Organic or hydroponic?

People who want to buy organic vegetables should be careful as they might mistakenly pick up hydroponic ones, which are widely available here.

"I thought that they are organic vegetables. But I don't mind as I believe that these vegetables are healthy enough," said Maria, a resident of Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta when shopping at Ratu Plaza's Carrefour on Tuesday.

It is not only Maria who mistakenly thought that hydroponic vegetables were the same as organic vegetables.

A number of employees at the fruit and vegetable division in several outlets pointed at the hydroponic vegetables when asked about organic vegetables.

While organic vegetables ares planted without using pesticides and other chemical fertilizers, hydroponic vegetable still uses chemical fertilizers to help it grow well.

Although some producers of hydroponic vegetables claimed in the package that their products are pesticides free, Fetri Mayandi of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) warned that chemical fertilizers contains pesticides and lead.

"Therefore, if the plants still use chemical fertilizer, their products are not totally pesticide free," Fetri told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Unlike organic vegetables, hydroponic vegetables are available in many supermarkets like Hero, Sogo, Carrefour, Alfa, Ranch Market and Kem Chicks. While organic vegetables are only sold at Ranch Market Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.

The hydroponic vegetables are sold under various brand names like Amazing Farm, Smart Farm, Winz Farm, Aeroponic Vegetable and Kapri Farm. -- JP