From pesticide-free wheat and rice to organic fruits and vegetables to free-range eggs, there's a new trend in town where Pakistanis are saying no to hormone- pumped food and instead are choosing to embrace the natural way of life.
As more and more Pakistanis opt to choose what they want on their plates, a new lifestyle seems to be emerging. That where hormone-pumped meat and vegetables have no place.
Take for example Khalis Food Market, the first organic market in Pakistan that has made its mark in Lahore already.
Partners Rizwan Naeem and Asma Shah ensure that each produce that is a part of this monthly market is at least natural if not organic.
Not only do they visit each farm that wants to be a part of their market, they also sample each produce to ensure they pass the taste test.
"We began Khalis Food Market in August this year because we found that people like us wanted to eat healthy and there was nothing that could really bring everything under one roof," Rizwan Naeem told PTI.
"We also found out that there were three kinds of people who were going organic - small farmers who knew the damage that pesticides were doing to them, people who had lived abroad and knew what organic food meant and thirdly, the civil society and trend makers who want to see this segment serge," he adds.
Today Khalis Market has a network of over 120 farmers and are in the process of expanding their business cross country.
Products from well-known natural and organic labels such as N'eco's (Karachi-based), Dali (Lahore-based) and Isloo Fresh (Islamabad-based) have all become a part of this food culture.
In Islamabad, the weekly Farmer's market at Kuch Khaas, which is now into its fourth week, draws crowd from across towns with people driving down from neighbourhood city Rawalpindi as well.
Organic milk, fresh herbs and vegetables, pesticide-free wheat, artisanal cheese and a whole range of home-made preserves are paving way for a sure-shot new culture.
"The idea formed when we realised more and more people asked us about organic food. So we decided to bridge the gap and start a platform," Tulin Khalid-Azim, manager projects Kuch Khaas to PTI.
"But as each week progresses we can see how more and more people are coming back for more and that is something quite special".
