Review of the Russian organic food market. Your own organic food store

Eco-friendly products

In a world where shopping healthy food has become a real problem, everything more people They are thinking about where to buy products that do not contain substances hazardous to health. Fortunately, the market law works not only for hamburgers and cola, but also for healthy food: demand creates supply. And every year manufacturers offer more and more products that will not harm the body. So, our task is to learn how to find it on supermarket shelves.

Such products can be called differently: organic, bio-products or environmentally friendly. What kind of products can bear these proud names? Almost any. There are dozens of names of environmentally friendly pasta and vegetable oils, sugar and salt, nuts and dried fruits. If desired, you can find environmentally friendly canned food, sauces, sweets, and chocolate. There's even organic dog food! What they have in common is that they all have a special sign on the packaging.

Where do all these safe treats come from if factory pipes pollute the atmosphere, tons of poison are poured onto fields, and food manufacturers can no longer imagine their business without the use of chemical additives?

The very idea of selling healthy products with special labeling arose in America about half a century ago. Interest in natural healthy food is largely explained by the public sentiment that reigned in the United States at that time. People protested against the war in Vietnam, against the policies of the ruling elite, the pollution of the planet, and, accordingly, against everything with which the “successes” of industrial society were associated. Including against fast food and food products “adjusted” by chemists. In the 60s, ideas of a return to nature and core values were very common among Americans. Thus, it was they who first drew attention to the fact that it was time to give up dyes, preservatives and all kinds of “improvers” and return to simple and healthy food.

Unfortunately, the voice of the fighters for natural food was very weak at that time and no one really heard it. True, specialized stores began to open in the West, selling environmentally friendly products. But there were very few of them, and they offered a meager assortment at exorbitant prices.

About twenty more years passed before people began to clearly understand the evil that lies within the uncontrolled penetration of chemistry into the agricultural industry and food production. Not only scientists and doctors, but also ordinary consumers understood: familiar products can cause harm instead of the expected benefit.

In America and Europe, special organic food stores began to open one after another. Entire companies and farms began to appear, specializing exclusively in the production of “organic” products.

As the need for harmless products grew in the world, the need arose to somehow streamline the process of their production and sale. At the end of the 90s, in America, national standards for environmentally friendly products were developed.

Without going into details, environmentally friendly products, according to international requirements, are those that:

In addition, when producing environmentally friendly products, the use of growth and fattening stimulants, antibiotics and hormonal drugs, as well as the use of feed that is not based on organic matter is prohibited.

Organic food products are now identified by special licensing symbols on packaging (“organic” or “bio”). This is a guarantee that the products have passed special certification. Perhaps the most important advantage of such products is that they are all carefully checked independent experts and you can be absolutely sure of it.

There are several types of eco-products:

1. NP: Natural Products - these products consist entirely or almost entirely of ingredients natural origin. The inclusion of chemical additives and artificial fillers is minimal. Typically these are products grown on land that has undergone a special purification procedure without using chemicals(the use of natural fertilizers such as manure and compost is allowed).

2. FF: Functional-Foods- substances beneficial to the body have been artificially added to these products: for example, Apple juice with rosehip extract.

3. Nutraceuticals- These are special food additives that improve its “healthiness”. For example, vitamins. Wherein we're talking about exclusively about supplements of natural origin.

Note: if there is an “Organic” icon on a package or jar, it means that not only the manufacturing company has been certified, but also farms and companies involved in delivery and packaging...

In a word, this simple icon obliges a lot.

Opportunities for the Russian consumer

Around the world, the market for environmentally friendly products is growing rapidly. In the West, about a quarter of residents prefer to buy products bearing the “Organic” label. In Europe, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland are recognized as the most active fighters for the production of environmentally friendly products. What about Russia? Are we really on the sidelines of the process? Yes and no.

On the one hand, we have excellent opportunities to release such products. In Russia, the amount of mineral and organic fertilizers used in the fields is tens of times (!) less than in the so-called developed countries Oh. We use much less chemical protection against various pests and diseases in the fields. So, domestic food products contain much less chemicals than imported ones. A huge reserves lands allow the introduction of environmental technologies on large cultivated areas. So our agricultural products (albeit not all) may well be used for the production of eco-products.

But it's not that simple. After all, products grown in an ecologically clean area without the use of fertilizers can reach the consumer in a “disfigured” form. And they usually mutilate it in food production. Because they know: in Russia it is more profitable to sell products with chemical additives than without them. For example, colored and flavored sausage is in greater demand than canned meat prepared in accordance with international environmental safety standards.

