NOW CLOSED Talk to Organic UK about about buying organic food and win a Neal's Yard 'pamper hamper' worth £100 plus 10 runner up prizes

[KatieBMumsnet]

As part of the new "Organic, Naturally Different Campaign" the folks at Organic UK would like to know Mumsnetters' opinions on buying organic food for your family. Here's what Organic UK says: "The campaign wants to encourage all of us to think again about the benefits of organic, and support organic producers. We all want good, natural food and that's exactly what organic is all about."

So if you buy organic food, please tell us what you buy and why? Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic? Why is buying organic food important to you?

If you don't buy (or don't always buy) organic food, why is this? What prevents you from buying organic? Is there anything that could persuade you to purchase organic food?

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure?

Everyone who adds their comments to this list will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a Neal's Yard 'pamper hamper' worth £100 and 10 runners up will each win one copy of the Discover Organic cookbook (worth £14.99).

Full T&Cs can be found here.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

So if you buy organic food, please tell us what you buy and why? Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic? Why is buying organic food important to you?

I do buy some organic food. Fruit - usually apples, pears and lemons. Vegetables - usually potatoes, carrots and swede. Occasionally meat - usually chicken and eggs. Chocolate, coffee and flour when on offer particularly when making bread. Why? Because of concerns with the amounts of antibiotics and pesticides used. Also some foods, particularly fruit and veg seem to taste better.

However I would also prefer to buy items in season as well as looking for items locally produced and I think this matters more - sometimes it seems there are a lot of issues to weigh up when purchasing food. I used to have a weekly organic box delivered when my children were smaller but not anymore as I now have to be more organised over my food shop and weekly meal plans to fit in with family life.

If you don't buy (or don't always buy) organic food, why is this? What prevents you from buying organic? Is there anything that could persuade you to purchase organic food?

Price is the reason I don't buy organic food across the board. It would be too expensive - plus I think I am swinging more towards buying local food when I can. For example I would prefer to buy non-organic British apples rather than organic apples from overseas although British organic apples would be ideal!

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure?

I was but classification seems to change all the time.

Where available I buy organic meat, dairy, eggs, fruit and veg, and coffee. I guess because they are "natural" products and I want to feel they haven't been messed with, and I read coffee was one of the most sprayed crops in the world. I used to buy everything organic if it was available, but cost is the main reason I have cut it down.

I am not 100% sure how it's classified but assume it means certain chemicals/drugs can't be used in production/farming and the fewer that are the better IMHO.

organic food tastes better but finances often dictate that regular vegetables tend to act as ingredients to meals but I do try to buy organics if they are being eaten alone

I always buy organic milk. We have a lot of milk in our house, so I want to make sure my dds are not having something containing growth hormones given to the cows!
As to other products, well I'm a bit schizophrenic. It all depends on how flush I'm feeling that week, and if there are any special offers on.

I always buy organic milk and eggs (better animal welfare and fewer antibiotics used in rearing). I buy a veg box from Riverford every week and have done for the last few years and this has transformed how I cook and shop. I hardly ever buy veg from the supermarket now, and that does mean we get a bit sick of cabbage and carrots in winter, but are delighted when we get things like wet garlic and asparagus and their amazing sugarsnap peas -- even if they last for very short periods. I have become really good at cooking beetroot too! The veg is noticeably better than anything you can get in the supermarket (even organic) and cheaper than organic stuff you buy from the shops too. I also buy eggs from Riverford (cheaper than supermarket organic eggs, and way, way fresher). I will only buy outdoor-reared pork and free-range chickens, but often you can't get organic meat in the supermarket. We are experimenting with buying organic meat from Riverford, but they haven't quite settled their systems with this yet. And, by chance, I did get an organic Kelly Bronze turkey from a supermarket at Xmas (it was Xmas eve and it was reduced from £55 to £20) and I will say it was the most sublime turkey I have ever tasted.

I always buy organic milk and other dairy products. Having lived in America I am aware of the antibiotics and growth hormones fed to animals and feel grossed out that this is passed on through the milk.

Other products tend to depend on the price. Although I do buy a fair amount of veg & fruit from a farm shop which I know grows their produce organically.

Meat and fish is very expensive if organic, but we are pretty much vegetarian in our house so this is not so much of an issue. The pulses and pasta I buy also tend to be organic.

I'm pretty certain I know what the classification is for organic produce, but like with all these things the packaging and labelling changes frequently which can be confusing for consumers.

