Clean food. Organic food products, why they are safe for humans

Dairy products from the "Ugrinskaya Ecofarm", located in the conservation area of ​​the Ugra National Park (which is not far from Moscow), the cows graze on private land that belongs to a family of 4 people, they are the ones who care for the cows without outside help, including milking the cows by hand! The cows there are fed with natural hay... Self-call from the center of Moscow is possible.
-govinda-garden.ru- in my opinion, a super kind store, it seems that the principles of eco-management and good treatment of animals are more important there, and the prices are reasonable. Pickup is possible on Saturday from the Rizhskaya metro station (5 minutes walk to the store). There is positive feedback in the comment.
-domnz.ru- some products there are from the monastery. See positive feedback in the comments.
-moolookoo.ru- eat products from the nunnery. More details about this store.
-iorganic.ru- dairy, groceries, vegetables and fruits, household goods, etc.
-lavkalavka.com- expensive
-naturoed.ru- expensive due to logistics costs and average volumes
-sferm.ru- some say that the taste of the products there, including vegetables, is the same as in the store, although their website looks respectable. But in this comment they say that the butter there is good, but the cheese and milk quickly sour (I think this is not an indicator of poor quality) and sometimes even mold on the 3rd day (but this is already suspicious), and the money is returned.
-a-moloko.ru
-gor-polyana.ru
-efimsybbota.ru- there is a positive comment, but it’s really not clear from whom.
-ecocitylife.ru - Free delivery in Zelenograd when purchasing over 1000 rubles

IMPORTANT- when drinking raw milk, beware of brucellosis and E. coli, consume raw milk only from cows that were not fed mainly grains and corn, but were fed grass in the summer and hay + sometimes vegetables in the winter, grass/hay for cows is just ideal, also cows must graze on pasture at least in summer.

Organic cereals, locally grown fruits and vegetables, Eco cosmetics, hygiene products, organic spices, dried berries, cereals:
-i-mne.com - branch offices throughout Russia, pickup possible
-syroeshka.ru - Pickup possible from Airport metro station
-lifeway.su - (Altai region)- local crops growing in ecologically clean areas, here is their magazine - vedlife.
-Nuts and dried fruits wholesale in Moscow
-hunnyshop.ru- (Moscow region)- a store of natural soap and cosmetics, there is also natural food - sprouts, flour, bee products, nutritional yeast (not baker's yeast), it is run by a girl (a vegetarian and mother of two children), who, by the way, is the moderator of this community
-iherb.com - (American store)- with a rich assortment of natural products, you can order to Russia and Ukraine, parcels arrive in about 3-5 weeks on average. Shipping costs from 4 bucks. I write some things about this site.
-shop.wantbaby.ru- (self-call in Moscow, Zelenograd and Klin)- a guide to raw food products, relevant for expectant/real mothers.
-dziwa.ru - (Moscow region)- a store of eco-products, natural soaps from scratch, natural handmade cosmetics and healthy food
-Dried persimmons and other dried fruits from Sochi and Abkhazia, Look .
-bezhimii.ru
-sver4ok.ru

Recommendations when purchasing goods:
Pay attention to preservatives and food additives. And elements like modified starch or GM soy components, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate etc (see Exxx labeling on food products). This crap can also be found in health food stores. I absolutely do not recommend buying products made from soy or corn, since 99% of these products are GMO, unless otherwise stated.

Palm oil- another trend for consumers, especially among vegans. Palm oil is the cheapest and very unhealthy. Coconut oil is best, but you can buy organic, unrefined, and raw coconut oil. (Good for baking any vegetables, even potatoes, but I always cook on low heat.) The dangers of other vegetable oils have been well written.

Agave syrup is harmful, you can read about this.

It is advisable to know about essential oils how the product was obtained and processed, because if, for example, you inhale with artificial essential oils, you can only harm the body. Although for aromatizing rooms it is much better than ordinary chemicals from ordinary grocery stores.

Preference, of course, should fall on those stores that can be reached, rather than ordering products far away. Firstly, if we buy our Russian goods, then the money goes into the domestic economy. Secondly, this way we don’t use cardboard and gasoline for shipping and delivery, which means it’s more environmentally friendly.
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P.S. I would love your feedback on any experiences with these stores or additions to the list!

UPD: thank you all for the tip on additional stores, thanks to them we can safely say that it is possible to lead a healthy lifestyle in Moscow, although I would like there to be more physical stores, because buying in person, in my opinion, is easier and more enjoyable.

Excessive consumerism:
- Blue China (why having cheap jeans is not environmentally friendly)

DIY cleaning products:
- Eco-friendly detergents (why buy if you can make your own detergents, which is much simpler and more economical?)

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 profit, the global food industry cares least 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?

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 unhealthy foods with healthy foods leads to a gradual improvement in well-being and mood, increased performance and disappearance of depression, a reduction in the manifestations of chronic ailments and restoration of vitality in general.

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 should not expect cardiac changes and total healing of the body from organic food, much less hope that they will help cure any serious diseases. [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 gives rise to supply, and every year more and more food products appear on the market, which do not harm the body at all, and even on the contrary, saturate 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

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

1. High content of vitamins and microelements (in eco-products there are approximately 50% more useful substances than in ordinary food).
2. Improved taste, pleasant aroma, juiciness and appetizing (the taste of environmentally friendly food does not have chemical impurities).
3. 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.
4. 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. All these delicacies are united by the absence of 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

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, passing off cheap, low-quality goods as environmentally friendly 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 organic products is usually 20-50% higher than conventional food, a safe organic diet is an invaluable investment in your own health.

