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

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?

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 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

Natural products are the best health aid

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 there are approximately 50% more useful substances than in ordinary food).
Improved taste, pleasant aroma, juiciness and appetizing (the taste of environmentally friendly food does not have 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 fruits and vegetables are most often classified as 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.

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

- these are products that are grown on pristine clean land without the use of chemical fertilizers, man-made influences, including the processing process. When sold, such products are marked with the “eco” emblem and cost an order of magnitude more expensive (about 3-5 times, which is 60-70% of the cost of conventional food products)

Why? Eco-products are positioned in the premium segment and their production requires more costs, manual labor, certification, veterinary control, laboratory research, packaging, etc.

Organic vegetables and fruits contain 40% more antioxidants, which reduces the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and the level of antioxidants in the milk of animals raised using biotechnology is 90% higher. Eco-products contain more minerals, vitamins, and microelements, which are so necessary for people living in a metropolis.

Around the world, according to experts, interest in consuming environmentally friendly products is growing every year. So, the demand for eco products increased from $20 billion in 2000 to $60 billion in 2012 - more than 3 times! It is expected that by 2020 the demand will increase to 200 - 250 billion dollars! The leaders in the production of eco-products are the USA, Germany, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Russia lags behind European producers in technology for the production of eco-products by 15-20 years...

Signs of environmentally friendly products in Europe and requirements for their production.

All products marked with such marks are subject to careful control at all stages of production and sale. Production quality control implies:

— production of eco-products in isolated places to prevent mixing of products

— control organizations carry out annual inspections of production sites products, in addition, have the right to unannounced inspections and controls. After each inspection, a report is drawn up by the inspecting organization.

— enterprises must document the origin, quantity and type of all fertilizers, feed, plant and animal protection products, including their use.

— accounting must reflect on a daily basis the quantity of products sold, their type, as well as information about the buyer who sells the products. And, of course, accounting for products sold to the end customer.

— only those products that undergo control by inspection organizations can be labeled as environmentally friendly products.

These requirements are stated in the “Regulation on organic farming and corresponding labeling of agricultural food products” No. 2092/91 dated June 24, 1991. and include all EEC countries.

American standards for the production of eco-products.

In order to obtain the “Demeter” or “Biodyne” brand, a farmer must use the biodynamic production method for two years under the supervision of a representative of the Demeter Association or the Biodyne Association, and also enter into a contract with these organizations. Farmers' performance is assessed every year.

The entire process of producing organic products must be carried out in accordance with the “Lecture Course on Agriculture” described by Rudolf Steiner. The lectures dictate that pets and pet food should be produced and raised on a farm to the maximum extent possible. The basis of soil fertility is organic fertilizers, compost from plant residues, and biodynamic compost preparations. If the import of feed and fertilizers is necessary, then a thorough check should be made to ensure compliance with Demeter requirements.

It is prohibited to use nitrogen and phosphorus synthetic fertilizers, potassium salts containing chlorine, and lime, phosphorite, and ground rocks are allowed to be used depending on local conditions. It is also prohibited to use wastewater, garbage, composted industrial waste, due to the high content of lead, mercury, chromium, zinc, etc. It is strictly prohibited to use synthetic and toxic plant protection products (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, chemical growth regulators, etc.)

Farmers must strictly follow the prescribed instructions, including the prescribed diet for domestic animals and poultry. Feed for them should not contain antibiotics or synthetic additives. And when processing farm products, it is unacceptable to use nitrites, artificial fillers, etc.

All activities of the farmer, his planned activities for fertilizing the site, using feed for animals and birds must be declared in writing and receive approval from representatives of the Demeter Association or the Biodynamic Association or a local farmer group. In addition, the annual confirmation of the quality of the Demeter Association.

Russian market of eco-products.

Law GOST R 51074-2003 “National Standard of the Russian Federation. Food products. Information for Consumers” imposes a ban on the unproven use of “environmentally friendly product”, “grown without the use of pesticides”, “grown without the use of mineral fertilizers”, etc. on product labels, and also requires reporting the general composition of ingredients, food additives, flavorings, dietary supplements, etc...

Thus, the law contains general requirements and regulations for consumer information. There is no regulatory framework for determining the environmental friendliness of products in the country. And the consumption market eco-products constitutes only 0.1% of sales of all food products.

Why is the demand for environmentally friendly products so low in Russia? Are there not enough people in Russia who think about a healthy lifestyle, about quality and safe nutrition? There are several reasons:

- sometimes the “eco” label is a marketing ploy and products marked with this sign are no different from ordinary ones.

— the solvency of the population in Russia is lower than in Western European countries, not every Russian buyer can pay 190-200 rubles for a dozen eggs, 100 rubles for 1 liter of milk, 200 rubles for 500 g of sour cream, and 700 rubles for a village chicken per kg.

— in Russia today there is no integrated system for the production of environmentally friendly products at the state level, so the demand market for eco-products has not been created. Thus, in Europe, when producing organic milk, meat of pets and poultry, a certificate is issued for the land on which organic food for pets and birds is grown. There are certain production standards and norms.

