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Purely Organic

What is their environmental policy?

As an organic supplier to the retail and wholesale markets, Purely Organic maintains a strong belief in the highest standards of food production. Trout at the Longbridge Deverill site are produced without using any artificial methods.

The main features of organic fish farming are that:

• The pesticides and chemicals involved in conventional fish farming are prohibited
• Aquatic ecosystems are maintained
• The fish are not fed with food with ingredients containing artificial colour or genetically modified organisms
• The farm should promote use of local goods and services.

The term "organic" can, by law, only be used by businesses which are approved, monitored and registered by one of as many as ten certification bodies overseen by the United Kingdom of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS). The system for organic accreditation is overseen by the European Union.

Water flowing through the farm’s fish tanks is tested on a weekly basis by the Environment Agency and daily by the local wildlife! Image Copyright: Biz/ed Team.

Purely Organic's trout farm has Soil Association organic accreditation. Part of the accreditation process requires that the organic produce is monitored to check that it is being farmed to appropriate organic standards. In addition, the water that flows through the farm's fish tanks is tested on a weekly basis by the Environment Agency.

The organic food industry is growing at a rapid rate. All things organic, natural or 'whole' are thought to be good things overall. Purely Organic's owners used to feel that the principle of reducing the 'food miles' travelled by produce should be strictly applied. They focussed on making and selling locally-produced food, as far as was possible.

But as their farm shop has expanded, they have found that, in order to meet customer demand for organic food, they have had to resort to sourcing foods from further afield. Now their shop stocks green beans from Kenya and new potatoes from Egypt. They still insist on organic production methods and ethical farming methods, but their business now regards 'food miles' as being less crucial.

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