Five reasons to turn organic

1.       Easy to buy no matter where you live

There's no denying the fact that organic food is more expensive than conventional produce. You can expect to pay 10-20 per cent more for organic food - but the good news is organic food is more widely available than ever before.

Apart from the increasing number of supermarket shelves boasting organic food, farmers' markets are springing up all over Britain. Buying direct from the producers means you cut out the middlemen and pay less.

Alternatively, you can join a box scheme - where fresh organic food from your local outlet is delivered to your doorstep on a weekly basis.

2.       Boosts fertility

There is some evidence which suggests that eating organic food can boost male fertility. Research carried out in 1994 by the Department of Occupational Medicine in Denmark found that men who regularly ate organic food had twice the sperm count of those on a conventional diet.

3.       Less risk from antibiotics in the food chain

Conventionally farmed animals are routinely given daily doses of antibiotics and hormones to make animals grow faster so they can be slaughtered at an earlier stage, according to the Soil Association.

These antibiotics can be passed through the food chain to humans and can make us resistant to antibiotics. This means when we fall ill we have to look for alternative drugs other than antibiotics to treat illnesses which can be worrying if we fall severely sick.

However, The Food Standard's Agency insists non-organic food poses no risk. It says: 'We do not object to the use of pesticides and veterinary medicines for crops and animals for food use as long as any residues are kept as low as practically possible and do not pose a threat to health. Foods are monitored regularly to ensure that this is so.

4.       It tastes better

Converts insist that once you've tasted organic, there's no going back to conventional produce. Fans say eating fresh organic produce free of chemicals means tomatoes tend to be sweeter, green vegetables crisper and root vegetables firmer and naturally sweet. They say fruit also tends to be juicier compared to food that has been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.

5.       Creates a cleaner home

Studies have found that the air inside our homes can be up to ten times more toxic and polluted than the air around them. Toxic conditions can be increased by the use of kitchen, bathroom and laundry cleaners, bleaches, aerosols, paint, carpets, pet treatments and garden chemicals.

If you want to avoid pumping more toxins into your home, there are now many certified organic products on the market available at supermarkets and health food stores that do not contain hazardous chemicals.