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WE LOVE GREEN PEOPLE

Greta Jonyniate | 13.02.12

We just love Green People and their mission to promote an organic lifestyle. They are committed to offer products that are 100% natural, gentle, organic and highly effective. Green People believe that you have a fundamental right to know exactly what is contained in the products you are buying and therefore give full ingredient disclosure on all of our products.

They also support charities with related environmental concerns and each year 10% of our net profit is donated to charitable causes linked to 'green' or environmental issues.

If you are also a fan of Green People, then please vote for them in the Observer's Ethical Awards Retail Category.

The Observer is offering a brilliant prize for one lucky winner - a trip to Denmark, sailing with DFDS Seaways and staying at an eco friendly Scandic Hotel!

So here is how you can vote for Green People and be in with a chance to win a lovely holiday:

1. Click on this link
2. Fill in your details (first name, surname & email address) & click submit
3. Click on the retailer category then click nominate now
4. Type Green People in name of retailer box & click submit
5. Click finish at the bottom of the page. All done!

Our top 5 Green People products

Roll on Aloe Vera Deodorant - £7.95

We love this refreshing, natural deodorant with a gentle scent. It’s also made without pore-clogging Aluminium, Parabens, ethyl alcohol and artificial fragrances, which means it’s probably the purest deodorant that nature can offer.

Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner - £10.95 each

Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner are just fabulous! Really good natural hair care products for coloured & treated hair.

Sun Lotion SPF15 with natural sun tan accelerator - £17.95

All Green People's organic sun lotions are carefully formulated with more than 80% organic ingredients to keep skin beautifully moisturised. The SPF 15 with tan accelerator is our favourite, easy to apply and gives really good sun protection to fair skins, in very hot and very sunny conditions. Also, 30p from the sale of this product goes to Penny Brohn Cancer Help Centre.

Gentle Tone - £9.95

A brilliant natural toner! This product is a refreshingly light with proven anti-ageing benefits. Small tip - combine it with any foundation for day-long cover.

Facial Oil - £16.95

This truly remarkable anti-ageing oil for face, neck and décolletage smells gorgeous smell and really makes a difference!

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A short guide to Organic, and why it is important to the planet

Greta Jonyniate | 12.09.11

September marks the annual celebration of all things organic and here at Greenhouse PR we are very passionate about it. We would like to encourage everyone over the course of this month to ‘give organic a go’ and learn more about the benefits that organic offers us, our soil, our animals and wildlife -promising a healthier planet for all of us.

Organic farming does not use synthetic pesticides and is good for the soil

Organic farming works in harmony with nature rather than against it. This involves using techniques to achieve good crop yields without harming the natural environment or the people who live and work in it. Over the last thirty years, intensive farming in the UK has led to dramatic erosion of the soil, a fall of up to 70% of wild birds in some areas, the destruction of ancient hedgerows, and the near extinction of some of the most beautiful species of butterflies, frogs, grass-snakes and wild mammals. Organic farming releases less greenhouse gases than non-organic farming - choosing organic, local and seasonal food can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Organic foods are healthy, GM free & taste better!

You may be surprised to know that over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed the majority of non-organic livestock which produce pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products. Going organic is the only practical way to avoid eating genetically modified (GM) food. Fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micro-nutrients than intensively farmed produce. When you buy organic food you know that it’s not covered in a cocktail of poisonous chemicals. The average conventionally-grown apple has 20-30 artificial poisons on its skin, even after rinsing. Trust your instincts, and go organic!

Organically raised animals are more ethical

Organic standards insist that animals are given plenty of space and fresh air to thrive and grow - guaranteeing a truly free-range life. Organically raised animals are not given antibiotics; the overuse of antibiotics in factory farms has contributed to pollution problems and outbreaks of many deadly diseases. Organic farms are havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds and butterflies. In fact, the UK Government’s own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms.

Organic clothing is one way to live a "greener" lifestyle that supports the environment

Organic materials are grown toxin-free, reducing the amount of toxic chemicals we ingest and release into the earth. If you have skin sensitivities, the pesticides, herbicides, chemicals and artificial dyes present in regular cotton can aggravate dermatological conditions.

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organic, organic veg, organic fruit, organic farming, organic food, organic clothes

Yeo! Dairy’s Rapping Farmers Are Da Bomb on X-Factor, Fo’shizzle

Kenneth Hill | 11.10.10

Yeo Valley busted out its £5 million advertising campaign this weekend, slotting in an ad on X-Factor that features rapping farmers putting the cool in sustainability, things organic and Yeo Valley, the UK's largest organic brand.

