Organic and Certified Organic

[Guest guest]

What it means to be Certified Organic

The most frequently asked question we get from consumers is " what does it

mean to be certified organic? "

Organic farming is a process which prohibits the use of synthetic

fertilizers, pesticides or chemicals in growing crops. Instead, it uses

beneficial naturally-occurring materials, in conjunction with proper soil

and crop management practices, to develop and protect optimal soil health

and crop ecology. Simply put, organic farming results in safer products for

you, your family and the environment.

In order to be legally organic a grower must comply with the rules and

regulations set by a private or state-certified agency. Each agency varies

slightly on what inputs the grower is allowed to use for organic

certification. To help standardize the organic industry, the USDA has

recently passed national organic standards for all organizations to follow.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was formed to draft standards

for the USDA. The NOSB is comprised of organic industry representatives

ranging from growers and scientists to retailers.

Organic certification consists of a written application showing an organic

farm management system, a history of management practices used on the farm

for the previous three years, along with soil tests, crop plans, field

history sheets, and other records which show an organic plan has or will be

followed. Also a sworn and notarized affidavit is required verifying that

all information is accurate, true, and complete, and that the grower intends

to adhere to standards for the twelve-month certification period.

What is " organic " food?

According to the USDA, " Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize

the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to

enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry,

eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or

growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional

pesticides; petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers;

bio-engineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled

organic, a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is

grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet

USDA organic standards. "

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

There is growing concern in the scientific community regarding the subtle

ways in which small doses of pesticides affect people, especially during

critical periods of fetal development and childhood when they can have long

lasting adverse effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are

worrisome, not well understood or in some cases completely unstudied,

shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Organic

1. Protect Future Generations

" We have not inherited the Earth from our fathers, we are borrowing it from

our children " - Lester Brown

The average child receives four times more exposure than an adult to at

least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. The food choices

you make now will impact your child's health in the future. Protect future

generations-buy organic food.

2. Prevent Soil Erosion

The Soil Conservation service estimated that more than 3 billion tons of

topsoil are eroded from United States croplands each year. This means that

it is being built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in

organic farming. But in some conventional farming the soil is used more as a

medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically

fertilized. As a result, American farms are suffering from the worst soil

erosion in history. Prevent soil erosion sbuy organic food.

3. Protect Water Quality

Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three-fourths of the

planet. Despite its importance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

estimated pesticides some cancer causing-contaminate the ground water in 38

states. Polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half

the country's population. Protect water quality-buy organic food.

4. Save Energy

American farms have changed drastically in the last three generations, from

family-based small businesses dependent on human energy to large-scale

factory farms highly dependent on fossil fuels. Modern farming uses more

petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the county

s total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce fertilizers than

to till, cultivate and harvest all the crops in the Unites States. Organic

farming is still mainly based on labor intensive practices such as weeding

by hand and using green manure and crop covers rather than synthetic

fertilizers to build up soil. Organic produce also tends to travel fewer

miles from field to table. Save energy-buy organic food.

5. Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate

Many pesticides approved for use by the EPA were registered long before

extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases had

been established. Now the EPA considers that 60 percent of all herbicides.

90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides are

carcinogenic. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that

pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans

over their lifetimes. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons

designed to kill living organisms and can also be harmful to humans. In

addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage

and genetic mutations. Keep chemicals off your plate-buy organic food.

6. Protect Farm Worker Health

A National Cancer Institute Study found that farmers exposed to herbicides

had a six times greater risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In

California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an

average of 14 percent a year since 1973 and doubled between 1975 and 1985.

Field workers suffer the highest risk of occupational illnesses in the state

Farm worker health is also a serious problem in developing nations, where

pesticide use can be poorly regulated. An estimated 1 million people are

poisoned annually by pesticides. Protect farm workers buy organic food.

7. Help Small Farmers

Although more and more large farms are making the conversion to organic

practices, most organic farms are small independently owned and operated

family farms of less than 100 acres. It is estimated that the Unites States

has lost more 650,000 family farms in the past decade. And with the U.S.

Department of Agriculture predicting that half the country's farm protection

will come from 1 percent of farms by the year 2000, organic farming could be

one of the few survival tactics left for many family farms. Help small

farmers buy organic food.

8. Support a True Economy

Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods;

conventional food prices do not reflect hidden costs borne by tax payers,

including nearly $74 billion on federal subsidies in 1988. Other hidden

costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and

clean-up and environmental damage. Author Null says " Ifayou add in the

real environment and social costs of irrigation to a head of lettuce, its

price can range between $2 and $3 " . Support a true economy-buy organic food.

9. Promote Bio-diversity

Mono-cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same

crop year after year. While this approach tripled farm production between

1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil

lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. To replace the nutrients,

chemical fertilizers are used, often in increasing amounts. Single crops are

also much more susceptible to pests, making farmers more reliant on

pesticides. Despite a ten-fold increase in the use of pesticides between

1947 and 1974, crop losses due to insects have doubled partly because some

insects have become genetically resistant to certain pesticides. Promote

bio-diversity buy organic food.

10. Better Flavor

There's a good reason why many chefs use organic foods in their recipes they

taster better! Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil,

which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and, ultimately, our

palates. Taste better flavor sbuy organic food.

Source: Sylvia Tawse, public relations manager for the Organic Trade

Association

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