Organic Joy

Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category

If you are thinking of paying a short visit to Mauritius, there are certain things that you have to know about the island such as airport facilities, diseases, visas, vaccination facilities amongst others for your own benefit.

When people visit Mauritius, they want to set out for the touristic places such as Grand Baie, Flic en Flac, Port Louis, Mahebourg or Belle Mare but have no idea about the time it takes to get to these places. As from the airport, Mahebourg is 20 minutes away, Port Louis and Flic en Flac 1.5hours away while Grand Bay is about 2hours away. It is advised of tourists to get some money changed at the counters right at the airport once they have landed which may come in handy if they need money and there are no available counters in the surroundings.

Before leaving Mauritius, you may have to pay a tax of Rs 500 in Mauritian rupees and have your flight confirmed three days before you actually leave; these are not meant to make your stay on the island cumbersome at all, but are some guidelines for you to have safe holidays and be informed of the situation before leaving. If you are wondering of how to travel around Mauritius, feel free to go for a car. There are many car rental agencies in Mauritius but most of them require that you book with them at least one week beforehand; so make some research about car types in Mauritius and contact them if need be for your booking.

However, due to high import tax on cars to Mauritius, driving a car can cost some money. Just like in the British system, driving is on the right hand side of the road; diesel and unleaded petrol (which are slightly less expensive as compared to European standards) are used in the cars. One of the many advantages of visiting Mauritius is that it is relatively disease free thanks to a lot of extensive work and determination from its government; there are no potential diseases like yellow fever, cholera et. So a vaccination is not needed before departure.

Moreover, the health care system of Mauritius is very competent and free of charge. If you get sick during your stay, you can always check in a hospital closest to you for quick treatment. There are also a number of payable clinics set in elegant environments and offering world class service. The choice is up to you if it so happens that you need medical care during your stay.

Fair trade organisations try to make sure that small producers get the maximum profit out of their products. People have always been oppressed because they are small scale manufacturers and they don’t get the full benefit of their products, because they sell their goods to retailers who in turn sell these products at a higher price. Organisations have been put forward to fight against this system, where producers get to sell their own products, limiting middlemen. Fair trade is an open way to cease poverty, allowing poor producers to use their skills and knowledge to climb out of poverty. Fair trade helps small farmers and workers to earn a decent living and if you think that you can do nothing to help them, you are wrong! Even you can start to buy fair trade products! HOW? Just look at the Fair Trade mark on the products you are buying! This will help these small planters, because you are securing a better future for them, it is not much to ask of you, but you will be doing them a favour, at no price! And in the UK, by shopping at the BAFTS retailer (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops), you are sure that your money is being spent on Fair Trade goods, because 70% of their products are from recognised fair trade sources.

Fair trade does not allow child labour, that is a child below 12 years old has no right to work, and most customers in affluent countries tend to think that their clothes or household products are products of child labour, thus they tend to buy fair trade products to support producers in developing countries. There are about 218 million child engaged in child labour, they either work in fields, factories or do hazardous works like mining or handling chemicals. The reason for such a high rate of child labour is poverty, and the demand for cheap and flexible workforce. India is such an example, where children below the age of 12 start to work because they live in too desperate conditions, their families don’t send them to school but on the contrary send them out to work in fields so that they can contribute to the house’s expenditures.

There are numerous laws to fight against child labour, like the 1973 Minimum Age Convention 138 which permits only 15 years old to start working and the Convection for the worst elimination of child labour which insists that a country identifies and qualifies the reasons for child labour. Almost every country has laws banning the employment of child below a certain age, but they don’t always follow this, because if they did, there wouldn’t have been such a high rate of child labour almost everywhere in the world! If people are poor, why do they send their kids to work? If they educated them, send them to school, they would get a better job, they would be better paid, this would have been helped them more to eradicate their poverty!

As you may well know there has been a very high increase in the amount of householders that grown their own vegetables. You don’t even need a large garden; as long as you have some space a terrace can be sufficient enough. Herbs such as mint, thyme and coriander can be grown indoors on the kitchen windowsill. As the trend gets bigger celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall, Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver are also encouraging keeping animals such as pigs, sheep and chickens as part of a more organic lifestyle change.

Increase in the selling of hens

Most people think that you need a special licence to keep chickens and that a huge garden is needed to rear them; this is in fact a common misconception. As long as the council don’t have any strict policies for your area and your neighbours have no complaints there is no reason as to why you cannot have chickens in your garden. If however you choose to get a Rooster to encourage breeding with the Hens then you may have to give them away if a neighbour complains to the council.

There are many garden centres that have noticed an increase of families wanting to buy chickens so have now started to sell them in most of their stores nationwide. The down side to this is that many people will be tempted to buy chickens from random places with no guidance or information about rearing them beforehand. Garden centres are selling chickens for as much as £60 or £24 in some places, they are ridiculously overpriced!

Having chickens as pets can be rewarding because in return you get fresh eggs on a daily basis for a minimum of 4 years depending on the breed of chicken. Garden centres that are taking advantage of clueless organic wannabes are not providing enough information about the care of chickens beforehand. This leads to problems when people who have had no background info bring chickens home only to find that they are much more hard work than they first thought.

What to take into consideration when buying a chicken?

Initially chickens cost a lot of money, they need shelter, a fenced off area, food and stimulation. Here is how it all adds up:

3 chickens: £40 (2 hybrids at £12 each and a pure breed for £16)

Coop: £120

Enclosure: £100

Food for a month: £15

Total: £275

Now just imagine how long it’ll take for three chickens to give you £275 worth of eggs?

