According to a new study by Newcastle University on organic versus conventional crops, organic farming methods have a positive impact on your health, as they lead to substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in crops. Antioxidants have been linked to lower risk of cancer and other diseases in humans, and – because nature is wise – plants produce their own antioxidants to defend themselves from pests and diseases. However, whenever synthetic pesticides are applied, they cause plants to lose their ability to generate antioxidants for their own defenses.

How do organic foods benefit you?

• Organic crops contain an average of 17% more antioxidants than conventionally grown crops.
• Some organic crops, including fruits, vegetables, and grains, have as much as 60% higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds than conventional crops.
• The level of flavanones, which are associated with a lower risk of a stroke, were 69% higher in organic foods.
• Overall, levels of synthetic pesticides were found to be 10 to 100 times lower in organic foods than in conventional foods.

Does this mean that crops can’t be farmed with pesticides?

Organic farming consists of providing you, the consumer, with the freshest, most tasty and authentic foods while respecting natural life-cycle systems. This means no GMO’s, no synthetic pesticides and no unnatural solutions can be applied to crops. However, natural pesticides like neem, that do not harm the human body or kill beneficial insects, can be used. The neem tree has been used as an organic crop care solution for centuries! It has many medicinal and agricultural appliances, which is why foods produced using neem do not lead to harmful side effects. Neem’s main compound, Azadirachtin, works as a natural repellent for pests, that does not kill the insect on contact, but instead prevents them from feeding on the plant. Another plus for neem is that it is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral, and also works as a completely natural fertilizer. Have you tried using neem for your garden or farm? Let us know in the comments below!

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Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and all other types of synthetic pesticides comprise a multi-billion dollar industry. This industry, one born from leftover WWII chemicals, is not one that prioritizes the safety of the consumer.

In the beginning, this was simply because the population was growing so rapidly that more food needed to be produced, and fast. These chemicals were a quick solution to a major problem, but one in which consequences were not accurately or thoroughly evaluated. Then, it blossomed into a profitable industry with only a few players.

Now, the food industry has given the world a semblance of trust. We continuously fret over the calories, added sugar, and saturated fat content listed on our food products instead of worrying about chemicals and pesticides. As more and more evidence comes out against large corporations such as Monsanto, Bayer, and Dow Chemical, not just about their ethics, but also about the studies they have funded, the scientists they have paid off, and their overall lack of transparency, a different question emerges: What has been sprayed on the food I am eating?

This question is a key one. It means that you, the consumer, will not be lied to and cheated out of your health and the health of the planet. It means that conventional agricultural practices that famously saved over a billion people from starvation, need to be reconsidered and new, sustainable alternatives must be introduced in order to preserve the life of Planet Earth. That natural alternative lives in the neem tree.

Neem has been used for thousands of years in India as a natural source of medicine, treating and saving countless lives, while also protecting crops from pests, molds, and fungi. As study after study has shown, neem oil, with its unique compound azadirachtin leading the way, is safer and just as effective, if not more effective, than conventional pesticides. The neem tree is the natural innovation that will carry us through the 21st century and into a sustainable future.

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What are neonicotinoids? They are a type of synthetic chemical that poisons the whole plant system. Predominately altering the vascular system of the plant, these toxic chemicals have been found to harm bees and other pollinators due to residue in the pollen, nectar, and dew drops. Shown to be highly resilient, these chemicals have a half-life of up to 15 years. The European Commission has been extremely concerned over the past decade, even limiting neonicotinoid use due to its link with decreasing pollinator habitats. They have even introduced a proposal to completely ban these pesticides across commercial agriculture in Europe. Canada has also proposed a ban on a type of these chemicals, imidacloprids, because it is becoming increasingly clear that its use is not sustainable for the environment at the present rate of use. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agree that pesticides harm bees, but have only changed pesticide labels so they better protect bees by being clearer in their directions for application.

While some US agencies not taking the immense scientific evidence into account when determining environmental policies, many corporations have decided to listen to and protect consumers and the environment. In April 2015, Lowe’s announced they would phase out neonics over the next two years. Home Depot made the same announcement in 2016, and Aldi supermarkets was the first European retailer to ban pesticides shown to be toxic to bees that same year. In 2016, Scotts Miracle Gro, a major pesticide manufacturer, also declared the immediate phasing out of neonicotinoid pesticides from its products. Now, Walmart and True Value are joining in the fight against neonics. They will begin to stop selling these dangerous pesticides starting in May 2017.

