DEMAND for organic food is at its highest for decades according to many supermarkets.

It’s not often I welcome a headline that involves supermarkets but I was pleased to see this news come in last week.

The 2017 Organic Market Report reveals 7.1 per cent growth of organic food and drink in the UK, while the non-organic market continues to decline.

So why is this good news?

Organic food is produced to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards.

This means fewer pesticides, no routine use of antibiotics, no artificial additives or preservatives and absolutely no GM.

Signing up to produce organically means you are signing up to work with nature and not against it.

According to the Soil Association, the country's leading organic certifier, one of the benefits of organic farming is that it helps to improve the quality of our soil.

Although it may not seem that glamorous at first, soil is actually a pretty significant.

Healthy soil is crucial for food production, flood defences and our ability to tackle climate change.

This explains why so many our Cultivates growers take great pride in their soil quality.

On a really basic level you can apply old adage ‘you are what you eat’ to organic food: an international team of experts led by Newcastle University has shown that organic crops are up to 60 per cent higher in a number of key antioxidants than conventionally-grown ones.

And if you don’t fancy consuming pesticide residues, which can be found in everything from fresh produce to prepared food like bread, then your best bet is to buy organic.

Organic farming and food production is not as easy as conventional methods and takes real commitment and attention to detail.

It also requires paying for certification and having regular inspections.

This can result in it costing more than conventionally produced food.

But, by heading to farmers markets or going straight to the growers you can avoid the steep price hikes applied by supermarkets who profiteer on fresh produce.

The increase in organic sales is a fantastic indication that more people are using their buying power to take action, something I wholeheartedly support.