What’s the Confusion with Organic?

"If people really understood the connection of environmental damage to their own lives, they would be much more motivated to preserve and protect the environment." --Dr. Eric Chivian, director of Harvard’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, in Veterinary World, Spring 1999.

Organic, per the chemistry book, refers to chemical compounds that contain carbon. Organic farming, however, was a term coined by Lord Northbourne in his book Look to the Land, published in 1940 as he saw the “farm as an organism,” “a living whole”.

The organic movement was born in the early 1900s as a response to the introduction of industrial agriculture and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In 1972, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was created in Versailles, France as an umbrella and a guide for member organizations, nowadays representing 108 countries.

Since 2002, the National Organic Program (NOP) under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. It also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards.

“Organic” refers not only to the food itself, but also to how it was produced. Foods labeled organic must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity. Crops must be grown without using synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic foods may not be irradiated.

An organic farm needs to be free of chemicals for at least three years, keep detailed records of its production and sales, make sure that organic products don’t come in contact with non-organic ones, and pass mandatory inspections.

Organic and Natural are NOT the same

The term “natural” is not regulated except for meat and poultry. It applies broadly to foods that are minimally processed and free of synthetic preservatives; artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other artificial additives; hydrogenated oils; stabilizers; and emulsifiers. Most foods labeled natural are not subject to government controls beyond the regulations and health codes that apply to all foods.

When you buy organic foods, look for the “USDA Organic” label

Only foods in the categories “100% organic” and “organic” may display the USDA Organic Seal. Foods with varying levels of organic ingredients may be labeled as follows:

• “100% organic” - single ingredient such as a fruit, vegetable, meat, milk and cheese (excludes water and salt).

• “Organic” - multiple ingredient foods which are 95 to 100% organic.

• “Made with organic ingredients” - 70% of the ingredients are organic. Can appear on the front of package, naming the specific ingredients.

• “Contains organic ingredients” - contains less than 70% organic ingredients.

Organic: Better for You, Better for the People, Better for the Planet

• Better for You:

  • Growing crops in healthy soils results in food products that offer healthy nutrients. There is mounting evidence that organically grown fruits, vegetables and grains may offer more of some nutrients, including vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and less exposure to nitrates and pesticide residues than their counterparts grown using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic foods are higher in antioxidants, and organic cows grazing on fresh pasture produce milk with higher levels of beneficial fatty acids.

  • Because U.S. national organic standards and industry practices do not allow the use of genetic engineering in the production and processing of organic products, organic agriculture gives consumers who wish to avoid genetically modified foods a choice in the marketplace.

  • Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with health consequences, from asthma to cancer. Because organic agriculture doesn’t use toxic and persistent pesticides, choosing organic products is an easy way to help protect yourself.

• Better for the People:

  • A United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization conference in Rome, Italy, in May 2007, reported that a large-scale shift to organic agriculture could help fight world hunger and bring environmental improvements.

  • If an antibiotic is used to restore an animal to health, that animal cannot be used for organic production or be sold, labeled or represented as organic. Thus, organic practices avoid the abuse of antibiotics that could have profound consequences for treatment of disease in humans, including the serious dangers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• Better for the Planet:

  • Because organic agriculture respects the balance of microorganisms in the soil, organic producers use composted manure and other natural materials, as well as crop rotation, to help improve soil fertility, rather than petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers that can result in an overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorous in the ground. As a result, organic practices help protect ground water supplies and avoid runoff of chemicals that can cause "dead zones" in larger bodies of water.

  • Because organic practices help safeguard the environment and protect habitats, organic production conserves and promotes species diversity.