I buy organic things for my daughter, such as baby milk, and baby food. Having organic things for her are important to me as shes so small and I want the best for her. If I could afford to buy organic for my self I would, when things are on offer I do :)

I buy organic fruit and veg and meat at the local farm shop, organic eggs and milk from my DCs best friends dad, who is a farmer in the next village. As these are all a 2 mile radius, it actually works out cheaper a lot of the time that the 20 mile round trip to our nearest big supermarket! I do admit, however, that if I was solely buying in the supermarket, prices would be prohibative. Certainly the organic veg always tastes good, because it has to be fresh. I would be worried though if animals were not given the proper treatment in fear of a farmer losing his organic status-a badging system should never outweigh the importance of any living things health.

Eating organic food is important too me, but this is often outweighed by the cost of it. I do often pay a little more for fairtrade but I do admit to being a little confused about the difference between fairtrade and organic. I do buy fruit and veg, fish and some meat from our local market, the meat and fish is local but I'm not sure about the fruit and veg. I do think organic food is too expensive, but I do think it tastes better. Unfortunately it just isn't affordable for people watching their budgets.

So if you buy organic food, please tell us what you buy and why?

• Meat, vegetables, eggs, milk, household cleaning products - all as much as possible/my budget allows. Because it's better for everyone and everything.

Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic?

• Anything and everything is organic when/where I can.

Why is buying organic food important to you?

• It is part of the process of taking responsibility for the welfare of my family, the animals and processes and people involved, and the planet.

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure?

• I look for the Certified Organic mark.

I buy a mixture or organic and non-organic. I always try to buy organic milk as it tastes and lasts much better. I also think it helps avoid nappy rash versus normal milk but hard to say this for sure. Whenever organic items or the same or a similar price I will choose organic. I would ideally have all organic fresh meat, veg and dairy but it isn't always achievable due to costs. As prices have gone up, I have cut back on where I trade up to organic. Milk is the one I would always try and keep organic though.

I am aware of what organic means and it does matter to me (esp in animal wellfare and not wanting drugs and chemicals passed on).

Buying organic food with less food miles is very important to my family. We sacrifice some other things (no car, live in a less expensive area/house, and watch spending on entertainment) We have an organic box delivered most weeks to the house as well as getting organic produce from the local Cooperative. I also buy mostly organic and eco household products, toiletries and cosmetics when possible. Since we only have one child this has been possible for us so far, but not sure we could swing it financially if we had a bigger family. Knowing where my food comes from if I cannot grow it myself is very important.

I buy organic fruit and veg, milk, flour, sometimes cereal and occasionally meat when I can afford to. We used to get a veg box delivered but I found a lot went off quickly and we got sick of never ending cabbage!

I am weaning my son on organic fruit and veg as he has eczema and I think it is better to avoid possible allergens in pesticides etc. Also I think certain foods taste better, eg tomatoes.

Ideally everything we buy would be organic fair trade local and sustainable, but this is not always possible or affordable. We used to grow a lot of our own when we had a big garden.

aside from health benefits I am also in favour of small scale producers with less of an environmental impact all round.

So if you buy organic food, please tell us what you buy and why? Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic? Why is buying organic food important to you?
I go through phases of buying organic - would buy more if I had the money. We used to have a veg box delivered from riverford every week, but have cut it down to less often as it was a bit hit and miss

If you don't buy (or don't always buy) organic food, why is this? What prevents you from buying organic? Is there anything that could persuade you to purchase organic food? Price

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure? No not really 100 % sure

I used to buy mostly organic when the Dc's were little, including a veg box delivered every week.

Now I buy almost none, can't afford the extra these days, I can buy fantastic quality cheap fruit & veg at the market. So I guess it is only important to me if I can afford it!

Without compromise I buy organic milk and most dairy, most root veg and other veg and fruit where I can afford it, prioritising foods my baby will eat most of. Living in London the most cost effective way to do that was with a (fantastic!) Riverford or Able and Cole weekly delivery, since moving to Scotland where these companies don't deliver I've found it more difficult and more expensive to get decent organic veg delivery and fruit is hopeless unless you're willing to accept a massive accompanying carbon footprint, which has been a
massive disappointment!

So if you buy organic food, please tell us what you buy and why? Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic? Why is buying organic food important to you?

