What is Organic?
There are many different interpretations or meanings of the word "Organic". My goal is not only to bring you the freshest and healthiest food possible but also to help educate you about food in general, so you can make more informed and better decisions for you and your family, whether you purchase from me or not.
For our purposes we will deal with the 3 different major types of farming in this country:
In conventional farming, chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers and intensive mass animal farming are common (Swift, the largest meat producer in the U.S. processes over 20,000 pigs per day at just one mid-west plant). Genetic engineering and cloning are also a part of conventional farming ideology/practices and are gaining in popularity.
What you must understand about conventional farming in this country is that it is dominated by major, global corporations. There is little to no regard for the well being of the planet or the plants or animals that are being raised. The focus is on the bottom line.
The only advantage of conventional food is price. It will always be cheaper than food grown on sustainable or organic farms because it is subsidized by huge Government contracts. In fact, if conventional farming was not subsidized, it would actually be more expensive than organic farming. It will not taste better, will not be as nutritious, and many times will be from different countries.
The question you must ask as a consumer, as a parent, as a person is this: Is there anything more important to your health, and your family's health, than what you put into your body?
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70% of the antibiotics used in the U.S. (approx. 24.6 million pounds annually) aren't used to treat humans; they're used in our food supply.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services have determined that of the 25 most commonly used agricultural pesticides:
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
It will shock and appall you, so please be prepared.
Some certified organic dairy farms, for example, raise cows in large confinement facilities but are able to meet the bare minimum requirements for organic certification, while a non-organic certified small farm could use organic guidelines and be self-sufficient by recycling all of the farm's waste to meet its fertility needs.
Traditionally, organic food production has certain characteristics, including:
Is grown or raised by a producer who uses practices in balance with the natural environment, using methods and materials that minimize negative impact on the environment. The organic/sustainable farmer is committed to replicating the ecology of the natural environment by maintaining biodiversity and fostering healthy soil and growing conditions.
Is produced on land that has been free of known and perceived toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years prior to certification, and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not used in production.
Is planted on a rotating basis within the farm system. Crops are rotated from field to field, rather than growing the same crop in the same place year after year (like conventional farming). Cover crops such as clover, buckwheat or rye are planted to add nutrients to the soil, protect the soil for the winter months, and prevent weeds.
Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that use organic feed or are grass fed, do not administer added hormones to promote growth or any antibiotics and allow animals the space and freedom to behave naturally.
After the USDA standards were implemented, all farmers describing their product as organic had to go through a national certification process involving a substantial fee and extensive record keeping.
This process was too costly and time consuming for many smaller organic producers, who instead of certifying their farm, stopped using the word organic. In many cases these farmers are using growing practices that meet or exceed organic standards, but are legally not allowed to refer to their product as "Certified Organic". Some grassroots certification labels now exist to provide farmers and consumers an alternative to using the term "Certified Organic" and going through the USDA certification process. It is important to check with your local farmer and ask them what their practices are. Often times they are not "Certified Organic" but they are actually performing at higher standards than large, industrialized organic farms.
To further distinguish between organic and sustainable, here are some comparisons:
Certification
Organic farms must be independently certified every year and approved by the USDA, while a farm using sustainable practices do not require any official certification. Organic is an actual certification; sustainable is more a philosophy or way of life. The best way to be sure about the growing practices is to ask the farmer. In this case, I have done the research and due diligence to ensure that you are getting the cleanest and best tasting foods available.
Animal Welfare
Organic farmers need to give animals "access" to outdoors, but they can actually confine animals and gain organic certification with as little as an open door leading to a cement patio. In recent years, on larger USDA certified organic farms, a system of semi-confinement has been implemented. In this case, animals can spend their entire life in housing, but are granted "access to the outdoors" through screened windows.
In a sustainable system (like our producers), animals must be permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, like rooting, pecking or grazing. A farmer using sustainable methods might keep his or her animals indoors in bad weather, but the animals are given ample space to move around naturally and are healthy, comfortable and well cared for.
Antibiotics
While no antibiotics can be fed to organic-certified livestock, there is no legal restriction for antibiotic use in sustainable farming. Many farmers using sustainable practices do not administer any antibiotics at all, but some may do so when their animals are sick and need to be treated. The milk and meat of animals given antibiotics on these farms are not used for human consumption until the antibiotics have fully passed out of the animal's system.
Artificial Hormones
No added or artificial hormones are allowed for organic farming, nor are they used for sustainable farming.
Corporate Involvement
Organic food can be produced by large corporations, while sustainable food production is carried out by small farmers and families who live on the land where they farm.
Size of the farm
For organic farming, there is no limitation on how many acres can be used to grow crops. Sustainable farmers plant crops in relatively small, mixed plots as a form of pest control and to build soil fertility.
Food Miles
Organic food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate, and certification does not take into consideration the use of fossil fuels used to truck food. Sustainable food, however, is distributed and sold as close to the farm as possible.
