William Rose and bluetongue

[lozzyloz]

I don't see what relevance to ED this thread is. Title should be "Buying organic meat and Blue Tongue". Lounge?

It's obvious that if you stick harmful chemicals into food production it's going to have some kind of negative effect on us at the top of the chain and everything else in between. The use of chemicals in agriculture may have solved some problems but at the same time has created many new problems to be solved and a consequently a nice form of revenue generation for the chemical/drug companies. Just look at antibiotics and the creation of superbugs. I think most people these days opt for food that they can trust especially (but not exclusively) where children are concerned. Balanced with that is knowing the method of farming (welfare of animals, damage to environment). Organic is just one part of the picture. Taking it out of context like this creates a very unbalanced argument.

[Alan Dale]

-- moved topic --

[SeanMacGabhann]

Blimey lozzyloz.... looks like you have the gift of foresight!

[mockney piers]

to purloin Keef's phrase, "what he said". *err LozzyLoz, not Sean.

[Alan Dale]

You can't claim to represent 'balance' and then dismiss all chemicals as 'harmful'.

And do you really regret saving millions of lives with antibiotics?!

As for grassing us up for lounging when I quite clearly insinuated that the mention of William Rose was to give the debate an ED context.

ED is the Organic capital of England. The Sainsbury's in ED sells more organic chickens than any other shop in the country.

If you think that Organic is more than just another brand then I think you are mistaken.

[lozzyloz]

Where do I say ALL chemicals are harmful?

Dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved thousands of lives too so thats OK then?

Your use of WR merely gave your post a Daily Express flavour (freerange?).

ED organic capital? Back it up with facts.

You're far too cynical if you think Organic is JUST a brand. Where have you been? Ever heard of informed lifestyle choices? Has the Kerry Katona marketing campaign influenced your choice?

[SeanMacGabhann]

lozzyloz - Alan may well be cynical but more than that he is a wind-up merchant par excellence

You make almost the exact points I was about to make but It's probably futile

Oh well - I'm here now so... it should be noted that for some people "organic" IS just a brand - they could no more explain the merest iota of the principles behind it than ... oooh let's say Jordan. Obviously that doesn't make it a brand

I have said many times that I'm not an organic-nazi and will easily stick some spuds from any old shop into the cupboard but comparing the organic movement to (say) aromatherapy is just nonsense. By buying organic spuds, I wouldn't be boiling them, throwing the spuds themselves away, diluting the leftover water, drinking it and claiming I was now full

[Asset]

I was in a supermarket that shall remain nameless recently and overheard an elderly woman saying to her shopping partner "don't want none of that organic rubbish".

I sighed.

[lozzyloz]

Mmm. Alan speak with Blue Tongue!

Just finished supper, not an organic ingredient in sight but at least the chicken was free range and I think my fossil fuel supplier meets the current renewable source quota.

Sean, I enjoy Alan's (and others) wind ups. Highly entertaining, intelligent (mostly) and thought provoking. It's great the way he fans the flames on subjects which are bound to raise the temperature. He's the EDF devils advocate and I suspect an alter ego. I think Mark should seriously consider having an Alan and Louisa room (with a health warning) so that people know what to expect. However, he does raise some interesting issues albeit by a rather strange route.

The term "Organic" has been hijacked by marketeers. Just like GM free, freerange, additive free, low fat etc. I think what Alan and you are trying to say is that people are too quick to accept something based on an intrinsic value without understanding what it really means. In other words in our shallow lives (I'm just as guilty) we all jump on the Organic, Wheat Free and Fair Trade bandwagons like a bunch of sheep.

[TillieTrotter]

Erm, might not venture into that room!!::o