The popularity and credibility of organic food, including organic beef, lamb and other meats, has been rising for some time and looks set to continue to do so.
Have you ever wondered exactly how long organic meat suppliers have been around though? When and how did the whole organic movement start, and under what circumstances?
One of the most important things to remember is that all foods started off as natural and ‘organic’ by definition. After all, the additives, chemicals and hormones you find in many foods today are not exactly products of nature!
Experts point to the early 20th Century, roughly centred around the post-War 1940s, as the period in which the so-called organic movement took off.
The movement was in response to the dramatic changes in industrial farming that were evident worldwide, which demanded the use of artificial techniques and substances to enhance the capacity of food that could be harvested.
A key figure in the movement was Rudolph Steiner, a German scientist who helped to bring to public attention the negative health impacts of using fertilisers and other synthetic chemicals.
This resulted in more and more people around the world becoming enlightened about the procedures behind food production, with methods of production coming under closer scrutiny.
The movement picked up pace toward the 60s and 70s as organic food slowly became a recognised phenomenon. However, it wasn’t until the very end of the century when the U.S. finally introduced organic certification.
Nowadays, people from all corners of the globe are able to enjoy organic food thanks to the innovation and forward-thinking of a few pioneers in decades gone by.