Unfortunately, the demand for organic products among our consumers is still quite low. Russian buyers are not yet accustomed to choosing from the whole variety of products just one - the one with the coveted “Organic” badge. Experts explain this by the fact that, on the one hand, Russians have “ecologically low consciousness.” That is, we are not accustomed to associate problems with air, soil and water pollution with own health(which is typical for residents of Western countries). On the other hand, a lot depends on the level of income: sometimes we buy not what is healthier, but what we have enough money for. Therefore, domestic environmentally friendly products often remain unclaimed. And as a result, it is sent for import.

The first attempts to develop organic farming in Russia (more precisely, back in the Soviet Union) began in the late 1980s, although it all ended in failure: consumers were not ready for such products. And as a result, since the mid-1990s, batches of environmentally friendly products began to be sent to Europe. The pioneer was Russian buckwheat (it is in great demand in the West), followed by wild berries for export.

Today, some farms in Central Russia are trying to produce organic products. They supply organic fruits to Europe (in particular, Hungary) for the production of baby food. Products from Russia are in demand in Europe. Moreover, some of our products (for example, pine nuts) have no analogues.

Of course, in last years the situation has changed somewhat. Our compatriots began to seriously think about their diet. However, their desire to eat organic products is not always easy to realize: many Russian cities do not yet have specialized organic food stores. Healthy organic breads or cereals are scattered among many other products. And it can be quite difficult for a buyer to choose among hundreds of canned foods a single package that meets the requirements of a healthy diet.

There is another stumbling block - the high price. Imported eco-products that are certified according to all rules and enter the Russian market are subject to huge customs duties. We can say that these are luxury goods. For example, you can pay more than a hundred rubles for a loaf of “proper” bread.

And Russian manufacturers who decide to undergo international certification are forced to do it abroad. And this is quite an expensive pleasure. As a result, Russian buckwheat or oatmeal, tested by German experts, costs the same as imported analogues. Alas, we have to admit: environmentally friendly goods for many Russians are an expensive and hard-to-find pleasure.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous food manufacturers quickly realized this. They decided to take advantage of the situation with eco-products and began to offer consumers fakes - cheap products that have not passed any checks, but have labels on the packaging like: “contains only organic ingredients” or “environmentally friendly product.” And although at one time appropriate changes were made to GOST, prohibiting writing about the environmental cleanliness of a product without compelling reasons, every now and then such inscriptions flash on the labels of fermented milk products, cereals, and mineral water.

Currently, to assess environmental cleanliness Russian products there is a document called SanPiN ( sanitary rules and norms). It largely coincides with international requirements, although it does not completely repeat them. This document contains standard indicators all potential food contaminants.

In 2008, an addition was adopted to it, according to which, in order to obtain permission to name “Organic” or “Bioproduct”, it is necessary to provide complete documentation along the entire production chain, guaranteeing compliance with all parameters of an environmentally friendly product. Even if these are not yet international standards, they are still a certain guarantee of quality.

And one more fact inspires optimism: according to expert forecasts, the market for environmentally friendly products in Russia will double over the next three years. This means that their prices will begin to fall. The number of retail outlets where they can be purchased will increase. So, soon bioproducts will become cheaper and more accessible to Russians. As they say, the ice has broken.

HOW TO BUY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS?

Carefully read the information on the packaging: real environmentally friendly products have a special mark “organic product” or “bioproduct” of the established standard.

Don't be fooled by packaging labels like "tested for environmental safety", "grown in an ecologically clean area", etc. - certified according to international standards Products usually do not contain such marks.

Sometimes manufacturers indicate only one of the environmental characteristics: “non-GMO” or “chlorine-free.” Such statements may well be true, but they do not guarantee that the product meets other environmental safety requirements.

A statement such as “100% natural product” can also confuse the buyer. After all, some substances of natural origin, such as arsenic or nitrate, can be very harmful to human health.

Certified environmentally friendly products are more expensive than conventional analogues.

It is safest to buy organic products in specialized stores that are licensed to sell them.