— lack of information about production and the quality of eco-products.

However, there are Russian producers who supply organic food products to the market. Created in Russia, the “Professional Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Eco-Products and Eco-Services” unites manufacturers from different regions of the country - from St. Petersburg and Moscow to the Urals and Siberia. They voluntarily certify the products they produce.

What are the difficulties in forming the Russian market for eco-products and what are its prospects?

1. The productivity of eco-farm products is much lower than that of conventional agricultural farms. Manufacturers do not use chemical fertilizers, GMOs, antibiotics, growth accelerators, etc. If the average wheat yield per hectare in Russia in 2011 was 30-40 tons, then on the eco-farm it was 4-5 tons.

2. The shelf life of eco-products is very short - from 36 hours and no more than 72 hours. Difficulties in organizing deliveries to the consumer. Manufacturers cannot afford to oversupply their products to meet storage standards.

3. In Russia there is no national system for confirming standards and quality control of eco-products. When this is created, then the market for organic products will take on civilized forms - farmers will have access to retail chains, educational institutions, food outlets, and a supply system will be established.

The Ministry of Agriculture is currently developing a law “On Ecological Agriculture”. The Public Chamber held hearings on the problems of developing the market for ecological agricultural production. It has now become obvious that we need to support this sector of the economy.

According to the Ministry of Health, economic losses from diseases associated with disorders of the digestive system amount annually to 1,512.74 billion rubles. With government support, it is possible to reduce production costs, expand the market for eco-products, and improve people's health in general.

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. Communication on the Internet and mobile phones replaced letters sent by mail, computers replaced books and yard games, berries were eaten straight from the garden, and fruits from the tree, without worrying 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. It is on the topic of natural nutrition that there has been real “hysteria” lately: 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 conditions - in beds or in farm barns. 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 out a rough list of 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 conduct all the 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.

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 is best suited for running a virtual retail outlet, about

1)Health

Organic and bio products do not contain pesticides, preservatives, nitrates, genetically modified components, growth hormones, or “E” additives, which is why the benefits of consuming healthy Organic food cannot be overestimated! And, and increase the tone of the body, charge you with strength and youth.

2) Insanely delicious!

“The way nature intended”, “as if fresh from the garden”, “hand made”, “gourmet”, “fresh from the farm” - all this gives us an idea of what organic products taste like. Our customers often use the words in their reviews: “like in childhood,” “like grandma’s in the village,” “like in the south during the season.” And this is the highest praise our suppliers can deserve.

3) Quality guarantee

Organic products are natural, environmentally friendly food products of the highest quality, certified in accordance with the highest requirements of the European Commission for organic products, with a natural shelf life, completely excluding the use of GMOs, pesticides, mineral fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones, preservatives, flavors, stabilizers , dyes and other additives of artificial origin.

4) More energy: forget about fatigue!

5) Savings

To satisfy hunger and feel full, you need much less bio-products. And it makes no sense to save on health at all. Natural nutrition is intended for us by nature. It’s not for nothing that our ancestors worked much more and ate less.

6) For children and nursing mothers

Bio products, cosmetics and home care products are and will not cause the slightest harm to either the baby from the first days of life or the mother. We offer complete nutrition from a balanced set of IVF products during pregnancy, which makes you feel better during pregnancy and improves the quality of breast milk. In the milk of women who eat more organic foods, much more valuable polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids were found, the chronic deficiency of which increases the risk of cancer, and fewer pesticides were found.

7) Reduce the risk of disease

Pesticides and other chemicals can cause cancer and other diseases. It is also advisable to buy animal products from trusted farms. At large meat and dairy complexes, animals and poultry receive large doses of antibiotics and growth hormones. Unfortunately, large farms cannot do without this - too many animals are concentrated in one place. They need to be brought to marketable weight as quickly as possible and epidemics avoided. Residual traces of antibiotics and hormones are contained in absolutely all meat products sold in regular stores that do not have special “ECO” signs. The feed that is fed to animals is also unsafe. They contain large doses of tranquilizers to keep the animals calmer, as well as drugs to maintain the functioning of the heart muscle so that the animals have time to gain weight and not die from a heart attack. Traces of these drugs are also found in cattle meat.

8) Caring for the environment

The production technology of organic products preserves the environment and ecology and at the same time consumes 30% less energy.

9) Lose excess weight

Due to the fact that organic products do not contain harmful components and additives, which are found in abundance in conventional products, they do not pollute the body with dangerous substances, improve digestion, and promote general regeneration of the body. Eco-products make you feel full faster, they are nutritious and very tasty. An organic diet is the ideal solution for those who want not just to lose weight, but to maintain a normal weight, clear their skin and increase their positive vibrations. In addition, the high nutritional value and correct balance of nutrients in natural products fills you up faster and you don’t feel hungry for a long time.

10) Alternative to household chemicals

Made from 100% natural ingredients, completely safe for humans, does not contain petrochemical products, chlorine, ammonia, GMOs, enzymes; economical, do not harm the environment! Families with small children or expecting a new addition will especially appreciate the benefits of our home care products.