Organic food and where to find them

By Venessa Anthony

With the current pandemic still ongoing, it’s more important than ever to boost your immune system. An easy way to do this is to eat clean. Consistently eating clean foods fills your body with plentiful vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, and healthy fats, which improve heart and brain health, assist with weight management, build a stronger immune system, and increase energy levels, among other benefits. Organic eating is a healthier option for your body because these fruits and veggies don’t come with the added chemicals and preservatives; it’s rich with all its natural nutrients.

Here are some places where you can get high quality organic produce.

Owita Organics

Owita Organics has farmer partners all over the country including in Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, and more. Some of them work as farmer groups and some work as commercial farmers. Most of them are located near the railway, which makes it easier to transport goods to Colombo. Vihangun Theekshana Ariyarathne, the owner of Owita Organics, commented on their vision, stating: “We are looking to have an ecosystem in all the key cities; we already have two ecosystems formed and we are planning to replicate this model in 25 other cities by 2030.” They aim to build an affordable value chain and make clean eating affordable in Sri Lanka.

He also mentioned why he thinks it’s important to eat healthy: “It is important for people’s health and the prevention of diseases that are contracted through food. What you are is what you eat. If you take soil and add chemicals, insects like worms can’t live; your gut is similar – if you have pesticides in your gut, you can’t live. So that’s why it’s important to eat healthy food.”

You can find them on their website: owita.lk and on Instagram: @owitaorganics

Organic Life

They are a community of individuals and farmers who are passionate about serving organically and fairly grown produce as fresh as possible. The organic estate project commenced in 1992 and the establishment was formed in 1997 and their teas were exported to many countries in the world in bulk form. Today, they grow and pack at source to ensure the quality of the produce. They also strive hard to bring an identity to the community of farmers they closely engage with. With this in mind, this growers’ brand, Greenfield Farm Organic Life, was established in 2010. They specialise in teas, but also offer many more items like spices, rice, and sugars. The team at Organic Life said: “We are in the business of producing and selling food. Food is for health. You’ve got to produce food that’s good for health – it’s common sense. That’s why we feel organics is the right way.”

You can find them on www.organiclife.lk and on Instagram: @organiclife.lk

Orgnik Agro

Orgnik Agro gets all their products from their very own estate in Avissawella and Kurunegala. The management spoke about why their products are of quality, stating: “We don’t use chemicals or hormones. We only use organic fertiliser. We even have farms with country chickens, buffalos, and cows, so we use their waste as fertilisers”

They also offer scrapped coconuts and packaged king coconuts for the ease of their customers. They de-husk the coconuts and king coconuts, crack open the shells, package them, and send them to their shops. The management added: “We want them to use a healthier alternative than what they find in the market today.”

They also have a fun little treat for kids to enjoy – iced candy! It’s made entirely of organic fruits and fresh milk with no added preservatives.

You can find them at 29, Canal Lane, Colombo. They even deliver on UberEats, for your convenience.

Mango Friends

Co-founded by Dushyanth Weeraman, Mango Friends is an initiative providing organic fruits to their customers. They specialise in organically produced mangos.

They do a mango by the name TJC mango, which grows in the dry zones of the island, mainly available in the Anuradhapura, Kekirawa, and Monaragala areas. Dushyanth commented that it is a very tasty mango often mistaken for the Alfonso mango grown in India.

He also said that healthy living is the best way to go forward, adding that there has never been a better time to consider going organic.

Available as Sri Lanka’s premier online shop for your organic fruit needs, it now has a physical outlet in addition to their Kotte Road venue; they have now collaborated with Home Bargains and are available at its Mohideen Terrace location too.

Instagram: @mango_friends.sl

Saaraketha Organics

They have a range of chemical-free, sustainably produced, and ethically sourced products, with farm-to-table transparency. They also have a range of products that are certified internationally, by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). All of these, and local standards, are employed to ensure that the products conform to a strict principle of “sustainable and good for you”. All standard internal control systems and the production value chain control points are managed to ensure the final product’s integrity. Saaraketha Organics features all kinds of products from cheese, to nuts, to veggies. They have all your daily grocery needs in one location. They even offer delivery for customers’ convenience.