If you do decide to keep chickens in the garden then do some research first there are ways to bring the initial costs down. Buy chickens from a farm or reputable breeder who is willing to provide information should you ever need it.

 

Have you ever wondered why organic cotton is usually up to twice as much expensive as normal cotton? Most people when out shopping do not take the time to read why price differences are so big so they opt for the cheaper option. Would we still think the same if we knew how bad non-organic cotton really is? We highlight some of the major reasons as to why consumers should use organic cotton instead of non-organic.

Is non-organic cotton really that bad?

Fresh cotton that hasn’t been modified feels lovely and bouncy whether it’s an item of clothing, bed sheets or cotton balls. Organic cotton is produced so that it does not contain any pesticides or been genetically modified. They are also sold on at a fair price to the farmers so they can continue providing an honest and sustainable income. Cotton farmers can also employ workers without fear of them getting ill from all the chemicals used on non organic cotton. The chemicals used on non-organic cotton is harmful to the environment as it is to people and surrounding plants. The cotton industry uses more pesticides and harmful chemicals than any other crop. Cotton farmers can use up to 60% of their income to produce cotton but make no profit in return. As insects become immune, more pesticides are needed to kill them and the cycle goes on.

The pesticides used can destroy the ecosystem of the crop; they can also leak into the groundwater affecting marine life and water supplies. Who would’ve thought that growing non organic cotton could be so bad for the environment?

Why organic cotton is best

Organic cotton will make sure that farmers are treated fairly in terms of pricing and workers will be paid fairly too. When organic cotton is grown, natural ways to get rid of pests are used such as inter planting. Not only does it provide farmers with another valuable source of income but crops such as chilli and garlic will naturally repel unwanted pests. Workers will not get ill as a result of pesticides but instead will live a long and healthy life through the use of natural repellent methods.

Due to the amount of chemicals used in non-organic cotton, the next time you buy items such as clothes, home ware, cotton balls or any cotton products think well. It’s better spending a little more knowing it’s safer for the environment and for the future of our children.

There are many reasons why people are choosing to be more organically friendly and it’s important to know how we can all do our bit every day. By switching to a more environmentally friendly washing powder, we will not only be saving Earth but also our health and skin sensitivity.

Why buy organic washing powder?

One of the reasons some people may choose to switch to it after having a baby is because babies have sensitive skin and expectant mothers can also experience sensitivity. By choosing an organic washing powder, you can be sure that there are no harsh chemicals present that can affect both mother and baby. Some people can also experience skin sensitivity when on medication, so an organic washing powder can help soothe and relieve skin from chemicals. Organic products are not tested on animals and contain no dyes. Organic washing powder packaging is also 100% recyclable to help everyone do their bit in recycling.

Where to buy organic powder for washing?

With supermarkets still slow on the uptake, you will find that there isn’t much choice when it comes to organic products. Find larger high street stores and see if they have a larger range to choose from as you may not find everything you need to compensate for a high dose of chemically induced laundry washing.

Just like you have washing powder, there is also organic washing tables, organic liquid wash as well as organic stain remover and whitener. In some cases, organic products are more effective as they contain only natural ingredients that will not damage clothes and fabrics in any way. Contrary to what many believe, in some cases organic washing products can work out cheaper; you can choose the size of most products therefore saving money.

Most organic washing powders are scent free and perfume free.  Being unscented and unfragranced, you may think that this is bland but you can purchase organic fabric conditioner to add some fragrance to your clothes. In most cases, we wear perfume so the need for fabric conditioner is not really needed but for those who can’t resist, you can also add your own perfume or natural products such as lavender to make your clothes smell nice.

With so much vegetable to choose from at the local supermarket, how do you choose vegetables right for you? For most people cost is the most important factor. If own branded supermarket tomatoes are £1 why should you pay for tomatoes costing £2.49? The difference you pay is between organic and non-organic vegetables.

Is organic produce better for you?

There is still no scientific research to suggest that organic is better but there are many who dispute this and say there is no real difference. What I have noticed is that organic produce are smaller in size, colourful and come in smaller portions. Non organic produce tend to have growth hormones added to them so spring onions look more like leeks than spring onions. The same goes for taste – when you buy non organic and compare to organic there is a difference taste-wise, non-organic tastes bland whereas organic vegetables are tasty and easier to cook.

Is organic vegetable very expensive?

The cost of organic produce does vary from supermarket to towns. Places like Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s tend to cost more whereas Tesco, Morrison’s and Somerfield is cheaper. You can also buy from local farmers who deliver once a week, you can be assured to know that the vegetables have been handpicked and freshly packed without preservatives or growth hormones.

To save some money you can try and grow some of your own home grown organic vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and fruits like strawberries, blackberries, kiwi and apples. You can set up a small greenhouse and expand if you have the time to keep growing various different vegetables and fruit.

Organic vegetables are best grown slowly and additive free – try not to be tempted to add growth food as you may compromise on taste. Just make sure it has plenty of water, sun and a little bit of TLC. You will be surprised to know how many herbs are also easy to grow and take up very little space. Thyme, mint, coriander, rosemary, basil and parsley can all be left on a windowsill in the kitchen. Just remember to turn them slightly when it’s summer time and they should last for a long time. If you herbs become very big then transplant all of them to a large planting tray just outside the garden door within easy reaching distance. If you remember to cover them when there’s frost and snow, they should survive for years to come.