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The good earth
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A super store selling organic foods is a hot destination for those who care
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HEALTHY CHOICE The ambience is conducive to browsing Photo: Satish H
Organic food has been floating around as cocktail conversation for quite some time now. We all discuss how our food is contaminated by all kinds of pesticides and harmful chemicals.
Once in a while there are breathless reports on telly of the kind of toxic brews and bites we consume. And because of the TINA (there is no alternative) factor, we continue eating what is available at the friendly neighbourhood grocers.
All has changed with 24 Lettered Mantra, India's first organic and natural food store. Managing Director, Rajashekar Reddy Seelam, decided to give the organic food business a try after he lost his father to cancer.
"My mother fell seriously ill, my children suffered from breathing problems and as I went deeper into the cause of this general ill-health I realised the preservatives in food was the trigger," he explains.
Coming from a farming background, Reddy studied the project in depth and the result of the 19-month gestation is the spacious store stocked with everything from pulses and oils to breads and cookies, fruits and vegetables, jams and preserves.
The project cultivates 1,00,00 acres of land and employs 2,000 farmers. "Everyone looks for a quick fix including the farmers. We are trying to restore the natural balance. Pesticides in vegetables translate to contaminated water and conventional agricultural practises results in the topsoil getting eroded.
By rotating crops we can eradicate up to 70 per cent pest infestation."
Homegrown solutions like neem and tulsi are used to keep pests away.
Name game
About the name, Reddy explains, "It is the blend of the five elements - bhumir, apo, analo, anilo, nabha, (earth, water, fire, air and ether).
The interiors invite one to browse and one could also pull up a chair and have a delightful mango juice, where the mango is ripened naturally and a sandwich.
Reddy is looking at opening stores all over the country and there would also be express stores in the city.
Unfortunately, Reddy could not avoid plastic as "paper cannot keep out moisture and pests and ensure freshness.
I looked at various options but as we cannot compromise on quality, as of now we are going with plastic but as soon as there is an environment friendly option you can rest assured I would go for it."
The price difference is about 30 per cent but if you are getting certified (by internationally accredited organisations like SKAL, ECOCERT and IMO) organic food, it is definitely worth a shot.
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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