It is "Global Goals Week" - a week that celebrates the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. We take the opportunity and tell how organic production supports 6 of the 17 goals.

We start with goal number 3.

# 3 - Health and Wellness

Organic and KRAV-certified agriculture is based on the principle that healthy soils and healthy ecosystems are the basis for healthy food.

One way to promote health in humans, animals and nature is not to use synthetic pesticides. Instead, organic farmers work to ensure that a variety of crops, predatory insects and birds help keep weeds and pests away. Ekologiska Lantbrukarna of course also uses modern machines, but also clears some weeds manually. They can also use certain agents such as soap and rapeseed oil to get rid of lice and other pests without extraneous chemicals.

A job that requires both knowledge and creativity!

Not only organic raw materials but also processed organic foods must be produced in the healthiest way possible. Therefore, only about 50 natural additives of the more than 300 E-numbers approved in the EU are allowed. This means, among other things, that organic food and drink do not have things like synthetic dyes, flavors and sweeteners, trans fats and flavor enhancers such as glutamate on the table of contents.

Is it then ecologically "healthier"?

When it comes to nutritional differences, there is research that shows that organic products have benefits. For example, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that organic fruits and vegetables contain up to 60 percent more antioxidants. Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University, who led the study, says that "organic food is rich in antioxidants and has lower levels of toxic heavy metals and pesticide residues".

Link to the study: Organic vs non-organic food

Want to know more about the added value of organic farming?

Visit the following websites: KRAV, Ekologiska Lantbrukarna, EPOK - Center for Organic Production and Consumption, IFOAM Organics International, EkoWeb Sweden and Naturskyddsföreningen. Visit too Global goals for further reading on the UN's 17 goals for sustainable development.