From the book The Canon of Medical Science author Abu Ali ibn Sina

Clean dishes The dishes for such a [patient] are dishes prepared from the meat of fatty kid, lamb, chickpeas, onions; Do not fry meat, as fried food interferes with the strengthening effect of meat and reduces its nutritional value. Mugammayat, even acidified murri, is wonderful

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From the book Nutrition and Longevity author Zhores Medvedev

Farms of organic products Organic products of crop production, vegetable growing and horticulture are those that are grown without adding mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus) to the soil and without the use of synthetic herbicides, fungicides,

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Frozen foods and instant foods Nutritionists and nutritionists agree on one thing: freezing is one of the most gentle nutritional and organoleptic (taste and smell) properties of products and a method of storing them. Foods frozen using this method

People who grew up in the generation of the 90s of the last century, and even the early 2000s of this century, probably remember their childhood - a time that many now call happy. Internet communication and Cell phones they replaced letters sent by mail, computers replaced books and yard games, they ate berries straight from the garden, and fruits from the tree, without caring at all about washing them first. However, unwashed berries, as it turned out later, are not the worst thing that a child (and an adult too!) can eat today, because then food products were not “stuffed” with continuous chemicals, and berries and fruits ripened on their own , and not under the influence of nitrates and pesticides.

Did you know that the average life expectancy of a person in Russia has increased by 3 and a half years over the past 30 years? Of course, this was largely due to advances in medicine, but people themselves began to take more care of their health, preferring to lead an active, healthy lifestyle and eat organic foods. Exactly on the topic natural nutrition V Lately There is real “hysteria”: buyers prefer to visit an organic food store and overpay 1-2 tens of rubles for quality, rather than purchase dubious products on the market and people of unknown nationality.

Brief business analysis:
Costs of setting up a business:800,000-1,500,000 rubles
Relevant for cities with the population: from 50 000
Industry situation:supply market is unsaturated
Difficulty of organizing a business: 3/5
Payback: from 1 to 2 years

What are environmentally friendly products

And since the topic is in demand, I couldn’t ignore it and not tell my readers about this profitable business idea. But first, let's try to determine the criteria by which a product can be classified as environmentally friendly. To begin with, it must be said that almost all of these products are plant or animal semi-finished products grown in natural natural conditions- in the beds or in the barns of farms. However, they can also be manufactured using special technologies.

Firstly, such products must not contain GMOs– genetically modified organisms.
Secondly, when growing them no artificial fertilizers, nitrates, growth accelerators were used, and other chemical “filling”.
Such products do not contain food colorings, various flavoring additives, or preservatives.

must have special license marks on the packaging

Once you have a clear idea of what environmentally friendly products are, you can proceed directly to describing the organization of such a business.

Premises and staff

As for the store personnel, in addition to sellers and consultants on products and healthy eating, the staff will require a technical worker, a driver, an accountant - the usual personnel for a regular store, except that this store will sell not quite ordinary products, which will be discussed in the next section.

Approximate range of products

Let's try to "sketch" sample list categories of goods that can be sold in such a store:

Fresh fruits, vegetables, berries
Jams, jams, marmalade
Meat and meat products
Fresh fish
Various types of tea, herbal infusions
Natural vegetable oils
Pastry products, flour
Canned foods
Nuts, dried fruits
Etc.

Of course, all products and semi-finished products must meet all the necessary requirements for environmentally friendly products. We have already clarified the content of these criteria.

Where and how to find product suppliers

You've probably already guessed that most products should reach the counter directly, as they say, “from the garden,” i.e. from farms, village gardens, etc. This is where you should first look for suppliers of products for your store.

To this we can add that it will be better if the suppliers are located in the same region. The shelf life of fresh environmentally friendly products is a maximum of several days (3-4), and the time spent on transportation, storage, and other logistics operations will inexorably reduce the period of sale of the product.

By the way, I’ll tell you a little secret: product suppliers are looking for distribution channels just as diligently as sellers are supply channels, so it’s worth trying to publish advertisements in local newspapers, city Internet portals, and simply put up leaflets in high-traffic areas. Among those who responded, it will be necessary to hold a kind of competition to see whose products best meet the necessary conditions - compliance with the rules, for example, of growing cucumbers and tomatoes.

Also, in the supply contracts that you will enter into with farmers. The conditions for natural cultivation or production of food must be specified.

To control the quality of products sold, you can organize your own laboratory to carry out all necessary research, but this will be somewhat more expensive than concluding an agreement for the provision of such services with independent laboratories, for example, SES.

Natural cosmetics, household goods, etc.

By the way, food is not all that can be sold in an organic food store. The range can be expanded to include natural cosmetics, which are extremely popular among the fair sex. Or furniture made from natural materials, such as wicker. You can find out more about making wicker furniture.

