About Us
About Us
The first seeds of Alishan Organic Center were sown here in Saitama around Jack and Fay’s kitchen table more than twenty years back now. We import organic and vegetarian foods from different parts of the world.
The Alishan Organic Center was built with the vision of housing not only mail order and wholesale branches, but and Organic Cafe and an Organic Event Space for grass roots activities, shows and events.
Why Koma?
Komahongo, where the AOC is located, is a beautiful area in the foothills of the Chichibu mountains. Just an hour from Tokyo it offers a chance to escape city life without being impossibly remote.
Why Vegetarian?
Vegetables are delicious! Eating a plant based diet is good for you, good for the environment and good for society as a whole. The production of meat is a cruel business, largely hidden from the average consumer.
Studying zoology and veterinary science though has taught Jack that this is not a practice he wishes to support. A vegetarian himself he firmly believes good food is the basis for a happy and healthy life.
Why Support Organic Farming?
Care Of The Soil
Conventional farms rely on Insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers to produce large crops. Soil is a living thing; the microorganisms, animals and insects it supports are essential for good fertililty but are killed off with intensive farming. We support organic farms which tend their soil as lovingly as their crops, knowing, as we do, that it is the basis of sustainable agriculture.
Protect Water Supply
Whereas conventional farming leaves high levels of chemical residue in the soil, which is washed down into rivers and streams to pollute the water table, organic farming works to protect the water supply. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) discovered pesticides in the groundwater of 40 countries, a sign of the spread of chemical pollution.
Support Small Farms
Organic farming supports family farms and small scale agriculture.
When these farms join together they can create a community strong enough to take on large companies that currently dominate the food industry.
Make A Difference
Small scale farming allows people to create change through introducing new species, crop rotation and new technology.
Protect People
Conventional farming can use highly toxic chemicals, damaging the health of the farmers as well as the consumer. We support organic farmers who protect their own health and pass on those health benefits to the people who buy their produce. We want to protect the health of the world as a whole which is why we stand behind organic agriculture.
Reliability
‘Organic’ is now a standard term and cannot be used without supporting documentation registered with a governmental agency. A product cannot be labelled organic unless a government agency has found it to be free of herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or fungicides through production, post-harvest processing and distribution.