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Organic veg benefits local health, wildlife and economies, says report
Research has found local organic produce provides a multitude of tangible benefits for people and planet.
A report, compiled by the Community Farm to celebrate Organic September, presents research revealing the positive impacts of chemical-free veg growing.
These include a significant boost to the local economy, physical and mental health improvements, and a better environment for wildlife.
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Volunteers including school children, people experiencing mental ill health and isolation, and those from ethnic minority and refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds, have reported health benefits from spending time on the farm, based in Chew Magna
According to the report, the New Economics Foundation found that for every £10 spent on a locally-grown organic veg box, £25 went back into the local community – compared to just £14 when the equivalent is spent at the supermarket.
Local people involved in growing the crops also benefit in other ways, such as health boosts linked with being outside and immersed in nature, connecting socially, and undertaking physical exercise.
The Community Farm, a not-for-profit veg-growing enterprise located in Chew Magna, found that 75 local people benefited from involvement in growing the produce needed to supply four of their veg boxes, including people experiencing isolation and mental ill health, local school children, and refugees and asylum seekers.
92 per cent of recent visitors to the Farm said they had experienced positive health benefits from spending time on the land.
Organic vegetables contain greater nutrition and the variety of produce on offer from a typical veg box supports a more varied diet which has been found to support better digestion, brain function and resilience against infections
The vegetables themselves are also better for health, containing greater nutrition due to the organic growing methods and rapid delivery from picking to box to consumer – where it has been shown that veg begins to lose nutritional value as soon as it is harvested.
Organic farms reportedly support 30 per cent more biodiversity than conventional farms, and the Community Farm site is host to a wealth of wildlife including skylarks, woodpeckers, lapwings, buzzards, kestrels, stoats, badgers and deer.
Their annual bee count revealed bumblebee sightings on the farm’s land have increased by 155 per cent since 2020, while their butterfly survey has reported a large variety of species, supported by the wide range of different plants and habitats found on the farm site.
This differs from a conventional, chemical-aided farm which typically supports acres of one-crop monocultures, with a focus on productivity meaning important wildlife habitats such as ponds and scrub are forsaken in favour of greater cultivation space.
Organic farms – such as south Bristol’s Yew Tree Farm, where this hawk was spotted – support an abundance of wildlife due to mixed habitats and greater biodiversity – photo: George Cook
Large amounts of fossil fuels used to produce pesticides, operate heavy farm machinery and improve soil health in conventional industrial agriculture contribute significantly to carbon emissions. Conversely, organic farms deliver climate benefits such as increased soil health which traps carbon underground more effectively as well as improving the nutrition of the vegetables grown in it.
The Community Farm reports that, according to thinktank the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, if the UK transitioned to sustainable, regenerative farming systems – such as organic – the country’s greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 70 per cent.
The Community Farm is trying to convert more people to organics by offering a ten per cent discount on their veg boxes to new customers, who could also be eligible for a free meal at their annual wassail event in January 2025.
Their report cites scientific evidence that eating a variety of plants is key to better overall health and wellbeing: greater resilience to withstand infections, better digestion and better brain function, where four of their veg boxes offer up to 26 different varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Read the full report and find out more at www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk/news/unearth-the-benefits
All images, except where stated: The Community Farm
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