This September, The Soil Association is celebrating 50 years of organic certification and as we move into Autumn, it feels a poignant time of year to showcase organic produce and tell you about why we decided to certify organic from the beginning at MOMO. 

The term organic is thrown around a lot and often people don’t fully understand what it means. So first things first, we thought it would be helpful to give a quick definition: organic food doesn’t contain antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilisers. 

Starting MOMO was our way of living healthier and more connected lives, and with every bottle we hope to encourage others to do the same. To act in alignment with this, we knew we needed to start with sourcing the highest quality organic ingredients, including our tea blends, raw cane sugar, ginger, turmeric and raspberry juice. Achieving certification by the Soil Association cemented our commitment to both environmental and human health. 

In terms of human health, the negative impact of pesticides and environmental pollutants on the gut microbiome has become an increasingly studied scientific field. Tim Spector in SPOON FED: Why almost everything we’ve been told about food is wrong states, ‘much of the role of the microbiome is to stabilise our immune system and stop it overreacting, so it’s not a far stretch to see how, by being exposed to long periods of time, these herbicides and pesticides could alter our immune systems’. Worryingly, pesticides have become so embedded within our society and strong links have been established between pesticide exposure and increased risk of several chronic diseases. By eating organic produce and promoting organic agricultural production, there are positive effects for our human health and also our planet. 

Since the food system is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, organic certification also matters to us to reduce the environmental impact of our ingredients. A Soil Association study concluded that ‘if the whole of Europe switched to an organic or agro ecological food and farming system, we would see a 40% drop in emissions’. Especially as a drinks company, the farming communities where our tea and sugar are imported from are unfairly some of the most vulnerable populations from climate change. While there’s plenty more to be done, by promoting organic farming, we are reducing pesticide contamination in water systems and nitrogen fertiliser production, which lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Our ingredients are sourced from suppliers upholding the highest standards: farmers must be focused on environmental stewardship, protect topsoil, avoid water contamination and encourage biodiversity. 

Choosing organic wherever possible helps promote a food system that reduces the impact of toxins and pesticides on our planet and in our bodies and we hope you’ll feel as passionately about it as we do.