By: Catriona Macmillan
 There is so much choice with regards to food these days and when trying to make the healthiest decision, it can often get confusing. One distinction many people struggle with is the difference between organic and free range, and which is better.
All organic food is an enhanced form of free-range, so when you buy organic, you contribute to the welfare benefits of free-range and the organic benefits for the environment, with the additional reassurance that the animal's diet is organic.
Certified organic means animals and chickens have access to organic pasture and feed, and have sympathetic housing conditions. No antibiotics or other synthetics are allowed for use in organic production systems.
If you consider free range chickens and eggs, in Australia 85 per cent of all hens are still kept in battery cages. Yet there seem to be a lot of chickens and eggs, which are simply labelled free-range, vegetarian, grain fed or corn fed - this is not the same as organic. Organic standards apply throughout from the farm to retail.
Beware - a chicken with the free-range stamp may be allowed to roam outside, but what is it eating? What kind of conditions is it housed in at night? And how are the eggs washed?
For example, it is common practice to clean the eggs with chlorine solution, but the eggs' shells are porous, meaning they may absorb some of the chemicals. An organic farmer has to use an alternative, like apple cider vinegar, much healthier for not only you but the environment as well.
What are the meat birds dipped in after plucking? The organic system has vigorous inspection.
A chicken wandering around a farmyard can pick up all sorts of residue, whereas on an organic farm there is no chance of bags of chemicals lying around, chemically sprayed pastures or GMO feed.
On an organic farm, there are no cages; animals range free, grazing on grass and other natural pastures. However there may be moveable cage like structures to protect from predators, because animal welfare matters to an organic farmer, and animals are treated with care and respect.
I know of a farm that uses big gentle dogs to herd and protect their chickens that are bred for laying eggs. The dogs bond with their chickens and protect them during the day and take them home to their "moveable" "houses" at night.
If an animal is sick and all the natural remedies fail - antibiotics or other medicine may need to be used, rather than let an animal suffer, but the animal/bird has to be held in quarantine. The length of time in quarantine is clearly stated under the national organic standards. Different animals require variations of time for the antibiotics to clear their system. Consideration of the natural behaviour of animals is a vital aspect in the planning and management of these farms.
The biggest difference between just simply free-range chicken and organic chicken is what the chicken eats. In an organic system, the grain has to be certified organic. There are no dyes or other additives to help colour the yolks, or heavily sprayed grains are most importantly GMO free.
A major meat and chicken supplier with interests here and in New Zealand was importing American GMO corn to feed their hens until threatened with a consumer public backlash. They recognised consumers did not want GMOs so they agreed to stop using the GMO corn, but how many other farmers are feeding their chickens with cheap imported American GMO corn?
What is so good about organic farming?
As you're probably aware, organic farming means farming in a way that cares for the environment, without relying upon synthetic chemicals. Organic food comes from organic farms utilising the best of both traditional agriculture and modern techniques.
Apart from skill and understanding, the farmer uses only natural fertilisers - fertilisers which humans have used for thousands of years - tried and tested.
Rather than using synthetic pesticides to kill pests, farmers prevent pests by planting a biodiverse range of crops, by rotations and by using natural biological and environment-friendly sprays.
This means no artificial pesticides, no herbicides, no hormones and no growth promotants or food irradiation.
Organics also prohibits the use of GMOs - or genetic engineering. The organic farmer believes it is important to allow Mother Nature to provide us with food the way nature intended.
In all aspects the soil is central. Farmers nourish the soil and its micro universe of lifeforms rather than force-feeding the plants to grow unnaturally fast. Healthy soils mean healthy animals and healthy humans.
Biodynamic farming is an enhanced method of organic farming utilising traditional preparations, whilst acknowledging universal forces at play in the farming environment. Many organic farmers practice biodynamic methods.
How do I know it's organic rather than free range?
By reading the label, which should say that the produce is certified organic or certified biodynamic. Look for the logo and name of one of the accredited organic certifiers. If it is not certified you cannot be sure that the produce is organic.
Do any of the other labels, logos or seals saying "free range" do much more than confirm the chickens are not housed for 24 hours under battery farms conditions? It is not surprising that organic chickens tend to cost more, but the consumer can feel confident that they know what they are eating. There are national domestic standards that ensure this, including housing, welfare, feed, processing and health of the birds and the pastures they roam.
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