62,000+ different types of harmful chemicals are used in daily essential products, which in the long run poison the body slowly, steadily and surely.

By Saikat Mitra

Visit ORGANIC SHOP by Pure & Eco India

The human mind’s ability to adapt to a situation is greater than the body. Particularly in India where every sin­gle day we live in an ecosystem where food adulteration, constant stress and anxiety, exposure to polluted environment and toxins, using personal care products with harmful chemicals is not considered a big deal.

As a result, all the harmful chemicals used in various daily essential products, together with the toxins in the environment, poison the body slowly, steadily and surely. The truth is that the capitalism market does not care about it and the modern medical system has failed to shield us from most of the critical diseases. Moreover, the authorities have failed to provide us with a healthy life and safe environment to live in. We need to understand that most of the critical dis­eases have resulted in an extremely profitable industry for the medical fraternity. My intention is not to create a sense of fear among us—however, we need to acknowledge that the symptoms we are experiencing are the signs that are telling us about the impending future.

“Environment is available around us with the sole purpose of enabling us to live a healthy life. Healthy Living brings happiness and lets us do great things”

We must ask ourselves if we are living a healthy life! We need to find an answer to this very honestly. And all will find the same answer that we are not living a healthy life. How can we live a healthy life when all the three primary sources of life—AIR, WATER and SOIL—are being pol­luted in an uncontrolled manner? “Environment is available around us with the sole purpose of enabling us to live a healthy life. Healthy Living brings happiness and lets us do great things,” as stated by Saikat Mitra, Operations Head, Earthen Store.

If you notice closely, pollution causes so many diseases and medical science has apparently failed to explain the root cause of most of the critical illnesses like cancer, mental dis­ability, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, acute lower respiratory infections in children, chronic kidney diseases, hypertensive heart dis­order, neurological impairments, arthritis and many more.

However, the noticeable fact is that the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry has witnessed a robust growth over the past few years. In the year 1990, its turnover was approximately US$ 1 bil­lion and in 2015, it was about US$ 30 billion. Being a highly organized sector, the Indian Pharmaceutical market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 23.9% to reach US$ 55 billion by 2020.

The point here is that pollution is increasing and human health is in danger like never before. And the growth of the Pharmaceutical Industry points to this fact.

In recent years, sales of organic and natural products have begun to thrive as consumers have educated themselves about the benefits associated with Organic and Natural products. However, the proof regarding the dangers of non-organic products is largely inconclusive because of various reasons, but that hasn’t affected the demand for more Organic and Natural products. People are looking continuously for organic and natural solutions, food free from harmful pes­ticides, less environment polluting garments, chemical free personal care and many more such products. The Organic Food Market in India is pro­jected to register growth at a CAGR of over 25% during 2015-20 and the personal care market in India is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.27% in 2017-2022.

We must understand, if we are not conscious buyers, we will create another opportunity for capitalist dealers by buying unethical, non-sus­tainable and ill-treated products. Unknowingly, by buying such products without thinking, we will add to environmental pollution and hazards. At an individual level, we may have long-term side effects.

Being a conscious buyer, you must know what you are buying; how the raw materials are used in the product or how the ingredients are being sourced; who sourced them and how it is produced.

The author is Operations Head at Earthen Store.