• I buy organic fruit and veg where I will eat the peel and that I won't cook (apples, grapes, greens, peppers, tomatoes etc) as I understand that is the most important food to buy organic. I can't afford to buy everything organic but I do think it is very important to eat as organic as you can afford as it is better for you and the environment. I used to get a large delivery from Riverford once a week, fantastic stuff, but sadly I can't afford it at the moment.

If you don't buy (or don't always buy) organic food, why is this? What prevents you from buying organic? Is there anything that could persuade you to purchase organic food?

• I think my above answer covers this question. I do always check if the price is the same or very similar on organic and non-organic just to be sure I am not missing out,.

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure?

• Fairly sure. It has to say that it is approved by the organic soil association which means that soil has to have been organic for some years, that no pesticides or chemical fertilisers have been used and that cow/chicken have only been feed organic.

please tell us what you buy and why? Does buying organic only matter to you for certain items and not others? Or is anything and everything you buy organic? Why is buying organic food important to you?

Most of the fruit, veg, cereals and meat I buy is organic. Milk and eggs are always organic. I buy it because I don't like the idea of me and my children eating food that has been grown using chemicals, pesticides etc. I would like to buy all organic but cannot afford to do so. Also as a busy Mum I do need some convenience foods and there is not always an organic option available.

If you don't buy (or don't always buy) organic food, why is this? What prevents you from buying organic? Is there anything that could persuade you to purchase organic food?
cost (I'm on MAT leave!), less choice then in non organic range, few ready prepared/convenience products. Also, I find that non-organic stuff from my local farmers market is usually tastier than my local supermarket's organic produce so I often buy fruit and veg there.

Also, are you 100% sure on what organic produce is and how it is classified? Or are you not too sure?

I think it has to be certified organic by some association or other meaning that the soil is free from harmful chemicals, no chemicals/pesticides have been used in the growing or in the animals feed or in the treatment of the animals

I buy organic fruit and veg when possible because I do think it tastes better although organic produce does not seem to stay fresh for as long as regular goods. If I could afford it then I'd buy everything organic eg meat and dairy. I'd buy more if the prices were lower.

We try very hard to buy organic everything. We get a local fruit and veg box box weekly, top up at the supermarket (we prefer Sainsbury's ethics and range of choice) and organise a Suma order every couple of months for us and a few friends. We started buying organic when I was expecting our first child, and become more aware of chemicals everywhere as our family has grown. We have an allotment so we grow some of our own foods, make our own bread and mayo when we can to avoid additives/preservatives.
Organic is important to us as it means higher welfare conditions for animals (they need a healthier lifestyle if they aren't given preventative antibiotics) and less chemicals on our veg. My ultimate preference would be to visit the farms where we'd buy our produce, but that isn't fitting into our lives at the moment.
we do get some non-organic local meat from a farm shop- we have a friend who raises organic beef and sheep, but they won't be ready until autumn (for the freezer). I prefer to support the local shop than be suspicious of supermarket organic, though I do sometimes buy it (chicken generally).
I am also more suspicious of organic from international sources as my understanding is different countries have their own certification systems, and indeed the distance means less scrupulous folk might slip in non-organic for the price premium.

I tend to 'buy local' first, as I think reducing food miles is equally important. When we didn't have a car I had weekly boxes from Abel & Cole, but now I can get to local farm shops and farmers markets, I tend to buy there instead.

Having said that, I always buy organic mushrooms, as I read somewhere they're most likely to contain nasties being fast growers near the bottom of the food chain; and I usually buy organic dairy and eggs because they both taste better, and I am very concerned about how non-organic cattle are raised and treated. I'm a vegetarian, so don't buy meat.

I would love to buy 100% organic fruit and veg all the time, but just couldn't afford to, and would also be concerned about the food miles for my organic apples to travel, when I can buy them non-organic from the farm down the road, who isn't certified but tries not to use too many chemicals on his crops.

I only buy organic if it's not significantly dearer. Rising food costs are a big issue for me.

Cost is a major factor for me. The other factor is that I don't trust lying supermarkets with their labelling, they are sneaky about pricing, health claims etc so I tend to take everything the packaging says with a huge pinch of salt.

I always buy organic milk and I find that the price is only a tiny bit more that non organic, other than that Im a bit eclectic I buy organic fruit & veg if I see it but if not I'll happily buy non organic. I always buy free range eggs and if I can see it free range meat but this is not so easy to get hold of. I don't find organic food tastes any better but i prefer the fact that it's not been meddled with.