By choosing to purchase only organic meat you are supporting sustainable farming. Animals that are reared outdoors, are raised in far more humane conditions, neither are they intensively fed and are free from being routinely given antibiotics. Grazing animals are supposed to be free to roam, they help preserve the landscapes natural beauty, many national parks and nature reserves are maintained by grazing cattle and sheep. Grasslands store carbon in the soil which would be released into the atmosphere if they were ploughed up, these areas should be viewed as important as rainforests in terms of their value as carbon stores.
Pigs and poultry are the most intensively farmed species, often resulting in them being pumped full of antibiotics. They are often kept in unnatural farming conditions and antibiotics are used to control the spread of disease, this over use of antibiotics is counter-productive however, because widespread use of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance in food poisoning bacteria, like salmonella. In the last few years scientific evidence has also implicated intensive farming in the rise of two new superbugs, a new strain of MRSA which spreads to humans, and a new and almost untreatable type of E coli.
Cows are naturally supposed to eat grass, but intensive farming of cows means they are fed predominantly grain, as most of the time cows are contained inside. The problems is cows can’t digest grain easily, feeding cows grain leads to a change in their ph levels, which may also encourage a strain of E coli, that can potentially be hazardous to humans. All this weakens the immune system leading to imbalances, allergies, ill health and disease. If an animal does get sick and has to be treated with antibiotics it cannot be certified organic, in fact after any treatment involving drugs, it has to be diverted to a conventional farm. Buying organic meat means not only are you assured meat is virtually residue-free, you are guaranteed that you are getting meat, from an animal that was healthy throughout its life. A conventionally farmed animal that has been treated with all sorts of drugs will often be sick, because its natural state of health has been so worn down. Certified organic meat goes far beyond just avoiding artificial ingredients, It is a guarantee that the product went through strict health and safety control points before it got to you. Organic meat may be more expensive, but at least you can be assured that the food you’re eating is safer than other meats and came from a health animal.