The new rap ad knocks one out of the park: a smart, funny, catchy, unexpected spot, placed on the top-rated TV show in the UK, posted online and poised for viral sharing. The song and the rapping farmers are irresistibly fun (you can download the ringtone), and will go a long way in giving a whole new rap to sustainably produced, organic food. 

The four young farmers - plus extras including Yeo Valley staff, their cows and an awesome owl known as Ted -- serve as the hippest ambassadors ever for the West Country and Yeo's suite of organic products.

"Our farmers aren’t rapping about their bling, girls and fast cars but instead about our cows, tractors and wax jackets — matters a little bit closer to home," blogs Ben Cull, head of brand marketing at Yeo Valley, on the company's new interactive web site.

Yeo's new site sports links to their presence across social media platforms (profiles at twitter.com/yeovalley, Facebook, and "YeoTube"), plus personable and accessible video clips featuring founder Mary Mead, and son Tim who runs the Blagdon-based, family-owned dairy farm that prides itself on being a "real place" working in harmony with nature.

Admirably, Yeo Valley has a strong commitment to maintaining a low-carbon footprint, too. For example, their new pots are 100% recyclable and made from 80% recycled material, they use green energy to run the dairies and they employ double-decker trailers to move more product which results in fewer lorries and less fuel.

Bottom line: this ad is a true winner.

PS: It won't hurt the image of the Young Farmers' Clubs either. Peace out. 

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rap music, yeo valley, facebook, tim mead, youtube, advertising, mary mead, sustainable farming, green social media, x-factor

I ♥ THE ORGANIC FOOD FESTIVAL

Anna Guyer | 15.09.10

Not sure why I love the Festival so much every year. But I do – what a wonderful year it was again in 2010. Total sunshine, wonderful smells, tastes and flavours, the most passionate of producers, lots of people to see and hear about where their food comes from, and a real sense of being in all this together. For sharing, encouragement, good conversations, delicious food and an ambience that is almost impossible to beat.

Highlights of my show this year ...

Meeting the lovely Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who gave his time for free to show his support for organic

Eating a Brown Cow burger on the steps watching the Sheep Show

Sampling the award winning wine from Vintage Roots – Crazy By Nature Red

Finding the gorgeous Spiezia body oil and bath oil – my favourite pampering product

Buying and sampling Green People’s Anti-Ageing Facial Oil – smells heavenly and great for my ageing skin already! 

Eating the award winning Bertinet Bakery bread with friends – it was defo the most delicious bread I have ever had

Organix winning award for Best Baby Food (Organic Banana Porridge – yum!)

So – thanks to all the wonderful producers and the organisers – it was a great Festival again this year.

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organic food festival, organic, soil association, hugh fearnley-whittingstall, organix, green people, bertinet bakery, spiezia, vintage roots ltd

Why (and how) to choose organic

Sally Hill | 31.08.10

You're in the market and two baskets of strawberries are on the shelf. One is organic, the other is not. What makes you choose one over the other?

Today, organic food is more present in the public consciousness than ever before. Most people get the general idea that food free from chemicals and pesticides is a good thing - for humans and the environment - but a lot of people still struggle with going organic.

Why? Aside from the issues of cost and availability, not to mention the rush of life that impacts our diet (ergo the success of fast-food), choosing organic means navigating an overload of facts, health advice and environmental and ethical concerns. That can be a bit daunting.

Read more

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organic food festival, organic, soil association, food, bristol

Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet: Foods to only buy organic

Anna Guyer | 02.06.10

Buying 100% organic produce is something to aspire to, but it isn't always possible. Access to organic produce may be limited where you live. Sometimes, though not always, buying organic is more expensive and families have to make choices based on budget. Living a green lifestyle often demands a bit of a balancing act.

That's where being an educated consumer is important. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to help people make smart decisions when choosing fruit and veg. Knowing which have the most pesticide residues puts you in control of reducing your intake of harmful chemicals which EWG says have been linked to a variety of health problems, including: nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system effects, and skin, eye and lung irritation.

According to EWG, "you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce."

That's significant.

Check out their site for a downloadable list, or a link to their iPhone app.

Meanwhile, artist Heidi Kenney was inspired by EWG's list and has illustrated and created a handy "Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet."

