Buy organic

I read in the telegraph today an article about how people are turning away from organic produce due to the credit crunch. Have a read...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/05/easoil105.xml

I always make the effort to buy organic but understand that it is more exspensive than non and some people just can not afford it.
Organic is much better for the evironment with it taking 27% less energy than convential crops to produce*. 70% of organic produce is made in the UK so you are also supporting British farmers*.
It is also much better for your health with 50% more vitamins, minerals and nutrients in it. Conventionally grown apples have 20-30 chemicals sprayed on them, traces can be found even after washing**. The taste and quality is also much better.

Below are some tips on buying organic food, cheaper.

Tip 1; Shop around. Try Farmers markets, Farm shops, organic delis etc. If you have allotments close by go there at harvest time and chat to the farmers, some may have surplus product they may want to sell for a cheap price. Don't just try your supermarket.

Tip 2; Buy in season local produce. Not only will it be the freshest with the most vitimins in, it has a smaller carbon footprint. Eating produce grown in local soil is the best food there is as it is the best for your immune system.

Tip 3; Prioritise. Some foods are more beneficial than others to eat organically. According to studies the top most polluted fruit and veg are apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries***. If you have to buy non organic than wash thouroughly and peel if possible. Food such as banannas and avocadoes come in their own "packaging" so are not my priority when it comes to organic produce.

Tip 4; Grow your own. Even growing a few herbs on your windowsill will save you money. You wil be provided with a constant source of organic produce and save money you can spend elsewhere.

Remember even buying a couple of organic items a week will be beneficial to your health, the environment and the british farming industry. If everyone bought a bit more organic produce, it will become more mainstream and the prices will get more competitive.

If anyone has any more useful information and tips please say.

Please feel free to leave comments, I would love to know others views on Organic produce.

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*http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/organicfood.shtml#is_organic_food_'better'?
**http://www.organicfoodee.com/topten.html
***http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateA&navID=ScienceandLaboratories&leftNav=ScienceandLaboratories&page=AMSScienceandTechnologyProgramsHomepage&description=Science%20and%20Technology%20Programs&acct=scntech This information is form an American site, if anyone has the stats form a British source, I would be grateful.