Choosing seasonal fruit and vegetables grown using organic methods means doing good not only for yourself — taking care of your own health and wellbeing — but also for the planet. Want to know why? We explain it here, with a biodecalogue drawn up in collaboration with Portanatura.

1. Organic respects the environment

If we eat organic fruit and vegetables we pollute less: according to a study by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (Ifoam), every hectare farmed using organic methods "cuts" the CO2 emissions attributable to agriculture by 58 per cent.

2. No pesticides, more nourishment for the earth

In organic farming no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used, whose residues, among other things, also end up on our plates; the preference is to let nature take its course. This is partly because, when pesticides are used, only 1 part per thousand of the product actually acts on harmful insects, while the remaining 999 parts per thousand contaminate the entire surrounding environment. In organic farming, plants are protected by encouraging the development of beneficial insects, selecting hardy and resistant plant varieties, rotating crops (so as not to deplete the soil), and fertilising with manure and compost.

3. Organic protects biodiversity

Biological diversity on the planet is a treasure — nutritional, economic and cultural. With organic methods, not only are the insects and small animals that are useful to harvests protected, but so are the plants themselves: organic farmers very often choose to cultivate ancient or rare varieties, sometimes for their intrinsic qualities of resistance to weather conditions, but more often to protect and preserve traditions and flavours that have shaped our history and deserve to be handed down.

4. The importance of seasonality

Following the seasonality of produce means avoiding the cultivation of vegetables in artificially heated greenhouses (often with the help of fossil fuels, which pollute and increase global warming), using fewer chemical fertilisers and having stronger, more resilient plants. Seasonal produce is also tastier and richer in nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.

5. Imperfect vegetables, zero waste

How much produce is thrown away because it is "ugly" and deemed not suitable for display on supermarket shelves? According to the Waste Watcher observatory of Last minute market/Swg, every year 1.2 million tonnes of foodstuffs are abandoned in the fields, because they are "out of standard" or have spoiled due to weather conditions. Those who farm organically make no distinctions based on the appearance of their vegetables: if a piece of fruit is ripe and healthy it is sold regardless, even if it looks "a bit ugly". Reducing waste is (also) a question of ethics.

6. Zero-kilometre, less pollution

Preferring vegetables produced by geographically close farmers and trying to cover as little distance as possible means keeping polluting transport to a minimum. Thanks to "zero-kilometre" products, tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that would end up in the atmosphere — worsening the problem of global warming — can be avoided.

7. The value of producers

The direct relationship with those who grow the products in the Portanatura network is fundamental: from it arises a kind of large bio-family, sharing the same values and a shared way of life rooted in respect for nature and its rhythms.

8. Packaging? Kept to a minimum

Packaging is by definition waste: it has a temporary protective function for food, only to be thrown in the bin very soon afterwards. To reduce the problem of waste as much as possible, it is better to use packaging kept to the bare minimum. Food safety must go hand in hand with the health of the planet.

9. Organic is honesty and patience

Those who practise organic farming use "genuine" seeds, obtained through years of patient harvests and exchanges with other farmers. Human selection does exist, it is true, but always in full respect of nature and its cycles, often guided by collaboration among those who have always worked the land and known it intimately.

10. Organic believes in people

The rules of the market are made by consumers, who are the voice of a demand to which a corresponding supply must respond. If demand changes, supply must change too, because that is what serves the market best. What does this mean? It means that if the number of aware individuals who choose to buy organic and seasonal produce grows, so too will the number of fields cultivated using this method, triggering a virtuous cycle that brings benefits to both the environment and individuals. The achievement of a healthier and less polluted world depends solely on our everyday choices.