Organic produce: Food for thought

Choosing well-fed and happily-raised animals as well as properly cultivated vegetables not only improves one’s health, but by eating properly sourced food, one can reduce the impact they have on the environment and preserve the ecosystem for posterity.

Roughly 80 kilometres from Hanoi in the mountainous province of Hoa Binh lies an organic farm where pigs, chickens, and pigeons are raised in an ethical and sustainable manner.

The farm even has a playground that is designed for the chicken to get their daily exercise. Fresh vegetable gardens are found close by, with a number of seasonal varieties popping up in rows; without the use of harmful herbicides, insecticides, or other pesticides.

The farm is specifically developed and run using the Japanese application of effective micro-organism (EM) technology, by the Orfarm (Organic Farm) brand, aimed at creating greener and healthier living standards for both the current and next generations. 

EM in particular is a way of growing human-friendly and environmentally safe products by the EM Research Organisation, which uses beneficial micro-organisms such as lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria in the agricultural production process.

As EM is applied during all phases of the farming process, from the breeding and raising of livestock to the planting and cultivation of vegetables, everything is highly controlled, from input to output. From farm to table, Orfarm products have no adverse effects on humans or the environment.

“We’re not creating value for ourselves, what we’re doing with our happy farm and animals is doing a good deed for the general community and the children of the future,” said Bui Bich Lien, president and CEO of Orfarm.

“So I have a question for food buyers in general: why aren’t you investing in your health or your quality of life right now, by picking quality food?” she asked.

At the end of the day, consumers make the choice. More and more, they are selecting quality organic products that come directly from a trusted farm.

As the popularity of organically-sourced food expands, more sustainable farming techniques will surely come into focus.