Every year on April 7th, the World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day, with the aim of drawing global attention to the importance of global health, a topic of utmost significance.
World Health Day is one of the World Health Organization's (WHO) eight global public health campaigns. Originating in 1948, which is also the year WHO was established, World Health Day is organized to raise awareness and promote understanding about health issues, seeking the support of all countries in addressing global health challenges.
The theme of World Health Day 2022 is "Our planet, our health," calling on the world to recognize that "We have only one planet. We need it. And it needs us.
With the consumption needs of nearly 8 billion people around the world, the Earth has gradually become depleted of resources, heavily polluted environment, and destroyed the habitats of other animal species. Moreover, human beings indirectly suffer the consequences of natural disasters, droughts, and especially food and consumer goods becoming toxic due to farming practices, water sources, and climate change caused by human destruction.
Therefore, to protect "Our planet, our health", let's become smart, green consumers to ensure our health and protect the environment.
So what is green consumption?
Green consumption is the use and promotion of products that are environmentally friendly, safe for human health, and do not threaten the functions or diversity of natural ecosystems.
Green consumption is currently a trend among consumers worldwide and is seen as a standard in the production of products for human use. Consumers are now willing to pay more to own organic products that meet sustainable production standards.
What is considered a "green product" in the green consumption ecosystem?
A green product encompasses all products for human use in every industry such as food, cosmetics, household care, health care, and appliances, that are produced from natural and organic ingredients that have minimal impact on the environment and human health.
Organic products, or organic goods, are one of the typical green products. The production process of organic products ensures the use of five NOs: NO pesticides, NO chemical fertilizers, NO genetically modified components, NO herbicides. Moreover, most organic food production factories and farms use renewable energy to minimize air pollution and return nature to its original state.
Consuming organic products also brings many health benefits to humans. Certified organic products have a higher nutritional value of 15-20% and do not contain harmful ingredients for health compared to conventional products. They are produced through the most natural methods using clean and sustainable sources of land, water, air, and ingredients.
How to differentiate organic products from other products?
Organic products are those that have been strictly verified and certified as organic by reputable organic organizations around the world, such as USDA (US), EU (Europe), AB (France), JAS (Japan), KOS (Korea), and others. Products that are certified organic are not only evaluated initially, but they are also regularly checked to assess the organic level throughout the entire production process, from raw materials, water, land, air, to the production plant, processing, and packaging procedures. If any of these factors do not meet the organic standard, the final product will not be labeled as organic.
Therefore, if any product is claimed by a business to be organic or has organic-sourced ingredients, but the packaging of the product does not have a label certified by reputable organizations, then that product cannot be considered as organic.
Green consumption is not only about protecting the health of consumers and the "health" of the Earth, but also about how we protect our future generations.