How to organize an online store of environmentally friendly products

Another option to increase your sales and make your store more famous is to create its “Internet twin.” Actually, about how to open an online store, what form of taxation would be better suited for maintaining a virtual point of sale, o

Today, quite a few have appeared on the Russian market a large number of food products that have the word “bio”, “eco” or “organic” on their packaging. However, these products almost never correspond to the “eco” concept. At the same time, the cost of products with a corresponding inscription on the packaging is 20-200% higher than analogues (without an inscription).

Consumers have become hostages of this situation due to the lack of an appropriate law on organic agriculture and organic food in the Russian Federation. We also do not have mandatory certification of eco-products. And since there is no law, then manufacturers are free to use these terms at their own discretion, which, of course, cannot but worry buyers - after all, they are actually being deceived.

So, the concepts of “eco”, “bio” and “organic” are synonyms that denote environmentally friendly products produced in compliance with the principles of organic agriculture.

According to European and American organic farming standards, the label “organic” (“bio” or “eco”) indicates that at least 95% of the contents by weight (minus the weight of salt and water) are organic. The inscription “made with organic” means that at least 70% of the content is an organic product. The label appears on the front or top of the package and may be followed by up to three product component names. The inscription “less than 70% of content is organic” means that less than 70% of the content is organic. In this case, the package may contain a list of organic ingredients, but the word “organic” cannot be used on the front side of the package.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

According to the standards of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)*, organic agriculture is based on four basic principles that must be used as a whole.

Health principle

Organic agriculture must maintain and improve the health of soil, plants, animals, people and the planet as one and indivisible whole. According to this principle, it is necessary to avoid the use of fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs for animals and food additives which may have adverse health effects.

Ecology principle

Organic agriculture must be based on the principles of natural ecological systems and cycles, working with, coexisting with and supporting them. The principles of organic farming, grazing and the use of natural systems in the wild to produce crops must follow natural cycles and balances. Organic agriculture must achieve ecological balance by designing land use systems, creating habitats, and maintaining genetic and agricultural diversity.

Principle of justice

This principle states that animals should be provided with living conditions and opportunities that are consistent with their physiology, natural behavior and health. Natural resources, which are used in production and consumption, must be considered from the perspective of social and environmental justice, taking into account the interests of future generations. Fairness requires that systems of production, distribution and trade are open, equitable and reflect true environmental and social costs.

Principle of Caring

Organic agriculture must be managed proactively and responsibly to protect the health and well-being of present and future generations and environment.

Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the marks “organic”, “bio” or “eco” are intended to notify the buyer that the product is grown naturally without the use of chemicals, in an environmentally friendly area, where at a distance of 500 kilometers around There is not a single chemical or other harmful production from the point of view of environmental protection.

HISTORY OF ORGANIC FARMING

As an independent trend, organic farming began to actively develop starting in the 1940s in Europe and America, in response to dependence on synthetic fertilizers and insecticides. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century, with the development of agrochemistry, many effective methods of soil fertilization and pest control were proposed. First it was superphosphates, then ammonia-based fertilizers. They were cheap, effective, and easy to transport.
During the 20th century, new farming methods were actively used, actually leading to increased yields. However, the environmental consequences of using these methods became increasingly obvious: soil erosion, contamination with heavy metals, and salinization of water bodies.

In 1940, British botanist Albert Howard, one of the founders of organic agriculture, proposed a soil fertilization system based on the use of composts from plant residues and manure. A natural, but not the last reason for the emergence of organic farming was the increasingly better understood danger to human health. Now living conditions in big cities make people think about how to protect themselves from the negative impacts of the urban environment. And a healthy lifestyle consists of more than 50% healthy eating.

In 1972, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was created with the goal of disseminating information and introducing organic agriculture in all countries of the world. Already in the 1990s, green movements and green philosophy acquired a global scale, environmental protection and concern for the health of their citizens became priority areas public policy many countries**.

HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS IN RUSSIA

Organic farming in Russia originated in 1989, when the all-Union program “Alternative Agriculture” was launched. Over the course of two years, the program brought international certification to a number of farms, but ended in complete collapse, since the market was not ready for such products.

In 1994, the export of environmentally friendly certified buckwheat to Europe began, and since 1995, an organic processing plant has been operating in Kaluga region. Currently, farms in the Tula, Oryol, Novgorod, Omsk, Pskov, Kursk, Vladimir, Orenburg, Yaroslavl, Moscow regions and Stavropol Territory are engaged in ecological production of agricultural products.

