So What Exactly Does “Organic” Mean?
September 2nd, 2010 by Ryan
Organic?
Now and days you see “Organic” on EVERYTHING! My Mother and I were just having a conversation on what the differences are between an Organic Cotton and a Non-Organic Cotton. As I was trying to explain the differences to my Mother I began to think about a informative blog post i could put up for our readers.
First off i would like to start off with some definitions of “Organic” which will be supplied by many different reputable sources.
Second I will go into how i explained it to my mother. Hopefully my mom now understands and hopefully my explanation will be able to clear things up for you all.
The following definition of “organic” was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL.
“Organic agriculture is 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.
‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.
Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.
Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.”
Organic Crops
This second definition comes from the oh so fun and interesting wikipedia:
Organic foods are made in a way that limits the use of synthetic materials during production. For the vast majority of human history, agriculture can be described as organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new synthetic chemicals introduced to the food supply. This more recent style of production is referred to as “conventional.” Under organic production, the use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is greatly restricted and saved as a last resort. However, contrary to popular belief, certain non-organic fertilizers are still used. If livestock are involved, they must be reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones, and generally fed a healthy diet. In most countries, organic produce may not be genetically modified. It has been suggested that the application of nanotechnology to food and agriculture is a further technology that needs to be excluded from certified organic food. The Soil Association (UK) has been the first organic certifier to implement a nano-exclusion.
Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as “organic” within their borders. Most certifications allow some chemicals and pesticides to be used, so consumers should be aware of the standards for qualifying as “organic” in their respective locales.
Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run operations, which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers’ markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food production has had growth rates of around 20% a year, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 1–2% of food sales worldwide.
Now the way that i explained it to my mother was: ” Ok mom… Organic plants, Organic fruits, and Organic products area grown and produced without the means of toxic chemicals or growth stimulants or growth suppressants. What that means is that farmers and producers harness Mother Nature’s natural resources protect, nurture, and process these organic products. One example, since we were talking about organic cotton, would be how they alternate the rows of cotton with rows of fruit. They alternate the rows of cotton and fruit so that the pests that would normall eat the cotton away will focus on the fresh fruits growing in between the crops. This allows them to not have to spray and use pesticides on the cotton rendering it Non-Organic. ”
After that my mother asked me ” Well why are organic products so much more expensive than non-organic products? ” My simple answer to that question refereed back to the Organic Cotton Fields and went like this: ” Well mom… Since they alternate their rows of cotton and fruit they are 1. not producing as much cotton as a farm that had ever single row cotton and 2. since they are not relying on pesticides they still do have losses of crops due to infestation. Because of those 2 facts you have to understand that there is a lot less product harvested for the same or even more amount of labor envolved with that specific crop. In turn prices go up due to the lowered harvest output and increased labor and loss.”
I hope this break down helped you get a better understanding of the whole “Organic” term and lifestyle.
And on a lighter note… I find it funny how as I get older the role of Questioner and Answerer gets flip flopped between parent and child. Who knows maybe my mom will have me tying her shoes sometime in the near future. Just kidding Mom! I Love you.