Carry it in your wallet and you'll always know the top fruit and veg you should only buy organic, as these are the highest offenders in pesticide residue. On the other side is a list of fruit and veg with the least amount of pesticide residue, so these are safer to buy when organic isn't an option.

You can download Heidi's Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet here.

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organic veg, pesticides, organic fruit, environmental working group, heidi kenney

Food, Inc.: enough to make you re-think your food

Anna Shepard | 25.02.10

It’s an Academy Award nominated documentary, praised not only by sustainable and organic food fans, but also by American chat show diva Oprah Winfrey. “You have a right to know where you food is coming from,” she told millions of American viewers, encouraging everyone to watch the hard-hitting expose Food, Inc. After her endorsement, DVD sales rocketed to the top of Amazon’s charts. She’s right, of course, we should know more about our modern food industry, but once you’ve seen this film, you’d be forgiven for losing your appetite.

The truth does not make easy viewing. Directed by Robert Kenner - with contributions from Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation – the film looks at how a handful of large corporations has hijacked American food production, using increasingly suspect industrial techniques to serve up cheap ingredients, while also going to great lengths to maintain an illusion of wholesome diversity.

“Bigger, fatter, faster” is the industry’s approach, at the expense of human health as well as animal welfare. Although the film uses American examples, you can bet your last chicken nugget that the same industrialized systems are at work in the UK. In fact, in the director’s talk - following one of London early screenings - Keener told the audience how close he came to filming in Europe, after discovering it was home to one of the world’s largest abattoirs.

From a chicken shed where ‘redesigned’ chickens have been bred to be so fat, they can’t stand up, to exploited workers who live off fast-food because a portion of broccoli is more expensive than a cheeseburger, Kenner guides us through various disturbing scenarios. He tells the story of Barbara Kowalcyk, mother to Kevin, a two and a half year old boy who died from E.coli poisoning after eating a contaminated burger. Her efforts to tighten meat standards reveal the dark forces at work to protect food companies and to keep consumers in the dark. You learn that profit has been put above everything. America, as a result, is facing an obesity and Type 2 diabetes crisis, as well as a serious public health hazard.

The film changes tack towards the end, focusing as much on upbeat messages about the power of consumer action as the dismal state of our food affairs. He draws parallels with cigarettes and the tobacco industry, forced to change and tighten its regulations.

We can all do our bit, stresses Kenner. We can demand to know more about our food, become informed consumers, vote with our wallets, and – of course - as the Oprah-effect demonstrated, tell others to watch the film.
 

Editor's Note:

For more information and actions you can take related to Food Inc., see Hungry for Change.

We further invite you to see writer Julia Haile's excellent review of Food Inc.:

"To my mind the most significant point made by Kenner was that the food industry is focusing on technical solutions to solve problems that arise from the industrial food system we've created. His view was that they should be changing the system itself. Factory farms, mega industrial processing, animals designed to fit machines and crops that are far removed from nature may not actually be the best way of feeding the world's population." Click to read the entire article.

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organic, farming, eric schlosser, food inc, academy awards, local foods, robert kenner, kevin's law

Better Nursery Food Now

Anna Guyer | 23.02.10

With more and more mums working, 600,000 children are enrolled at nursery in the UK. There are also shocking stats, recently launched, that one in four children in the UK are obese by the time they go to school. So we are calling on government to put in place clear nutritional standards guaranteeing better food in our nurseries now.

The campaign has gathered momentum. The campaign's Facebook page has grown to nearly 600 fans and 1,500 people are following the Nursery Food Twitter page. More than 5,000 people have signed a petition online to demand better nursery food for our children.

It may surprise you to know that research conducted by the Soil Association, and funded by Organix, found this shocking state of affairs in nurseries:

• NO clear nutritional standards
• NO compulsory training for nursery staff serving food
• NO agency to monitor the quality of food provided
• NO government department giving a lead or promoting good practice.

In fact, foods banned or restricted in primary and secondary schools, like crisps, sweets and chocolate, are regularly served in nurseries.

We have run a survey on Mumsnet to get the views of this election’s most influential voters: mums. If the government needs to be made to listen, surely 1000 opinionated women can help make that happen. On March 31st, we are taking to government our petition, complaints, case studies gathered via Facebook and a new report on nursery food.

Surely the long-term health of the next generation should not be left to chance.

For resources, more about the campaign and to sign our petition, please visit www.nurseryfood.org.

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soil association, organix, nurseries, better nursery food now