What makes food certified organic

And this is not the only setback for true organic animal husbandry. This would have seemed fairly elemental at one time. Another strongly protested amendment to the National Organic Program that recently came to pass is the use of hydroponics. Growth in isolation in massive hydroponic operations means no enhancing of the natural environment through soil building, carbon sequestering or other elements held dear by many in organic agriculture.

However, European hydroponic producers who use approved organic inputs will still be able to export their produce to the U. Maybe yes, maybe no. Not all organic certifiers have the same motives, values or aims.

In some cases, multi-million-dollar business enterprises the certifiers are now certifying multi-billion-dollar corporate agribusinesses the farms. And the USDA has allowed the interpretation of organic regulations to be left to the certifier, some of whom are very understanding about the difficulties of maintaining an organic operation on such a large scale.

They aim to tell us which organizations are certifying operations that are authentically organic and which are giving true organic farmers unfair competition and organic consumers essentially fraudulent products by certifying agribusiness operations and enabling them to possess the Certified Organic label. Additionally, the Organic Farmers Association OFA, membership of Certified Organic farmers only and the National Organic Coalition NOC are both voicing the concerns, on a national level, of those involved in organic agriculture — concerns ranging from organic integrity to the ability of farmers to maintain their livelihoods.

And the Real Organic Project, whose mission is to inform the public on true organic farming values and practices, is working to create an add-on label for Certified Organic to help with transparency. These days, there is an ever-growing number of certification programs available to farmers.

With a seal of certification, your customers can know at once what your brand of farming stands for. For a farm operation to be Certified Organic, it must avoid synthetic chemical inputs such as synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides , sewage sludge as a fertilizer and genetically modified GMO seed.

Farmland must have been free of these synthetic chemicals for generally three years prior to certification. There are a number of practices advocated in organic farming, including crop rotation and the accompanying use of farm maps, the use of cover crops and green manures, intercropping and companion planting, management that decreases the use of and dependence on fossil fuels, the fostering of natural predators to control insect populations, and more. Soil and water quality have always been important in organic agriculture, and its practitioners stress soil-building practices, erosion prevention and well-timed fertilization.

There has also been an increasing emphasis on carbon sequestration and the farming practices that encourage this, especially since , as these mechanisms are becoming better understood. But what about meat? In order to be labeled as organic , the USDA requires that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors like the ability to graze on pasture , fed percent organic feed and forage and not administered antibiotics or hormones.

If that seems like not a lot of money for a big business, it should: The low penalties and high volume of organic products flooding the markets have led to skepticism that the USDA is properly enforcing the label , whether through inspecting foods or punishing violators. Still, when you buy organic goods at most stores and from most known brands, you can be largely reassured they meet these guidelines.

For example, here are the organic regulations in the European Union. There are more considerations than just the price tag and the nutritional content. The Annals of Internal Medicine study found that organic foods have no substantial vitamin or mineral advantage save phosphorous, which is in high abundance in human diets anyway over foods that are conventionally grown.

The study concluded:. The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study has been hotly debated , and some outlets say the added-cost of organics is wasted money. Marcario and collaborators like Dr. While Dr. Twenty-one farms and brands of 80 that applied — including Patagonia Provisions and Dr. Marcario expects the ROC certification label to appear on the grocery shelf in early Advocates say certifications, no matter how imperfect, are still the best tool for quickly conveying value to a consumer and leveling the playing field for honest farmers — especially when selling not at a local farmers market, but into a growing global market.

Lisa Elaine Held is a journalist based in New York City who covers the intersection of food, health, and sustainability. Keith Carter is an illustrator and designer living in Portland, Oregon. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

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Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. Animals are also not fed any growth-regulating drugs, steroids, hormones or antibiotics. However, the animals may be treated with vaccines to prevent disease. Organic farming is also concerned with protecting the environment and working in harmony with existing ecosystems — including conserving water, soil and energy, and using renewable resources and natural farming cycles.

Traditional farming methods are often used, such as rotating crops to prevent nutrient depletion in soil and integrating crops and livestock.

Organic foods are not necessarily completely chemical free. They may be grown on land not previously used for organic food production and, therefore, might contain chemical residues. However, the pesticide residues in organic food are considerably lower than those found in conventional farming — where foods are produced with synthetic chemicals. The Australian organic food industry is booming. It is estimated that more than six out of every ten Australian households now buy organic foods on occasion.

Popular products include fruit and vegetables, beef, non-alcoholic drinks, nuts and ready to eat foods. Most people buy organically-grown food products because they are concerned about pesticides, additives , antibiotics or other chemical residues and believe organic food is healthier. Other reasons include — concerns with the impact of conventional farming on biodiversity and the environment, and the ethical treatment of livestock.

Several studies have compared the nutritional content of organic and conventionally grown plants, and most have shown no significant differences in key vitamin and mineral content. Although the differences are small — research has shown that some organic food has:. Organic foods promote more humane treatment of animals, as well as providing meat that is free from hormones and antibiotics.

Also, some people worry about the long-term health, economic and environmental consequences of GM foods and choose organic foods in support of an industry that does not use GM techniques. Organic foods promote healthier and more sustainable use of natural resources. Modern conventional farming methods include excessive use of chemicals and planting only one crop multiple times monocropping.

This has led to a decline in soil fertility, and an increase in salinity and blue-green algae in waterways over many years. Organic farmers try to minimise damage to the environment by diversifying their crops, using physical weed control, and animal and green manure. Organic food is often more expensive than conventionally produced food.

This is because organic farming generally operates on a smaller scale, production is more labour intensive. Also, without herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals, yields are generally smaller.