Thus, the formation of a market for environmentally friendly and safe products is just beginning in Russia. The main reasons for the lag behind the United States and European countries One can name the lack of a unified concept of environmentally friendly products, the unclear position of the state on this issue, and the low environmental culture of the population. However, consumer demands are gradually forming a separate sector of “village” food on the market. Certifying organizations have also appeared (for example, NP “Ecological Union”, St. Petersburg), which have developed their own standards that take into account both international requirements for organic agriculture and the peculiarities of Russian reality. All this clearly contributes to the development of the organic food market.

The newly created Moscow company “Clean Land” is conducting in-depth marketing research into the demand for environmentally friendly products and is preparing to enter this market. The company establishes connections, on the one hand, with independent producers whose product quality meets IFOAM requirements, and on the other hand, with distribution channels that allow organic products to be widely represented.

During the period from 2000 to 2010, the global organic food market grew more than 3.5 times - from $17.9 to 60.9 billion (rice. 1 ) .

According to IFOAM, the global market for eco-products grew by about 12% in 2011 - from $60.9 to 68 billion - while the growth of the consumer market as a whole during this period was only 4.5%. If the organic products market continues to maintain its growth dynamics, then by 2020 its volume could reach $200-250 billion.

MAIN TRENDS OF THE ORGANIC PRODUCTS MARKET

Currently, several main trends in the development of the Russian organic food market can be identified.

The growth of the global market for organic food products is more than 2 times faster than the growth of the market for non-organic “mass” products.

The fastest growing segments of the organic food market are “vegetables and fruits” and “milk and dairy products”. At the same time, the “meat, poultry”, “baked goods” and “beverages” segments are growing at a faster pace, but in terms of volume they lag behind the leaders.

Sales of organic products currently still make up a small share of total food sales in different countries - from 0.75% in the Czech Republic to 4.2% in the USA.

Rising sales of organic products indicate that consumers are willing to accept the added value. Russians are becoming more and more demanding when it comes to food; it is important for them that the products are natural, that genetic engineering is not used in their production, and that they do not cause harm to health.

The main channels for the sale of organic products are retail chains (supermarkets, hypermarkets, discounters) – they account for 41% of sales. The share of specialized stores is 26%, and the share of direct sales is 13%.
The growing market demand for organic products is stimulated at the government level - programs for the development of organic farms are being adopted in the United States and the European Union, and programs for training certified organic farmers are appearing in many universities and colleges.

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE RUSSIAN MARKET OF ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEAN PRODUCTS

Russia lags behind developed countries in the production of eco-products and eco-services by 15-20 years, and the volume of the domestic market for organic products, according to IFOAM, is only $60-80 million, or about 0.1% of all food products.

At the same time, Russia is experiencing a steady growth trend in sales of organic food products. Thus, over 5 years it increased by more than 1.5 times - from 30 million euros in 2007 to 50 million euros in 2011.

The potential of the Russian market is assessed quite highly: according to experts, by the end of 2013 it could grow by 25-30% - up to $100 million.

In Russia, there is a problem with defining the boundaries of the market for organic agricultural products - there is no single law that would establish which products should be classified as organic and which should not. There is also no unified certification system. The solution to this issue and introduction to legislative level Mandatory organic certification will contribute to market development.

Experts believe that the faster development of the Russian organic market than in the West will be facilitated by an improvement in the overall environmental situation in the country, rich soil resource potential, and the presence of huge areas of land (up to 40%) that have not recently been cultivated due to economic and financial difficulties, cheaper labor.

Organic food products belong to the premium segment of the market, and the markup on them, depending on the product category, can vary from 20 to 400%.

The main sales channels for organic food products are:
* supermarkets, where most premium food products are sold;
* specialized stores selling natural products;
* direct sales through online stores, which avoid retail markups. Today, sales of organic food products through online stores account for 5% of total sales of these products. According to experts, sales via the Internet will grow by 22% by the end of 2013;
* pharmacies selling a limited range of organic products. These are mainly diabetic and low calorie foods, baby food and cosmetics.

The possibility of exporting Russian organic products to EU countries is also highly appreciated.
Let's consider factors that in the future may have a positive impact on the growth and development of the market for environmentally friendly products in Russia.

Political factors:
* in the near future – the adoption of a law on organic agriculture, within the framework of which it is necessary to define what “organic” (environmentally friendly) food products are;
* development of a unified certification system for organic products based on European and American standards;
* introduction of mandatory certification of organic products;
* adoption at the state level of a comprehensive program for the development of the agro-industrial complex;
* rendering financial assistance farmers (in particular, preferential taxation) at the state and/or regional level;
* establishing strong connections with regional and local authorities.