For quite a long time, people have been modifying the natural development of nature, interfering with the structure of the soil by introducing chemical fertilizers, and using pharmacological drugs in the diet of birds and animals. All these actions cannot but affect the quality of food products.

In addition, manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of food, subject many of their products to genetic processing. It is much more profitable to produce long-lasting products than to sell perishable ones cheaper, causing a loss to yourself.

As a result, consuming these products causes irreparable harm to the human body in the form of:

Intoxication;

Metabolic disorders;

Hypovitaminosis;

Allergies;

Increased fatigue;

Disorders of various systems;

Decreased immunity, susceptibility to disease and much more.

Why is it important to eat healthy?

In this regard, there is a need for environmentally friendly products. Consumption of them will help a person cleanse the body of the harmful effects of contaminated food, restore normal functions and increase life expectancy. After all, there is nothing more valuable in the world than health. If a person feels great, he can work fruitfully for the benefit of his family and society.

Every year, the issue of consuming environmentally friendly products becomes more and more relevant. The population strives to eat healthy food, which requires large financial costs.

What are organic products?

They are also called organic. These foods do not contain:

Herbicides, pesticides;

Preservatives, dyes, food additives.

These include vegetables, fruits, eggs, sugar, baked goods, dairy products and baby food. Such products are marked with the “ECO” sign, as well as “BIO” and “ORGANIC”.

But such signs are used by both conscientious manufacturers and not entirely conscientious ones. In Russia there is no law regulating organic agriculture and the production of organic products. There is only a draft that has been submitted to the State Duma.

On the issue of organic food, you can only contact interested people who can guarantee the safety of the products and who promote the idea of ​​licensing in accordance with international standards.

So, the signs “BIO”, “ECO”, “ORGANIC” indicate that the products are purely ecological, manufactured according to the principles of organic agriculture.

In accordance with European and American standards, this label indicates that the product is 95% organic. Other products may contain 70% organics or a little less, and the packaging must be labeled accordingly.

Useful properties of organic products:

- has a large amount of vitamins;

Does not cause allergies;

Useful for children of any age;

Has a natural taste;

Its absorption occurs easily and quickly in the gastrointestinal tract.

Conclusion

Eating organic food heals the human body so much that he can feel good for the rest of his life. There is a surge of energy, vital activity is activated, and immunity increases.

Even if you eat only organic vegetables, your body can become 30–40% healthier.

Of course, the cost of such products is somewhat higher than all others, but the benefits from them are greater.

Long-term consumption of processed foods leads to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body, which then result in various chronic diseases.

Video on the topic of the article

Today, quite a large number of food products have appeared on the Russian market, the packaging of which bears the word “bio”, “eco” or “organic”. 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, the use of fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs for animals and food additives that may have adverse effects on health should be avoided.

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 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 current and future generations and the 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 of public policy in 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 the 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 include 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. Resolving this issue and introducing mandatory organic certification at the legislative level 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 products, 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;
* providing financial assistance to 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 a healthy lifestyle;
* growth in income of the population;
* consumer orientation towards higher quality and more expensive food products;
* 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 guarantor 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, and 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, as well as the harmful effects of 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 by the consulting company "Dvornikova and Partners"

For thousands of years, man has interfered with the natural processes of living nature: he changed the structure of soils, introduced various organic and mineral additives, destroyed insects and birds, changed the productive qualities of plants and animals, used chemically active drugs, genetic modernization, changed the natural diets of animals, and used pharmacological drugs, etc.

Results of negative impact on product quality.

All these impacts could not but affect the quality of food products. An additional factor is the deterioration of environmental conditions: pollution of soil, air, and water. Another significant reason can be called economic feasibility: to reduce the cost of products and increase competitiveness, measures are taken that significantly worsen the quality.

What effect do non-organic products have on the human body? Negative impacts of various natures. Intoxication, metabolic disorders, hypovitaminosis, allergic reactions, increased fatigue, sleep disturbances, various disorders of the nervous, circulatory, excretory, digestive, reproductive and endocrine systems, decreased immunity, increased susceptibility to cancer and much more.

The relevance of organic food.

For these reasons, it is very important to ensure that the products are environmentally friendly. Eating organic products helps the human body gradually recover from the negative effects of low-quality products. Healthy nutrition is the basis of normal human life and makes it possible to increase life expectancy. Every year the relevance of environmentally friendly products becomes greater. People prefer to eat high-quality and healthy food, but this requires careful control at all stages of obtaining food products and entails considerable financial costs.

What are the requirements for environmentally friendly products?

1) Growing conditions.

In the process of growing crops, the use of mineral fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or other harmful chemicals, as well as any unnatural irradiation, is prohibited (or strictly limited). In addition, it is necessary to prevent the ingress of foreign substances into the product during processing.
To obtain environmentally friendly livestock products, you need to use only environmentally friendly feed when raising animals. Feed antibiotics and hormonal drugs should not be used.

2) Product composition.

When manufacturing the product, it is prohibited to use genetically modified organisms, artificial preservatives, synthetic flavors, enhancers and taste substitutes. The use of chemical additives and harsh processing technologies to preserve and change the properties of the product is not permitted.

3) External processing.

An environmentally friendly product should not be exposed to chemical factors, wax, etc.

The environmentally friendly product has a natural taste, aroma, high content of vitamins and minerals, and is safe for children and pregnant women.