Although it's not obvious to consumers, large corporations own many popular organic food brands. For example, Silk soymilk and Horizon dairy products are produced by Dean Foods, the nation's largest milk producer.
Additionally, supermarket chains have now developed their own organic brands and are large players in the organic market. Since 2003, major chains such as Safeway and Kroger's have added organic lines. The corporate takeover of organic food is further encouraged by Wal-Mart (the number one food retailer in the country), as it recently expanded their organic food sales in spring 2006. While the impact of Wal-Mart's involvement in the organic food sector is still uncertain, corporate involvement in organic farming has raised questions.
Corporate-owned organic brands can push down the prices of organic products because they're willing to cut corners in the production process and share a smaller portion of their profits with the farmers. They'll confine dairy cows most of the year and sacrifice animal welfare, which allows them to sell their "organic" milk at low prices that small organic farms with higher standards can't match.
For our purposes we will deal with the 3 different major types of farming in this country:
- Conventional
- Sustainable/Organic
- Certified Organic
Conventional Farming
Conventional farming describes any farming not dedicated to alternative methods (sustainable or Organic). Fundamentally, it is the kind of farming which dominated the 20th century and which accounts for 95% or more of all farming today.In conventional farming, chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers and intensive mass animal farming are common (Swift, the largest meat producer in the U.S. processes over 20,000 pigs per day at just one mid-west plant). Genetic engineering and cloning are also a part of conventional farming ideology/practices and are gaining in popularity.
What you must understand about conventional farming in this country is that it is dominated by major, global corporations. There is little to no regard for the well being of the planet or the plants or animals that are being raised. The focus is on the bottom line.
The only advantage of conventional food is price. It will always be cheaper than food grown on sustainable or organic farms because it is subsidized by huge Government contracts. In fact, if conventional farming was not subsidized, it would actually be more expensive than organic farming. It will not taste better, will not be as nutritious, and many times will be from different countries.
The question you must ask as a consumer, as a parent, as a person is this: Is there anything more important to your health, and your family's health, than what you put into your body?
Some facts about conventional Farming
Pesticides
In America alone, the agriculture industry is estimated to use over 800 million pounds of conventional pesticides each year, and globally over 160 million tons of conventional fertilizer each year.Mono-cropping
This is especially common with corporate agri-businesses, which own large plots of land and specialize in a few cash crops. They grow these few crops season after season on the same piece of land. This depletes the soil of all nutri ents, which then must be filled with synthetic fertilizers to be able to sustain a new crop each year.Antibiotics
Antibiotics are commonly used to speed growth and fatten up animals in the meat and poultry industries, but some GMO fruits and vegetables also use them.According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70% of the antibiotics used in the U.S. (approx. 24.6 million pounds annually) aren't used to treat humans; they're used in our food supply.
Harmful residues
Pesticides may kill weeds and pests, but they also end up as residues on our food. In 1995 and again in 2002, the USDA found that of the 12 most commonly eaten produce items and wheat samples, 73%-90% were contaminated by pesticides, even after washing and peeling.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services have determined that of the 25 most commonly used agricultural pesticides:
- 5 are toxic to the nervous system.
- 18 are harmful to the skin, eyes and lungs.
- About half are comprised of cancer-causing chemicals.
- 17 cause genetic damage.
- 10 are harmful to reproductive organs.
- 6 disrupt normal functions of hormones.
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
It will shock and appall you, so please be prepared.
The Difference between Organic and Sustainable
It is important to distinguish between "Certified Organic" and "Sustainable/Organic", since organic products can be (unsustainably) produced on large organically certified industrial farms, and farms that are not certified organic can produce food using methods that will sustain the farm's productivity for generations and actually reach higher standards than some organically certified farms.Some certified organic dairy farms, for example, raise cows in large confinement facilities but are able to meet the bare minimum requirements for organic certification, while a non-organic certified small farm could use organic guidelines and be self-sufficient by recycling all of the farm's waste to meet its fertility needs.
Principles of organic
The philosophy of organic food production maintains certain principles: biodiversity, ecological balance, sustainability, natural plant fertilization, natural pest management, and soil integrity. Since farms vary in product and practice, there is also a wide variety in how these principles are applied.Traditionally, organic food production has certain characteristics, including:
Is grown or raised by a producer who uses practices in balance with the natural environment, using methods and materials that minimize negative impact on the environment. The organic/sustainable farmer is committed to replicating the ecology of the natural environment by maintaining biodiversity and fostering healthy soil and growing conditions.
Is produced on land that has been free of known and perceived toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years prior to certification, and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not used in production.
Is planted on a rotating basis within the farm system. Crops are rotated from field to field, rather than growing the same crop in the same place year after year (like conventional farming). Cover crops such as clover, buckwheat or rye are planted to add nutrients to the soil, protect the soil for the winter months, and prevent weeds.
Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that use organic feed or are grass fed, do not administer added hormones to promote growth or any antibiotics and allow animals the space and freedom to behave naturally.
