Most Sydney suburbs, Helensburgh, Wollongong and South Coast
  • Food Connect – Delivery Address: Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Ryde, Southern Suburbs
  • Organic Connections – Delivery Address: Sydney CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, North Sydney, Lower North Shore
  • Organics Only – Delivery Address: St George area and the Sutherland Shire, Sydney City, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Northern Beaches and North Shore
  • Ubergoodness – Delivery Address: Sydney metro
  • Always Organic Northern Beaches – Delivery Address: Harbour Bridge to Palm Beach
  • More Health Organics – Delivery Address: Sydney suburbs, North Shore and Hills District
  • Hunter Organics – Delivery Address: Hunter Valley region
  • Lettuce Deliver Organics – Delivery Address: Most Sydney Suburbs
  • Organic Feast – Delivery Address: Newcastle, Port Stephens, Tea Gardens, Lake Macquarie and surrounds, Maitland, Cessnock, Pokolbin, Old Bar, Pacific Palms, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Gosford and the Central Coast.
  • The Organic Grocer – Delivery Address: Sydney wide, Blue Mountains and Central Coast.

New South Wales and Queensland

Queensland

  • Kookaburra Organics – Delivery Address: Sunshine Coast, North of Brisbane to Bribie Island and Caboolture
  • Lilly Pilly Organics – Delivery Address: Rockhampton, Gracemere, Blackwater, Emerald, Yeppoon and Emu Park
  • Organic and Quality Foods – Delivery Address: Brisbane, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Emerald, Gladstone, Longreach, Tamborine and Beechmont Regions
  • Sprout – Delivery Address: Townsville and North Queensland
  • Ripe ‘n Raw Organics – Delivery Address: Brisbane, Gold Coast & Ipswich
  • Access Organics – Delivery Address: Cairns, Port Douglas, Mossman, Tablelands, Kuranda, Innisfail, Far North Queensland (including Cape York and islands)
  • Forest Glen Organic Meats – Delivery Address: Caloundra to Noosa, Hinterland, North Brisbane
  • Green Edge – Delivery Address: Brisbane and surrounds
  • Fundamental Food Store – Delivery Address: Australia wide via post
  • Home Fresh Organics – Delivery Address: Brisbane and surrounding areas including Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba

South Australia

  • Ecologie Organics – Delivery Address: Limestone Coast region and nationally for dry goods

Victoria

  • Organicbox – Delivery Address: Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Geelong, Hamlyn Heights, Leopold, Ocean Grove, Clifton Springs and other surrounding surburbs.
  • Organic Origins – Delivery Address: Metro Melbourne and beyond
  • Organic Empire – Delivery Address: Melbourne, Yarra Valley, Dandenongs, the Bays and Penninsulas
  • Victoria Organic Delivery – Delivery Address: All Melbourne metro and outer-metro suburbs, as well as major country Victoria areas
  • Organic Angels – Delivery Address: Most suburbs within a 25km radius of Melbourne CBD and courier to other suburbs and some country areas
  • Organic Wholefoods – Delivery Address: Melbourne Metropolitan area, can ship dry goods Australia wide
  • Mister Nice Guy – Delivery Address: 5km of Melbourne CBD
  • Baycity Online – Delivery Address: Melbourne
  • Organic Direct – Delivery Address: Melbourne Metro
  • Organic Oz – Delivery Address: Melbourne
  • Viva Las Vegies – Delivery Address: South Gippsland and Bass Shires

Western Australia

Northern Territory

  • Greenies Real Food – Delivery Address: Darwin area and nationwide courier for dry goods

The Australian Organic Food Directory can also lead you in the right direction.

Organic Labeling in Australia

According to the ACCC “There is a voluntary Australian standard for growers and manufacturers wishing to label their products ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ (AS 6000–2009). This standard is a useful reference point when determining whether a product is organic.”

In addition, there are currently 7 Organic Certifiers that are accredited by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry (DAFF). These are The DAFF accredited certifying bodies and their logos:

*There are also two certification bodies that work domestically and are not controlled by DAFF. These are Organic Growers of Australia who is accredited by the International Organic Accreditation Service and SAI Global which is accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ).

The Organic Federation of Australia is working with the Federal Government to establish a single National Organic Seal in Australia.

Why is this action important?

Eating organic food helps negate climate change by using less transport and industrial energy, reducing nitrogen release into the environment (organic farming doesn’t use artificial or synthetic fertilisers) and minimising salinity and soil loss caused by hard-hoofed animals and intensive farming methods. Organic farming has a positive impact on local ecosystems and biodiversity and can even help improve the local environment. Organic food is better for you – try it and taste the difference!

Environmental benefit

Organic produce is a more environmentally beneficial form of farming because it doesn’t require energy-intensive farming methods and avoids heavy use of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. It works with, rather than against, local biological and environmental systems and species, and also builds soil mass – a very effective way to store carbon from the atmosphere, and therefore slows climate change.

Wellbeing benefit

Organic food is better for you. It’s higher in nutrients, lower in artificial additives and is free of genetic modification, preservatives and unnatural chemicals. Free-range organic eggs, indigenous meats (such as kangaroo) and native fruits and vegetables all have minimal impacts on the land.

Sustainable living guide