Fortunately, there are many other natural options that consumers can use. Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit that promotes the safe switch to a world free of synthetic pesticides, released an online toolkit called The Well Stocked Hardware Store. This has  helped lead consumers to environmentally friendly pesticides they could use for their personal needs. Neem oil is listed as an effective insecticide and fungicide, two applications for which neem is extremely viable.

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When consumers resort to fighting their way to get untested, dangerous products out of the market, when communities face dangers and health risks because of low protection standards and when only 15% of all food products tested by the United States Department of Agriculture is free from pesticide residues, there is something wrong. We’re even moving in the wrong direction. When similar tests were made in 2014, over 41% of samples were free from pesticide residues.

This Earth Day, celebrate by promoting and demanding healthy, organic and sustainable change! Though mankind’s quality of life has dramatically improved since conventional agriculture was first introduced, the consequences are quickly becoming too severe. We must take a step back and realize that we are poisoning ourselves while providing for our families. How can you change this? Demand sustainable change in your food! One of the best ways is by using neem-based products that are safe for our environment. Is your food organic? Do you know what neem is? Only you can change the world, and the earth needs your help right now!

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It means that even though we currently produce enough calories to feed the world, 795 million people live in extreme hunger, while another 1.4 billion suffer the effects of over-consumption. Diets can kill in a variety of different ways.

In the past 35 years, rates of obesity and diet-related diseases have doubled. Diabetes is among the most prevalent diseases in the world, and its incidence has increased by 382% in the United States since 1988. Every single day, more people are affected at both ends of the spectrum – under and over-nourishment. How can we break this cycle and bring balance to our global food security, especially when considering the 10 billion people expected to live on the globe in 2050?

The only true solution is for our food process to become more sustainable. By creating and nurturing a sustainable food system, we produce food that is healthier, more nutritious, and more wholesome. Instead of filling our body with toxins that may perpetuate these diseases that have become so prevalent in recent generations, we nourish our bodies with natural, safe and nutritious foods, like those produced with neem-based pesticides and fertilizers. Neem not only nourishes our bodies, but also benefits the soil, plants, the environment, animals, and our health! While it fixes the production, it also helps solve the problems caused by our current system through its ability to reduce insulin dependence for diabetic patients and detoxify the body of impurities. When mankind lives harmoniously with nature, everyone and everything benefits and stays healthy.

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Many places around the world are winning the fight against glyphosate. A California judge just ruled that Monsanto will be required to include a warning that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen on their best-selling product, Roundup. Unfortunately misinformation is proliferating the use of these toxic synthetic pesticides elsewhere, especially across the developing world, and many populations are being affected.

For example, in Argentina, between 2002 and 2008, the number of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers produced in the country increased by 48%, 75% of these synthetics are herbicides like Roundup. Now, in areas surrounding the 30 million hectares of cultivated land, there are reports of unprecedented levels of sickness ranging from cancer, chronic diseases, deformities and miscarriages. Damián Verzeñassi, the Director of Social Environmental Health at the National University of Rosario in Argentina, took his students to investigate communities smaller than 10,000 people in more rural areas of Argentina. What they found was that people in these smaller villages – no matter the location in Argentina – were not dying of cardiovascular diseases, like the majority of Argentinians in urban locations, but from cancer. This, compounded with the facts that 80% of these areas were located less than half a mile from cultivated areas and that over half of all cases of cancer in the past quarter century have occurred in the last five years, brings to light a very scary conclusion: these synthetics can cause cancer, and fast!

According to the Argentinian National Institute of Cancer, the average incidence of cancer in 2012 was 217 per 100,000 inhabitants, whereas in the data taken by Verzeñassi, that number was 397.4. What can be done?

There are cost-effective and much safer ways to safely produce enough food for the world. One natural way is neem. Neem’s unique compound azadirachtin is extremely effective at repelling pests and protecting crops, while while being 100% natural! The best part? Neem is non-toxic to non-target animals such as pollinators, humans, and the environment! Without all of the toxic chemical runoff, communities such as these in Argentina that rely on food production for their livelihood can continue to thrive and flourish without worrying about the potential fatal health risks from synthetic chemicals.

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