Organic vs Non-Organic

[Andrea]

My dad swears up & down that regulations allow for food to be treated with chemicals a certain number of times and still be labled as "organic."

I take it with a grain of salt though, because he's made his entire living off of selling agricultural-use chemicals.

[tulip]

I buy from local farmers markets and farms whenever possible. They are not always certified organic, but you can talk to the farmer and many of them use organic methods. That's a little harder in the winter.

I also grow alot of my own food--at a minimum lettuce and greens (collards, kale, chard). I'm building a cold frame in hopes that I can grow salad greens all winter, and collards and kale grow here in winter (or rather they stay, they don't necessarily grow).

Even if food is "organic," if it's grown in New Zealand and shipped to Virginia, I figure I can do alot better from a closer source.

[alpinerabbit]

it's like with speed limits.

quality or safety testing in any industry is done on a sample - you can't test everything.

There are regulatory bodies and testing labs. Even in Mexico or if anyone ever found out they would be unable to export, costing them $$$$.

You either trust in the way these regulations work, just as you trust that every other business does not screw you over, although they only get inspected/QC periodically (filthy restaurant kitchens, faulty carbon frames, ...) or you don't and buy regular (which is subject to some restrictions too).

yes, it's true that you can still use certain sprays or other stuff on organic products. copper on wine, for example.

[Veronica]

I found quality issues with some things at Trader Joes, so we don't shop there quite as much. The fresh fruit and vegetables are one thing we stopped buying there. My local Raleys has much better produce and they seem to have a connection to the local farms because they have often have produce from them.

We've looked into how things get labeled. What does free range or organic really mean? There seems to be a lack of consistency in how those labels get applied, that's for sure.

Veronica

[Grog]

Aren't there third-party certification organizations that are active in the USA? There are one or two that are particularly trustworthy in Canada (just can't remember their name). The "organic" label is not controlled by a government agency around here...

[buddha_bellies]

For better environment, I think it's better to eat locally first and then organically if you can't find the item locally. There's a book call "100 miles diet". http://100milediet.org/ It basically talks about the benefit of eat locally and the couple's journey in one year of eating nothing but locally grown food.

There are items that I have no problem eating non-organic when it needs to (ie. oranges) just because I can peel the skin off. But other food such as potoatoes should be organic when you can. I can't be sure but I heard that non-organic pototo farmers use Round-Up to kill off the leaves before harvest. They say this helps "cure" the potoatoes and makes the skin tougher for transport and storage. I think that's freaking scary!

I too grow my own food when possible. There's many books out there that helps you plan for winter gardening. "Four Season Harvest" by Eliot Coleman comes to mind. And BONUS! Food actually taste better! For those who don't like veggies. Wait until you have a freshly harvest tomoto or pick figs off the tree. Oh my! Oh and organic bananas! WOW! that's all I have to say.

[arielmoon]

The eat local movement is environmentally friendly that is for sure. If you can establish a relationship with the market and find out about the pesticides used that is a bonus.

I grow many of my own vegetables too. It's the only way to know for sure.

Some advice I like to share. If you only buy one organic item- make it apples. Thin skin= more pesticide. I never buy organic bananas cause I peel the thick skin.

[Irulan]

Aren't there third-party certification organizations that are active in the USA? There are one or two that are particularly trustworthy in Canada (just can't remember their name). The "organic" label is not controlled by a government agency around here...

Yes, there's "organic" and then there's "certified organic" which are two different things. There are several national and regional organizations that do organic certification.

There's lots more than these links out there, it's an easy enough topic to google.

USDA on organic certificationlink

Certification and Labeling of Organic Foods

According to regulations set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic foods must come from farms or ranches certified by a state or private agency that has been accredited by the USDA. Foods labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients, excluding water and salt. Foods labeled "organic" must contain, by weight, at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products meeting these requirements must display these terms on their principal display panel and may use the USDA seal and the seal or mark of certifying agents on packages and in advertisements. Foods labeled "made with organic ingredients" must contain, by weight, at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Up to three separate organic ingredients may be listed on the principal display label, and a certifying agent's seal or mark may be used on the package. The use of a USDA seal is prohibited, however. Livestock can be certified "organic" if they have been raised on organic foodstuffs for over one year.

Other labeling provisions include:

* Packaging of any product labeled "organic" must state the actual percentage of organic ingredients and use the word "organic" to modify each organically produced ingredient.
* The name and address of the certifying agent must be displayed on the label's information panel.
* There are no restrictions on the use of truthful labeling claims, such as "pesticide free," "no drugs or growth hormones used," or "sustainably harvested."
* Products made with less than 50 percent organic ingredients may make no claim other than designating specific organic ingredients with the ingredient information.

[ilima]

Local trumps organic. Obviously, how the local stuff is farmed matters. If a small, family farm which employs sustainable and healthy practices, better to buy local vs. shipped organic.

[Zen]

My dad swears up & down that regulations allow for food to be treated with chemicals a certain number of times and still be labled as "organic."

You dad is right, to an extent. I'd have to research the details but the definition of 'organic' has been somewhat watered-down.