Early last year, I had no understanding about the important impact that growing, buying and eating organically could have on my health or the health of everyone for that matter. Then, a year later, armed with some powerful knowledge from personal experience, I couldn't contain it any longer and felt compelled to use my voice to assist the movement forward! As a result, Simply Green with Emme was born.  I am sharing my personal evolution into this organic green space as a lead in to the importance of Ripe for Revolution, the Organic Solution.  This week I participated in the launch of a powerful collaborative campaign between the 60 year old Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org) and the relatively new Organic Center (www.organic-center.org). Ripe for Revolution, the Organic Solution is a partnership involving research and educational leadership in the field of organics and it deserves having us take notice.
 
Through research and education, this unique partnership sets out to promote organic farming and its benefits. Rodale's 30 year research study on organic vs. conventional farming in conjunction with The Organic Center's mission to advance verifiable scientific research pertaining to the health and environmental benefits of organic foods, offers fantastic results that are being clearly communicated to the public.   During this hugely successful evening, interested professionals and business leaders as well as the world press were in attendance. We all walked away armed with powerful findings that will impact the way we currently produce, buy and consume food:

• The average American child is exposed daily to five pesticides in their food and drinking water. (Rodale Institute)
• If organic farming methods were practiced on all the planet's food-growing land, it would be the equivalent taking more than 1.5 billion cars off the road (the Organic Center)
• Farms in developing countries that use organic techniques produce an average of 79% more than farms that don't (Rodale Institute)
• Our antioxidant intake would increase by 30% if we were to choose organic produce and vegetables (the Organic Center) and eleven important nutrients were on average 25% higher in organic foods than conventional foods.
• Analysis of one of the nation's oldest farm research plots in Illinois shows that, contrary to long-held beliefs, chemical fertilizers do not improve the soil. (Rodale Institute)
• Organic farming increases the quality of the soil and improves the water holding capacity of the land which in turn creates less runoff into our lakes, streams and drinking water, leaving more topsoil and nutrients available to grow our food. (Rodale Institute)

As J.I. Rodale, a pioneer in the organic movement, once said, "good soil=good food=healthy people," so keep it simple.  We can enormously improve our lives without cutting edge technology, big investment, or even big business. It all comes down to the soil and how we treat it and we have the research findings for support.  But instead, we are subject to outright lies concerning the highly toxic chemicals found in our food and soil that in turn is not only compromising our land, but making so many of us deathly sick. What we need now is to have our government (including the FDA) embrace the findings and act upon them.

There is no better time than now to learn more about the organic revolution that is sweeping our country. Let's do ourselves a favor and not pass up this opportunity.  And don't forget that small change is lasting change: grow organically in your apartment window box or on a sunny strip of land in your back yard, buy organic at the supermarket whenever you can, ask your child's school to build an organic garden, better yet offer to spearhead the project, or regularly eat organically at home.  It all adds up and makes a difference. (Personally, my dream is to see organic enthusiast Michelle Obama create and build her own organic garden on one of the 17 acres at the White House! Now that would be a positive statement that would be a lesson for all!) By making some changes, we can join this revolution and create a healthy and ecologically self-sustainable life for generations to come! 

What a fantastic age of innovation!  Despite the current economic downturn, and more likely because of it, bright minds are shaking the trees for new ways to grab the attention of the green conscious consumer.  Whether it's tugging at our collective environmental conscience, or playing on the idea that parents will do and buy just about anything for their children, marketers are finding that as consumers we want our next purchase to count in more ways than one.  Keep your eyes peeled: we will soon see the crème de là crème of imagery and a creative outpouring of marketing strategy like we've never before seen.   With overcrowded retail selling space, limitless online shopping opportunities, and fewer and fewer shoppers, those who succeed will be the ones actually listening to the consumer by creating a shift away from the old "gotta-have it" mentality of anything goes, to a more thought provoking process of consumer supply and demand.

What better place than the baby industry to be so creative and proactive?  Especially when new parents are taking a better look at how their infants and young children are being impacted by the toxic and often hazardous environments in which they sleep, play and grow.  Little did we know years ago that sucking the coating on certain plastic toys, food containers and baby bottles can cause cancer, brain damage, memory loss and learning disabilities! "Not for my child!" we say in unison. 

So finally some health and environment conscious companies are offering products that don't have the harmful components that so many of the products of yesteryear are now found to have. Companies such as Seventh Generation's Wee Generation (in collaboration with Rickshaw Bagworks, the design firm IDEO, and Healthy Child Healthy World) have developed a diaper bag that is PVC-free and constructed from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Organically Grown now has in stores the softest and most yummy organic cotton baby layette sets, and Burt's Bees Baby Bee brand has all natural ingredients in their diaper creams and powders. And that's just to name a few!

The number of dedicated green products for baby has exploded in the market place. They not only promote health and eco friendly practices that benefit the environment, most of the products look, smell, and feel great.  All of these attributes enhance customer loyalty and other brands are now looking for a foothold in the green consumer market. Needless to say, when it comes to product purchases, for our children's sake, we need to choose wisely and stay on top of it all.  Someone has to!  Our Children and our Future depend on us! 
 
www.weegeneration.com
www.healthychildhealthyworld.org
www.organicallygrown.com
www.burtsbees.com