Economic forces:
* stabilization and further economic growth after the 2008 crisis;
* stabilization of the ruble exchange rate;
* creation of a system of preferential lending for organic agriculture projects;
* high growth potential of the organic products market (at least 25-30% per year);
* creation of additional jobs in farms;
* attracting cheaper labor;
* reduction in prices for organic products.

Social factors:
* increase in birth rate;
* desire for healthy image life;
* growth in income of the population;
* consumer orientation towards higher quality and expensive products nutrition;
* concerns about the presence of artificial ingredients and preservatives in “traditional” products;
* the belief that organic foods are healthier;
* the desire to purchase food products that have a natural taste, without enhancers;
* improving the culture of consumption and education of people in the eco-sphere as a whole;
* development of an education program for workers in organic agriculture.

Technological factors:
* development of an integrated technology for the production of environmentally friendly products (from soil preparation, planting plants and seeds, feeding and keeping animals, to the full cycle of production and packaging of products);
* conducting scientific research as a guarantee that organic agriculture is healthy, safe and environmentally friendly;
* creation of a logistics system - building a clear and streamlined system for delivering products from farmer to client.

TARGET GROUPS OF BUYERS AND CONSUMERS OF ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS
As in the West, in Russia farm products belong to the premium segment, their main consumers are representatives of the middle and upper class, that is, about 20% of Russians. The most active consumers are women and men aged 25-45 years, with higher education, with average and higher income, residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The main motives for purchasing and consuming organic food are health benefits, absence of artificial ingredients and preservatives, natural taste and safety.

Among the main barriers to purchasing these products is their high price. Also, many consumers do not perceive the health benefits of environmentally friendly products, do not know anything about them or do not trust the manufacturer. The short shelf life of these products is also a limiting factor.

Factors stimulating the purchase of environmentally friendly products include: income growth, concern for one’s health and the health of the family, fitness classes, a decrease in the number of available and free medical services. Of great importance is the dissemination of information about the dangers of biotechnological “unhealthy” ingredients in food products, as well as harmful effects chemicals on traditional agriculture. In addition, the consumption of branded organic products is one of the most fashionable trends in the West.

Thus, we can conclude that a clear state policy and the introduction at the legislative level of mandatory certification of eco-products in accordance with international standards, an educational program aimed at increasing the level of knowledge about eco-products, as well as the interest of chain retail in sales and setting adequate prices for these products will contribute to the growth and development of this category in the future.

* International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements.

** Data from an international association of producers, suppliers and consumers of eco-products.

Ekaterina Dvornikova

Research consulting company"Dvornikova and partners"

A striking example of eating low-quality foods is antibiotic resistance, which arose due to the frequent consumption of meat and milk from animals in the treatment of which antibiotics were used.
With a sedentary lifestyle, constant stress, overeating and inhaling dirty air, the conditional ecological purity of food may not have any effect on your health.

What are the dangers of ordinary products?

In pursuit of economic benefit, the world food industry least cares about the health of its end consumer. Its main goal is to feed the maximum number of people at the minimum price. To achieve this, food producers are taking a whole range of measures, starting with genetic engineering and ending with the use of completely useless and even harmful chemicals.

The main methods used by modern manufacturers to achieve economic benefits:

reduction of production costs;
reducing the cost of manufacturing processes;
increasing the shelf life of food products;
reducing the rate of damage and loss of resources by increasing their resistance to pests and negative external factors.

As a result, the shelves of modern supermarkets, grocery stores, markets and trade stalls in all cities of the world are filled with bright, beautiful, appetizing products that can be stored in the refrigerator for months. And few people think, plunging into all this illusory abundance, about the gigantic size of the chicken and the unnatural shine of the bell pepper, about the village milk that does not turn sour for weeks, and about the clearly distorted taste of many familiar products. [box#1]

By eating such “modified” foods, a person unknowingly causes serious harm to his body in the form of chronic diseases, decreased immunity, intoxication, metabolic disorders, allergies, fatigue, disorders of various systems and internal organs. And it is still somehow not accepted to connect all these problems with food, although many do not even realize how healthy eating and organic products can transform their lives.

Can organic food help improve your health?

Replace unhealthy foods with natural foods

Healthy nutrition is the key to normal human life and even one of the surest ways to increase life expectancy. Recovering from long-term consumption of low-quality foods is not easy, and this can only be done through a complete transition to environmentally friendly and natural food.

Replacing junk food healthy products leads to a gradual improvement in well-being and mood, increased performance and disappearance of depression, a reduction in symptoms chronic illnesses and recovery vitality generally.

