Organic food, although expensive, has caught the imagination of the middle class

BY Richa Dhodi

The increasing awareness of organic food and its health benefits have brought about a seachange in the consumption habits of Bangaloreans from all walks of life.
I like to have organic food as it makes me feel healthy and it controls my intake of extra cholesterol," says K. Rangarajan, an employee of the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Mahalakshmi, a homemaker is a typical convert. Stepping out of Plant Rich in Hebbal, an organic food outlet in north Bangalore, she says that eating healthy doesn't mean simply eating boiled sprouts for lunch and snacking on carrots.

"We never give a thought to how much pesticide went into producing that carrot. Then why don't we buy organic fruits and vegetables for that real dose of health?" she asks.
Organic food is produced without using fertilizers, pesticides or any genetically modified product and is thus considered the safest and most sensible way to get the best health benefit from fruits, vegetables and almost everything we eat.

According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM), the role of organic agriculture whether in farming, processing, distribution or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.

Organic food is made using natural methods such as vermin composting and use of natural manures like cow dung, agricultural waste and natural pesticides. Consumers buy organic food for environmental reasons and also because they consider it to be more healthy.

The world over, increasing numbers of people are switching to organic foods as inorganically grown foods contain chemicals in the form of added flavors, preservatives, essences and many other ingredients we barely know.

Some argue that these "contaminated" foods are a source of illness by weakening our immune systems if they don't actually poison us.

"I feel healthier after I have been regularly eating organic foods," says Susma, a homemaker in Bangalore.

Organic foods consumers believe they also have abundant anti-cancer agents. "Lesser venom is the reason," explains Lakshmi, also a homemaker, who is a regular buyer of organic vegetables and fruits in Bangalore.

A major drawback however is their price, which is roughly 15-30% higher than conventionally grown crops. Jayaram, coordinator of Era Organic in Dollars Colony, Bangalore says farmers who grow organic food have to meet stricter quality standards to have their products certified organic. Therefore they have to use more labour and that raises costs.

But the buzz about organic food can be gauged from the number of stores that sell them in the city. 24 Lettered Mantra is a huge store in Jayanagar with probably the largest range of organic food in Bangalore.

About 80% of the stock here is organic. Apart from flour and rice, they stock different varieties of rajma (kidney beans), organic sugar and jaggery, pickles, oats, paneer (cottage cheese), yoghurt, fruits and vegetables here. It has also sells snacks and bakery products that are made without artificial colouring and preservatives.

Era Organic has everything required in the kitchen, from sugar to cooking oil, organically produced. There are over 16,000 certified organic farmers in India, according to IFOAM.

But there are perhaps as many small farmers growing food and grains organically. These farmers are successfully selling their products through the help of NGOs or community centers.

Today, Bangalore is emerging as a major retail market and well-heeled consumers do not mind spending some extra money on their health.

As Ramerwari, a mother points out, "It is very much worth the extra money. When we don't mind spending extra for gold class movie tickets or eating junk food, why should we crib about 15% increase in the grocery bill?"

Richa Dhodi
Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media,
Bangalore 560 074.
Richa.Dhodi@gmail.com