Regulation
In October 2002, the production and marketing of organic food came under regulation by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program. The National Organic Standards Board, a federal advisory panel to the USDA for developing organic legislation, defines organic agriculture as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."After the USDA standards were implemented, all farmers describing their product as organic had to go through a national certification process involving a substantial fee and extensive record keeping.
This process was too costly and time consuming for many smaller organic producers, who instead of certifying their farm, stopped using the word organic. In many cases these farmers are using growing practices that meet or exceed organic standards, but are legally not allowed to refer to their product as "Certified Organic". Some grassroots certification labels now exist to provide farmers and consumers an alternative to using the term "Certified Organic" and going through the USDA certification process. It is important to check with your local farmer and ask them what their practices are. Often times they are not "Certified Organic" but they are actually performing at higher standards than large, industrialized organic farms.
To further distinguish between organic and sustainable, here are some comparisons:
Certification
Organic farms must be independently certified every year and approved by the USDA, while a farm using sustainable practices do not require any official certification. Organic is an actual certification; sustainable is more a philosophy or way of life. The best way to be sure about the growing practices is to ask the farmer. In this case, I have done the research and due diligence to ensure that you are getting the cleanest and best tasting foods available.
Animal Welfare
Organic farmers need to give animals "access" to outdoors, but they can actually confine animals and gain organic certification with as little as an open door leading to a cement patio. In recent years, on larger USDA certified organic farms, a system of semi-confinement has been implemented. In this case, animals can spend their entire life in housing, but are granted "access to the outdoors" through screened windows.
In a sustainable system (like our producers), animals must be permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, like rooting, pecking or grazing. A farmer using sustainable methods might keep his or her animals indoors in bad weather, but the animals are given ample space to move around naturally and are healthy, comfortable and well cared for.
Antibiotics
While no antibiotics can be fed to organic-certified livestock, there is no legal restriction for antibiotic use in sustainable farming. Many farmers using sustainable practices do not administer any antibiotics at all, but some may do so when their animals are sick and need to be treated. The milk and meat of animals given antibiotics on these farms are not used for human consumption until the antibiotics have fully passed out of the animal's system.
Artificial Hormones
No added or artificial hormones are allowed for organic farming, nor are they used for sustainable farming.
Corporate Involvement
Organic food can be produced by large corporations, while sustainable food production is carried out by small farmers and families who live on the land where they farm.
Size of the farm
For organic farming, there is no limitation on how many acres can be used to grow crops. Sustainable farmers plant crops in relatively small, mixed plots as a form of pest control and to build soil fertility.
Food Miles
Organic food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate, and certification does not take into consideration the use of fossil fuels used to truck food. Sustainable food, however, is distributed and sold as close to the farm as possible.
Corporate Takeover
Organic agriculture is becoming more popular because consumers are demanding healthful and environmentally-friendly food. This shift in consumer behavior is good news, but unfortunately, increased demand for organic foods has attracted large agribusiness corporations that intend to profit from the trend.Although it's not obvious to consumers, large corporations own many popular organic food brands. For example, Silk soymilk and Horizon dairy products are produced by Dean Foods, the nation's largest milk producer.
Additionally, supermarket chains have now developed their own organic brands and are large players in the organic market. Since 2003, major chains such as Safeway and Kroger's have added organic lines. The corporate takeover of organic food is further encouraged by Wal-Mart (the number one food retailer in the country), as it recently expanded their organic food sales in spring 2006. While the impact of Wal-Mart's involvement in the organic food sector is still uncertain, corporate involvement in organic farming has raised questions.
Corporate-owned organic brands can push down the prices of organic products because they're willing to cut corners in the production process and share a smaller portion of their profits with the farmers. They'll confine dairy cows most of the year and sacrifice animal welfare, which allows them to sell their "organic" milk at low prices that small organic farms with higher standards can't match.
What You Can Do
The organic label is a useful tool when you're shopping in a conventional grocery store, because it helps you find food free of pesticides, antibiotics and artificial hormones. But don't go by the label alone! The best thing to do is BUY LOCAL. This means buying vegetables and meats that are in season and produced no more than 100 miles away. You are supporting your local economy, protecting the environment, conserving fuel, and most of all, getting fresh, delicious and nutritious food.Did You Know?
- Mass market channels (supermarkets, wholesale clubs, and specialty chains) accounted for 46% of all organic foods sold in the US in 2005.
- U.S. sales of organic products were $15.7 billion in 2005-nearly 2.5 percent of total food sales.
- According to the USDA, consumer demand for organic agricultural products has increased steadily in the U.S., rising 20 percent or more annually throughout the 1990's.
- A 22-year study conducted by the Rodale Institute determined that organic farming operations use 30% less energy than conventional farms.
- Between 1997 and 2003, U.S. farmers and ranchers increased the amount of certified organic farmland for crops and livestock by nearly one million acres.
- The year 2005 was the first time all 50 U.S. states contained some certified organic farmland.
- In 2005, over 4.0 million acres of farmland - 1.7 million acres of cropland and 2.3 million acres of rangeland and pasture - were dedicated to organic food production.
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