IS organically-grown food simply an over-priced fad? Or, is it the way forward for a happy healthier lifestyle for all of us?

Here, Frank Elson looks at the pros and cons, and explains how several local bodies are supporting the move to organic food.

THE jury is still out on whether organically grown food is better for you than chemically processed.

Depending on which chemist you talk to, organically grown food can either be the best thing since (organically-grown) sliced bread or germ-laden and prone to rotting before you get to eat it.

However, Britain's shoppers are turning to "naturally" grown foods -- basically grown and prepared for the table without the use of chemicals -- more and more.

And Bolton's shoppers are no different.

The town's supermarkets are being asked -- and increasingly meeting the demand for -- organic foods despite the fact that it usually costs slightly more.

Bolton's own bread-maker, Warburtons, is one company that has reacted to the public demand.

A spokesman explained: "Bread made from organically grown ingredients is more expensive to produce.

"But we absorb more of that cost and take less profit on it so that the consumer can enjoy the healthier option."

Shoppers have been won over to organically grown foods after concerns about the cruelty of factory-farming, crops produced with chemicals and other food safety issues like BSE, e.coli and salmonella.

Stuart Davy, general manager of Bolton's Asda store said: "We have increased our range of organic foods, everything from bread to groceries, we would not have done that if we didn't think there was a market to cater for.

"At the moment we are being asked for organic food more and more."

Mr Davy was unable to say what percentage of organic food sold in his store is imported.

This is the other problem apart from cost.

At the moment around 85 per cent of organic food sold in Britain is imported. This worries some supporters of organic farming who claim that other countries do not have the same standards as the UK for growing organic food.

The Government is hoping to change this situation and is preparing an "Organic Targets Bill" which aims to make 30 per cent of Britain's farmland organic -- at present just 2.5 per cent is farmed organically.

Bolton MP David Crausby is an enthusiastic supporter of organic farming. He supports Friends of the Earth in a campaign for improved organic farming conditions.

Mr Crausby said: "The aim is to try to make organic food more affordable because it is quite expensive at the moment.

"I eat organic food myself and my wife has banned me from ever eating sausages again!

"In the light of the BSE crisis we all need to be much more careful about what we're eating."

Bolton Friends of the Earth co-ordinator, Phil Newsham, said: "We want the Government to put more money into organic farming because more people are likely to buy organic food if it is cheaper instead of being imported into this country."

Another of the large supermarket chains, Tesco, is also an enthusiastic supporter of both British products and organically grown food.

A spokesman for the company said: "We have well over 1,000 lines of organics these days, although I am sorry to say that around 80 per cent of them are imported simply because demand exceeds supply. It is a constant frustration to us that we have to go abroad for these products because it is our policy to source our produce from Britain wherever possible."

Tesco is, in fact, helping by funding the Centre for Organic Research at Newcastle University to the tune of around half a million pounds per year.

The spokesman added: "The research project is aimed at developing new processes to encourage farmers to go over to organic farming.

"When it is complete we intend to share the findings with all farmers, not just our own suppliers."

There is more to organic food than buying it from a shop or market stall of course. And a very practical way of ensuring that the organic food you eat is not imported.

You grow your own.

Locally, the Bolton Gathering of Organic Growers (BGOG) was able to build a creche out of £3,000 it won for its efforts in promoting healthy eating in the town.

BGOG was among 10 groups out of 300 rival projects to win the North-west NHS Challenge Awards.

The group has allotments across Bolton and helps around 200 gardeners grow organic food. To find out more, ring Jenny Hall on 01204 361847.