What does “Organic” mean?

   Every field of knowledge  has its own jargon- words that have very specific meanings to those in the know, but are confusing or misleading to everyone else. As we start into the growing season, I’d like to take the opportunity to explain some words we hear often in news and discussions about food. This episode’s word is “organic”.

    In common usage, most folks understand “organic” to mean food produced without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics. And that is how it started out- primarily as a reaction against the rapid mechanization and chemically-intensive changes in agriculture after the Second World War. It was an ad-hoc partnership of consumers and producers- a free market phenomenon. But in the year 2000, in a stunning act of governmental hubris, the USDA co-opted that word when it set itself up as the sole authority on what the organic standards would be. Today, “organic” has a very specific meaning- it means that the food producer is participating in the USDA’s National Organic Program, with all the paperwork, regulations, and bureaucratic requirements one would expect from a federal program. A farmer could follow every growing protocol of the National Organic Program, but unless he or she jumps through all of the USDA’s bureaucratic hoops, that farmer could not call his or her product organic, under penalty of law.

   Large-scale agribusiness corporations, seeing a growing and lucrative market, wanted to join in, but couldn’t match the level of craftsmanship and skilled labor intensity required. After the government seized control, the big boys were able to pressure the USDA to relax the standards to allow them to participate. Today, most of the Organic brands sold nationwide in stores are wholly owned subsidiaries of huge conventional agribusiness giants.

   So, is there any benefit to buying Certified Organic when you go to the supermarket?  If your primary concern is the effects of agricultural chemicals on your body and the environment, then probably yes. However, just because the item is certified organic does not mean for sure that it was produced in an environmentally sound way, or in a way that respects human rights, or ( in the case of livestock ) a humane way. If you are concerned about “food miles” ( the distance food must travel from where it is produced to where it is consumed ), then that is also a separate issue.

   Our farm’s decision was to not seek to be Certified Organic by the USDA. While there are many excellent farmers who choose to do so, it wasn’t right for us. On a personal level, I don’t like dealing with government bureaucracy, and so I didn’t want to make every day of my life a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles, so to speak. We strongly believe in the the original goals of the organic movement- producing healthy food and being good stewards of the environment. We chose instead to be certified by a non-governmental, grassroots alternative- Certified Naturally Grown. It has the same growing requirements as the National Organic Program, without the compromises, red tape, and expense of the USDA.

   While third-party inspection has its place, we prefer “first party” inspection- done directly by our customers. We welcome people to come to our farm and see what goes on- and answering their questions. Most small-scale, natural farmers have the same open-door policy- the natural result of people who do the right thing and are proud of it.   What issues are you concerned about- chemical residues, environmental protection, food miles, food justice, local economics, flavor and nutrition, more variety? Meet and talk with your local farmers- odds are you’ll find a few that are a great fit for you. And if you can’t find that farmer, consider becoming one!