Genuine certified organic in Chiang Mai?

[mikey88]

Is there any possibility of getting certified organic food in CM and......more particularly....believing that's it's truly organic?

[Seligne2]

I am a devotee of the Rimping Stores. They are a cut above I think. If they says it's organic I believe them. Check out their product safety testing page here: http://www.rimping.com/product_safety_testing

[MESmith]

All vegetables & fruit are organic, so nobody is lying.

I doubt anything grown commercially here is truly "organic" in the chemical sense, but simply has less chemicals sprayed on it.

[mudscrubber]

The Royal project has some produce labeled as organic. .

[cooked]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

[luther]

Always am amused by the "pesticide safe" label in Rimping.

huh?

[mudscrubber]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

[kalbo123]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

All nice, but do you trust it?

I dont!

[cooked]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

Well we don't all come up to your intellectual standard. It doesn't change the fact that this is Thailand. This document means little more than another source of extra income for inspectors certifying stuff. It was a difficult transition in Switzerland which has a rule of law.

[mudscrubber]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

All nice, but do you trust it?

I dont!

That's a different issue

[mudscrubber]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

Well we don't all come up to your intellectual standard. It doesn't change the fact that this is Thailand. This document means little more than another source of extra income for inspectors certifying stuff. It was a difficult transition in Switzerland which has a rule of law.

I didn't know googling was in indication of superior intelligence. maybe just an indication of slightly less laziness.

[DaamNaam]

This forum has it's fair share of genuinely certified thats for sure.

As far as veggies go just wash them when you get home, no big deal. I think the worry about what is on the food does more harm than what's on there.

[luther]

Occasionally, I buy Italian basil plants at Kamtiang market or Rimping. I have asked the woman at Kamtiang how to keep the plants alive without using pesticides. She rolled her eyes. She showed me what she uses to keep the plants pest free while she markets them and it was organic, but as I was walking away, she said, “Don’t eat the leaves for three weeks. They are sprayed in a greenhouse almost daily.” She said she was getting her plants from the same grower that supplies Rimping.

Italian basil is difficult to grow in Thailand. Pests move in quickly. My only real success was when I was living near Rayong on the coast. The plants were attacked, but after five or six years they had stalks 3 or 4 cm thick and could withstand a bonsai treatment – complete pruning of stalks and roots, all new soil.

I would love to hear from someone who really knows where and how “western” herbs are being grown in Thailand.

Anyone know where the rocket is coming from?

[MESmith]

I try to grow my own veggies (ok, some). Yard long beans grow very easily here. No problems with pests. Yet there was a report a couple of years ago, of veg being tested for pesticides. Yard long beans at local markets were loaded with pesticides. Why? It's in the culture here to spray EVERYTHING, whether needed or not. Organic

[PMNL]

Always am amused by the "pesticide safe" label in Rimping.

huh?

And now they have Rimping select label with the golden shiny sticker, look marvelous on their products but again means nothing apart from higher price. The pesticide free ones are also meaningless.

Having said that there is a true certified organic products available, very limited choices and quantity.

[cloudhopper]

Occasionally, I buy Italian basil plants at Kamtiang market or Rimping. I have asked the woman at Kamtiang how to keep the plants alive without using pesticides. She rolled her eyes. She showed me what she uses to keep the plants pest free while she markets them and it was organic, but as I was walking away, she said, “Don’t eat the leaves for three weeks. They are sprayed in a greenhouse almost daily.” She said she was getting her plants from the same grower that supplies Rimping.

Italian basil is difficult to grow in Thailand. Pests move in quickly. My only real success was when I was living near Rayong on the coast. The plants were attacked, but after five or six years they had stalks 3 or 4 cm thick and could withstand a bonsai treatment – complete pruning of stalks and roots, all new soil.

I would love to hear from someone who really knows where and how “western” herbs are being grown in Thailand.

Anyone know where the rocket is coming from?

Mrs. hopper has lots of success growing rocket, basil, rosemary, dill etc without pesticides but it's very labor intensive. We don't mind a few holes in leaves here and there but I can see how doing it commercially would be very uneconomical.

[cooked]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

WHat I don't understand is why people prefer to use their imagination rather than do a search on something called the internet. It took me all of 30 seconds to find this. http://www.organic.moc.go.th/en/standard/mkt

Well we don't all come up to your intellectual standard. It doesn't change the fact that this is Thailand. This document means little more than another source of extra income for inspectors certifying stuff. It was a difficult transition in Switzerland which has a rule of law.

I didn't know googling was in indication of superior intelligence. maybe just an indication of slightly less laziness.

Well maybe I was being diplomatic. Replace superior intelligence with the words 'smug arrogance'.

[mccw]

There are some local producers who have been certified as organic by the USA FDA in case you have trust issues.

They have little store in prom near the Rimping and I see their product on sale in other places too- I forget the name though now. Mae sonething

Personally I trust the Royal project and for me they are convenient. They have stores all over town too.

If you do not trust anyone then your last option is get your hands dirty a little and grow your own.

That or get over it and quit moaning.

[mikey88]

Dear Kalbo.....thanks for the kind comment.

To answer your question.. There are 3 main reasons why I ask questions on Thai Visa rather than 'just searching the internet'.....you may not have thought of these perhaps: Firstly the aim is to get real life first hand experience from actual people and perhaps an endorsement or warning; Second it's to be part of a 'chat' community with the social implications that that involves....and the third.....for the life of me I can't remember it.....probably too old and stupid...where am I again??