When switching to organic food, it is important to understand that a natural diet is not a panacea, and deviations from it are quite acceptable. You shouldn’t expect cardiac changes and total healing of the body from organic food, much less hope that they will help cure any serious illnesses. [box#2]

The opposite effect can be caused by an incorrect combination of foods or attempts to over-saturate the body with useful substances through uncontrolled consumption of food that is unusual for the body.

What products are environmentally friendly?

Despite the desire of a significant part of the food business to obtain maximum profit from the sale of low-quality products, modern market law also applies to healthy food.

Demand creates supply, and every year everything appears on the market more products nutrition that does not harm the body at all, and on the contrary, saturates it with the vitamins and microelements necessary for optimal functioning. And the main task of a person who decides to switch to healthy food is to learn to recognize such products on supermarket shelves.

Environmentally friendly products do not contain genetically modified organisms, synthetic preservatives, artificial flavor enhancers, dyes and flavors. The raw materials used in the production of eco-products are grown without the use of hormones, antibiotics, artificial fertilizers, toxic chemicals and pesticides.

Products grown on organic materials are much tastier and healthier than those obtained by using growth regulators, chemical enzymes and other artificial additives. Realizing this, many farms try to minimize human intervention in the natural development of plants and animals.

Advantages of eco-products over conventional ones

Natural products are best help health

In addition to the fact that organic food is completely safe for humans, it also has other important advantages.

High content of vitamins and microelements (in eco-products useful substances approximately 50% more than in ordinary food).
Improved taste pleasant aroma, juiciness and appetizing (the taste of environmentally friendly food has no chemical impurities).
Safety not only inside, but also outside. Fruits and vegetables are often coated with wax to prevent them from spoiling quickly and to give them an attractive appearance. Environmentally friendly products do not need such processing. They can be eaten with the peel, which means you get even more nutrients.
Benefits for children and pregnant women (the absence of chemical additives completely eliminates their penetration and sedimentation in the body).

What are environmental products?

Despite the fact that most often fruits and vegetables are considered natural products, there is a huge list of products that can rightfully bear the proud title of “ecological”. Thus, on the shelves of modern stores you can find environmentally friendly pasta and vegetable oils, nuts and dried fruits, natural canned food, dairy products, candies and chocolate.

Eco-products of animal origin are also known, prepared using special technologies that involve the elimination of growth hormones, chemicals, antibiotics and low-quality feed in the process of raising birds and animals. Some manufacturers show concern not only for people, but also for their pets, launching ecologically clean food for cats and dogs on the market. What unites all these delicacies is the absence harmful components in the composition and the presence of a special sign on the packaging.

Requirements for environmentally friendly products

In order to bring truly safe, healthy and high-quality environmentally friendly products to the market, manufacturers must comply with certain requirements.

When growing crops, the use of mineral fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, chemicals and any unnatural irradiation is not allowed. Animals can only be raised on environmentally friendly feed, and their diet should not contain hormonal drugs or feed antibiotics.
When producing organic food, it is prohibited to use artificial preservatives, genetically modified organisms, synthetic flavors, substitutes and taste regulators. The use of aggressive processing methods and changes in the original properties of products is not allowed.
Environmentally friendly products are characterized by minimal external processing. Wax and exposure to chemical factors are a sign of artificially increasing the shelf life of products and improving their appearance.

Where to buy organic products

It is better to buy eco-products in specialized stores.

Every year, the world market is replenished with new producers of environmentally friendly products, and healthy nutrition itself is becoming increasingly in demand. Many companies from Russia and other countries open retail and wholesale sales points, participate in international fairs, and display their products at exhibitions.

Unscrupulous entrepreneurs are also becoming more active, issuing cheap goods. Low quality for environmental products. That is why it is better to purchase eco-products in specialized stores and centers that have licenses and certificates confirming the naturalness of the products offered. Before reaching the shelves of eco-markets, real organic food undergoes mandatory certification and receives a label certifying its naturalness. In Russia, a law has not yet been issued that would regulate agriculture and control the work of producers of organic products, but a draft of such a document has already been submitted to the State Duma.

Agricultural fairs are regularly held in different cities of the country, presenting buyers with a wide selection of products grown by farmers on their own farms. And despite the fact that all the fruits, vegetables, berries, meat and dairy products they sell look very natural and natural, there is no guarantee that no chemicals were used when growing plants, or harmful additives and stimulants were used when feeding animals. That is why it is better to buy environmentally friendly products in places where an official and 100% guarantee of their naturalness and safety is provided. A bright sign and original presentation of organic products are not an indicator of their naturalness and safety.

