Why Organic Matters

Here at Everkind, we believe organic is better for people and the planet.

I haven't always thought that way though, but every body has a turning point. Like many people my passion for organics only developed when I had a baby on the way.

Back in the early 2000s I hadn't heard of organics. I presumed all food was grown in a way that was healthy for people and the planet. But in 2004 when I was carrying our son, my antenatal mothers' group spent a lot of time talking about organic and why it might be better for our babies.

When we were all expecting ...

The talk was around why organic cotton could be better for baby's skin. That baby's skin absorbed more from the environment than adults, and that while babies have the same three layers of skin, each is thinner which means it is less resistant than adult skin. Nature Baby was leading the way in offering organic alternatives.

After babies were born ...

We started talking skincare and soaps. Irritated skin stops babies sleeping well and when you're already sleep deprived, you don't want anything near your baby that could cause them discomfort and lack of sleep. We started searching for the most pure and gentle options and there weren’t many organic options back then. Not like now!

As our babies got ready for solids ...

The conversation turned to the types of foods to start with and whether organic mattered. Being a complete city kid, I had never thought about agri-chemical residue on food, and the dirty dozen wasn’t on my radar.

When you're talking about introducing your first food to baby, organic sounded good. Knowing that organic foods are grown without the synthetic agri-chemicals, and that by choosing organic we were limiting babies’ exposure to agri-chemicals was a welcome boost for peace-of-mind.

But after the first few batches of homemade food ...

The discussion quickly turned to the practicality of pre-made jars. I learned that the benefits of organic were not just the lack of agri-chemical reside, but there were fewer additives, no genetically modified ingredients, and strict rules around antibiotics in dairy. It all sounded very good.

It wasn't just talk though ...

When our son was 2-years old and our daughter 6-months, we moved to a small rural block opposite a market garden, and we got to experience first-hand the destruction to land and water by conventional horticulture.

DDT had been used on our soil and while our well water was deemed drinkable by New Zealand standards, the nitrate levels were high enough to cause blue-baby syndrome.

It was then we decided that there must be a better way to grow food and care for our bodies and our communities.

We were not alone in coming to that conclusion, the Rodale Institute had got there long before us.

Who is the Rodale Institute?

Rodale Institute is a non-profit research farm that has been leading regenerative organic agriculture for seven decades, through careful research, farmer training, and consumer education they are developing "a better, natural, and more responsible way of modern farming by conducting research into the cultivation of healthy, living soils."

It started with a very simple observation by the founder:

Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People

What is the difference between organic and conventional?

On conventional farms synthetic chemicals are used to fight pests and provide nutrition for plants.

Organic farming isn't just the absence of these practices or swapping natural inputs for synthetic ones. It involves using traditional farming practices like crop rotation, cover crops, diversity of plants, composting. The focus in on growing awesome soil, which in turn grows awesome plants.

Regenerative organic agriculture improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.

Can regenerative organic agriculture make a difference for climate change?

The Rodale Institute believe organic agriculture can make a big positive impact on climate change.

They published a paper titled, Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change: A Down-to-Earth Solution to Global Warming.

They believe the solution is farming.

“Not just business-as-usual industrial farming but farming like the Earth matters. Farming like water and soil and land matter. Farming like clean air matters. Farming like human health, animal health and ecosystem health matters. Farming in a way that restores and even improves our soil’s natural ability to hold carbon. This kind of farming is called regenerative organic agriculture and it is the short-term solution to climate change we need to implement today. We don’t have to wait for technological wizardry: regenerative organic agriculture can substantially mitigate climate change now.”

How will you know if something is regenerative organic?

There is now a new certificate that lifts the bar for organics. The Regenerative Organic Alliance offers a certification process. 91 farms have been certified, and companies like Patagonia are right behind the movement, with their Chile Mango wearing the logo.

Do we have an organic leader in New Zealand?

In New Zealand our organics movement has been led by our own Soil and Health Association. They champion creating and protecting healthy soils for future generations. They advocate for organic and regenerative practices that work with nature. They also have a fabulous magazine, Organic NZ, which keeps us all informed.

If you want to learn more about organics and the New Zealand companies behind the movement, the NZ Soil and Health Association is a great place to start.

What can we do?

Every dollar we spend is vote for the kind of world we want. We can’t change everything at once, but little steps lead to big change.

Which is why we’re so pleased to support you on your eco-wellness journey, by making certified organic bodycare that cares for you, your family, and our world.

Although the Everkind journey is just beginning, we’re grateful that when it comes to bodycare, you don’t have to choose between wellbeing and what works. Thank you for joining the kind revolution!

Here at Everkind, we think you shouldn’t have to choose between your wellbeing and what works. We’ve carefully made our range of all-natural bodycare to work as well as – if not better than – their synthetic counterparts, without compromising on using quality certified organic ingredients. To find out more, shop the Everkind range, or get in touch with the team.