The ultimate detox: Go organic, tells this weekly veggie market

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 13

Some school teachers and volunteers of an organisation in Faridkot are these days on a mission to alter the lives of people in the most fundamental way — the food they eat.

“You keep hearing about pesticides in food and arsenic poisoning…you have children growing with a hearty appetite. God forbids if something happens to them at 30-35 because of what they are eating now,” said Roopsi, assistant director, Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a voluntary organisation, dedicated to the cause of promoting the food grown in a natural way, without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

In association with Society for Ecological and Environment Resources (SEER) and the management of a gaushala in Faridkot, the KVM is organising a weekly market of natural food products here.

SEER is a voluntary organisation, dedicated to the cause of environment in Faridkot and it has many teachers of young age as its members.

In this weekly market of natural foods, over one dozen farmers, growing natural products, are bringing their produce to this mela and selling it among the natural food connoisseurs.

“Buying these food items is insurance for our children,” said Navdeep Garg, president of the managing committee of Anandeana Gaushala, where this market is organised every week.

“Food grown the natural way can protect our children from a host of problems as it is even more beneficial for those of young age,” said Roopsi.

“Our children are the pivots around which our life rotates. So, to ensure they always have the best has led us to alter their lives in the most fundamental way and that is the food our family eats,” said Karamjit Singh Sran, a teacher and member of SEER.

Karamjit is not alone in feeling that way if the variety of organic vegetables and pulses on display at this weekly market is any indication.

Until a few days ago, one had to hunt in specialty stores for organic foods — foods grown the age-old, natural way. Now they’re easily found here every week, said Navdeep Garg.

“Most of the foods and vegetables we consume today contain, to some degree, pesticides. The effect of these pesticides and chemicals on children is four times greater as compared to adults, because they eat and drink more in relation to their body weight,” Gaeg added.

And because their systems are still developing, the long-term impact of these chemicals could be greater. Although, for ethical reasons, detailed studies on children are rare, there have been reports that these chemicals could affect the brain, including memory and cognitive function.

At least one study, conducted in 1998 in Mexico and reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed that pesticides impaired brain functioning in children, said Roopsi.