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The organic trend is on the up and up in the UK – and that’s for a reason. Organic vegetables are grown without artificial fertilisers or pesticides, making them healthier for you, and better for the environment. With pesticides wreaking havoc on wildlife, and linked to cancer, it makes sense to go organic. But, because of the relatively small scale of organic farming in the UK, switching to a greener organic lifestyle can be expensive. One way to save money and still eat well is to grow your own greenhouse vegetables.
Pesticides linked to cancer
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A recent study published by The Ecologist found that farmers working in America had an increased risk of developing melanoma, the worst form of skin cancer. And this wasn’t just because of the time they spent outdoors in the sun. Six chemicals in all, as well as two fungicides, were found to double the skin risk of developing skin cancer if farmers were exposed to them for more than 50 days. But it’s not only farmers who are at risk.
Way over the safety limit
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In 2009 The Guardian reported that consumers in the UK are being exposed to unsafe levels of pesticide, particularly those who are careful to eat their five portions of fruit and veg a day. Over five per cent of fruit, vegetables – and other foods – were found to carry harmful pesticide residues by the Pesticide Action Network. And, this poses ‘appreciable’ health risks to the UK public. The food samples investigated by the group were at levels way over the safety limit – most being between 100 and 500 per cent over what is accepted as ‘safe’, with one sample reaching 1,600 per cent of acceptable levels of pesticides in food.
What to do
The easiest, and cheapest solution, is to grow your own. If you have the space, invest in a greenhouse, where all of your organic veggies will thrive. If growing greenhouse vegetables is out of the question for you, quite a few veggies and herbs can be grown in pots – even on the kitchen windowsill. If you’re just starting out, try plants that grow easily. Tomatoes, rosemary and thyme are quite hardy, and there’s nothing better than fresh ingredients for the kitchen.
The best solution to the pesticide scare: home grown, organic greenhouse vegetables.
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