A modern buyer can recognize an environmentally friendly product by the signs “BIO”, “ECO”, “ORGANIC”. Such badges indicate strict adherence to the principles of organic agriculture in the process of preparing products. The products themselves can be called differently: bioproducts, environmentally friendly products, organic food. Purchasing goods marked with an eco-certification mark is much more profitable and safer than buying products from private farmers, whose product quality can be almost impossible to control.

In accordance with standards established in America and Europe, the labels indicate that the product is 95% natural. Environmentally friendly products may contain about 70% organic matter or even a little less, but an inscription about these indicators must be present on their packaging.

Despite the fact that the cost of environmentally friendly goods is usually 20-50% higher regular products nutrition, a safe organic diet is an invaluable investment in your own health.

Pesticides and all other killers are, of course, cocoa... and eating ecological products seems to be good, but I’m still more of a pessimist than an optimist in this regard...

A person can eat... well, let’s say 3-5 kg per day (a glutton), well, let’s drink three liters of water... but a person consumes an average of 10,000 liters of air per day!

You can start yourself a vegetable garden in the wilderness, not settle on the shores of polluted oceans and seas, or rivers poisoned by industrial wastewater, but the ocean of air knows no boundaries, it is one for all... Where does acid rain come from in the remote taiga of Siberia, when whole Are the cedar and pine areas yellow after such rains? Where do the exhaust gases of endless lines of cars in cities and towns go (by the way, summer residents who have a dirt road behind their fence in vain expect that nothing will fall behind the fence... and this heavy metals, lead, mercury, cadmium... which is worse than pesticides), and what remains after the combustion of fuel in aircraft engines, in what quantity it falls on our heads - Victor can tell us this... and in addition to fuel, now chemical trails have also been added ...by the way, they have learned to deal with bad weather... aluminum is sprayed in the form of a suspension... 1 gram of aluminum - lethal dose for an adult... again, pipes of industrial enterprises... here is the entire periodic table, I don’t even dare to speculate. and finally. Quote: “According to the famous Russian geochemist Ya.E. Yudovich and his colleagues, the clarke (average) content of uranium in coals is -3.6 g/t, and thorium for brown coals is 6.3 g/t, hard coals -3 .5 g/t."...And when coal is burned, radioactive elements naturally enter the atmosphere. It’s clear - this is not Chernobyl (which continues to work against the environment and will be for another 500 years), but... taking into account that it has been mined non-stop for twenty years and will continue to be mined and burned in millions of tons - our air will not become cleaner.. .. and this is only peaceful pollution... it’s better not to start about phosphorus bombs and other crap at all... In general, it all rains down on our heads every second, constantly... it falls on the ground, in the water of reservoirs and in the ground, on plants. ..without considering whether they are environmental or not... even in the Moscow region, even in Haapsulu, even in Montana... and what fell on the bare ground... then with the winds it rises again into the atmosphere... in general, the cycle of chemistry in nature...

And this is one of the reasons why I am indifferent to the “organic” label, although not the main one. The main one is still agricultural. lobby... in power. Neither the US FDA, nor the EU authorities (where 350 million people in such a small territory have been flooding the earth with all these killers, including Roundups, for decades!) - just don’t respect themselves. Although I also remember how on Soviet collective farms bags of fertilizers got wet in the open air. It takes at least 30 years to cleanse the earth of chemicals, I read that some American scientist is also skeptical about the organic brand, like it’s nothing personal, just business!

I would also like to add about GMOs. Favorite topic. Of course it is possible. do not buy GMO potatoes. And this is good. Well, what can we do about the presence of these components in finished products? Eg. cocoa beans. (Such plantations have been established a long time ago.) I’m not talking about the drink now. About chocolate products. Children eat first. A lot of European brands have become disgraced with the use of GMO components, incl. V baby food(milk formulas), for example, the well-known NESTLE... it’s better not to talk about the USA at all: everything has been produced there using GMOs for a long time. Europe puts on a “decent face”, allegedly banning GMOs, but they have had them for a long time, and supplied Russia with large quantities of such products, before the sanctions. One German woman even told me this: it was probably only you who were sent such things, but we don’t have them... apparently this same German woman has not heard anything about cross-pollination (again, the damned air - all the troubles come from it)... China has a lot of products with GMOs produces... in general, we all eat it. One difference is the quantity...