[mudscrubber]

Always am amused by the "pesticide safe" label in Rimping.

huh?

And now they have Rimping select label with the golden shiny sticker, look marvelous on their products but again means nothing apart from higher price. The pesticide free ones are also meaningless.

Evidence, please?

[DaamNaam]

There are some local producers who have been certified as organic by the USA FDA in case you have trust issues.

They have little store in prom near the Rimping and I see their product on sale in other places too- I forget the name though now. Mae sonething

Personally I trust the Royal project and for me they are convenient. They have stores all over town too.

If you do not trust anyone then your last option is get your hands dirty a little and grow your own.

That or get over it and quit moaning.

Good advice. And wash your vegetables in clean water, it's not rocket science.

[mudscrubber]

There are some local producers who have been certified as organic by the USA FDA in case you have trust issues.

They have little store in prom near the Rimping and I see their product on sale in other places too- I forget the name though now. Mae sonething

Personally I trust the Royal project and for me they are convenient. They have stores all over town too.

If you do not trust anyone then your last option is get your hands dirty a little and grow your own.

That or get over it and quit moaning.

Good advice. And wash your vegetables in clean water, it's not rocket science.

That's good advice as far as it goes. The problem is that most pesticide contamination is systemic - meaning that it's inside the plant. So no amount of washing will get rid of it. For vegetables cultivated according to IPM (Integrated Pest Management) protocols, that's less of a problem.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

^^ Okay so you know about IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

It's common to hear why Monsanto is evil and all that.

What is the other side of the argument.

Why GMO, Hybrids etc make sense??

[Jdiddy]

Go to Ban Suan Pak, ask the owner with the same question. Your not going to get a real answer in here, only a big argument

18.794683, 98.995746

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

^^ as nice as Nong is (the owner of Ban Suan Pak)

It's not really much of an answer.

Lots of questionable conclusions evade her logical process.

Her answer mostly just promotes BSP products.

[mccw]

^^ Okay so you know about IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

It's common to hear why Monsanto is evil and all that.

What is the other side of the argument.

Why GMO, Hybrids etc make sense??

They make sense for the companies because they own the seeds and gene patents; the seeds need buying from them every year etc.

-

makes sense for some farmers because they we pest resistant and have a higher yield.

-

For the consumers/ general population though they are toxic and dangerous; similarly for the environment/ Eco system.

And even bad for farmers long term too as eventually would create a monopoly and loss of independent choice or market function.

For humanity giving control of food supply to hands of a couple of corporations is just insane.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

^^^ I was interested to hear from mindscrubber because seemed to know about IPM

I have heard of some of the arguments that designing a plant that soaks up pesticide early inside it's tissues allows for less pesticide waste and the pesticides being largely cleared by the time the plant is ready to harvest.

Lower use of phosphates and phosphate runoff.

There are some interesting arguments but wanted to hear from someone who is not just parroting the anti monsanto/cargill/gmo side.

Edited November 1, 2014 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[femi fan]

I imagine that the term 'organic' has no legal basis (or translation) in Thailand. I'm pretty sure that there is no authority that certifies produce as being organic. I witnessed the whole organic tendency in Switzerland over many years and know and saw that farmers were going out at night to spray, at least during their transformation phase. It is very difficult to cultivate crops in Thailand without resort to chemicals, I have cultivated melons for instance and the only way that I could produce stuff like you see in the markets would be to spray (I guess) twice a week. I did get some organic melons but it was hardly worthwhile. I don't eat melons any more.

Rimping test the produce they sell and if it's labeled 'organic', then that's what their tests are telling them. So if the testing equipment is good, then there you go.

But how can you say it's difficult to grow crops in thailand without using chemicals?? They used to do that no problem before the american and european pharmaceutical giants started exporting their chemicals over here. And there are lots of places and people who grow foods without using pesticides and herbicides and so on.

EM is a good example of getting help with cultivating poison-free foods. So is proper soil care and make-up, but i'm no farmer at all, just done a bit of research.

Let's remember that not much more than two generations ago foods worlwide were grown without all these chemicals.

[femi fan]

All nice, but do you trust it?

I dont!

Well, i certainly hope you don't trust western governments when it comes to agriculture and food production methods and supply. That's where the harmful practices all come from. And its them who came up with the nightmare of Codex Alimentarius.

There's a funny thing going on these days: as more and more people are waking up how important diet is to one's health and is the cause of so much illness and disease in our 'civilised' societies, we also wake up to the fact our food production and supply has been made toxic by the big corporations.

As we realise that good food leads to good health, we also realise that all the good foods are being poisoned by the greedy corporations.

As for Thailand, a much much better place to buy food than in, say, England. Markets everywhere, local produce everywhere. In england it's supermarkets all the way, and just about everything they sell is toxic to some degree.

[femi fan]

This forum has it's fair share of genuinely certified thats for sure.

As far as veggies go just wash them when you get home, no big deal. I think the worry about what is on the food does more harm than what's on there.

You seem to forget what might be IN the food, not just what's on it.

What makes you think toxic chemicals will just sit nicely on the plants and fruits and not enter the actual food itself? If you use chemical soap and shampoo, it gets absorped through your skin and into your body. Same with what's grown in the soil.