After living in the 'Jing for so long, I have become, as most of us have, increasingly aware of issues pertaining to clean and healthy food, air, medicines, and household products and cosmetics. While pregnant with my son I began reading more and more about living an "organic lifestyle" and learning as much as I could about the junk that is in our every day products and on our everyday food. It's actually quite shocking to know that not only is this the case, but also that there is tons of research and knowledge out there about the gunk we ingest and slather and inhale, yet there is not much being done about changing it, as far as I can tell, anyway. I mean this in terms of public awareness of this information. While we are all being constantly bombarded with global warming hysteria and the need to "green up", we aren't often told about the dangers of using certain ingredients.

When I first started looking into trying to have an “organic pregnancy” in China in November of 2006, there was very little information about or availability of organic produce and products. Luckily, in the 15 months that have passed, this is rapidly changing. I have joined a fantastic group called the Beijing Organic Consumers Association on Yahoo. BOCA is open to the public to join and they pass on tons of great information about not only where you can get organic food and products but also other timely articles about vaccinations, vitamins, food allergies, and various and sundry other investigative stuff. I get an email newsletter every day giving me good bites of frequently controversial topics, that I can chew on when I have 20 seconds of free time! I love to read something and then take it to my peng yous in the teacher’s lounge at morning break. Most of the time they ignore my lecturing them about petrochemicals and the dangers of vaccines but sometimes I manage to utter something fairly succinct and relevant to their everyday lives. Whatever, I digress. As this topic alone could cover my blogs from now until the end of time, I will just start this theme by sharing with you from my fountain of information about organics in Beijing.

There are lots of places here now that sell and/or deliver organic goods. I thought I’d include a few websites of places I’ve used or that others on the BOCA forum have recommended. If you’re interested in trying to go more organic in your everyday life, give some of these places a go and then give me some feedback on how they worked out for you or didn’t, what was great, what wasn’t, and if you have any other info to share, SHARE IT! I’ll continue this theme in the next few blogs with more opinions and more websites.

Here are some websites of organic farms and suppliers who will deliver to your home, often free of charge.

Beijing Organic Consumers Association
If you want to join the BOCA you will have access to their organic suppliers list that is really helpful.

Green Yard Organic Milk and Yogurt
Organic milk & yoghurt delivered cold to your home (goat's milk also available in small UHT boxes). More info and photos here

Order by emailing Joan (excellent English) organiclife@greenyard.cn or via ordering hotline : 800-810-9903. Additional phone numbers: 010-6506 5855 010-6506 0955.

De Run Wu Organic and Natural
8459-0809, 139-1189-3712
Home Delivery: Order by calling or emailing Alison (excellent English), the wife of the farm owner.
jiyunliang@vip.163.com . Delivery days are Monday and Friday.

Lohao City
Ordering hotline (all stores) contact Cindy at 8459-4332 or 8459-4647, or 8459-4825. More information here

Organic Farm


organicfarm@126.com,
www.organicfarm.com.cn, 8408 5030, 8408 5026

Contact delivery service manager Klaus Griesbach at organicfarm@126.com to be included on their email customer list.

Beijing Organic and Beyond


www.organicandbeyond.cn/EN/