ORGANICS 101

ORGANICS 101

As I move through my day-to-day duties working in a natural foods store, it has come to my attention that many people are adamant about buying organic food, and don’t really have a good understanding of what the USDA legal definition of “Organic” means. I would like to help de-mystify this.

Organic Food, by USDA definition, must meet certain qualifications and be certified by 3rd party accredited certifier to be sold under the term “organic.”

Here are the standards that food must meet in the US for it to be certified Organic:
Crops grown without the use of residual pesticides, fungisides, or herbicides, and no chemical/synthetic fertilizers.

No GMO (genetically modified organisms) seeds or ingredients

No sewage sludge used on crops.

Farming/ranches practices that are sustainable.

Animals fed organic feed.

Animals raised without the use of synthetic growth hormones & antibiotics, with humane treatment. (additional standards for animals will be put in place in 2011)

Farm/ranch/facility must keep records and logs, and have an Organic Plan.

Must be certified annually.

For more specific info, check out the USDA’s website here: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Organic/

People buy organic for various reasons. Some do not want pesticides on their food, while others are concerned about the environmental impact from conventional farming. Some folks just feel organic food “tastes better.” I am pretty creeped out by GMO’s, so that is my main reason, combined with environmental impact.

But getting certified to be organic can be a huge cost burden on a small farm or ranch, so some alternatives are popping up. Check out Certified Naturally Grown , “a non-profit alternative certification program tailored for small-scale, direct-market farmers using natural methods.”

Organic food is typically more expensive than conventional, because it is much more labor intensive for the grower. The cost of certification also increases the price as well.
If you are passionate about buying organic, but are concerned about the price, it might benefit you to find a local farmer’s market in your area and shop there. The prices are lower because the farmer is selling directly to the consumer. If you can get out of the city a bit and go to a more rural farmer's market or farmstand, the prices will be even lower. Transportation is a huge cost to farmers trekking into the city to sell food.

You may also be interested in joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. CSA's work in several ways, but basically you purchase a "share" of food from a farm (or collective of farms) that is delievered to a pick up area near you. Some CSA's let you choose what you want to buy, and with others you get whatever they have available. In my experience, most CSA's can be pretty costly, and I find farmer's markets to be cheaper. But I know plenty of folks who LOVE CSA's, so check it out.

Let me know if you have any questions!