Environmental Outlook: Organic Food Standards
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-03-06/environmental-outlook-organic-food-standards
The market for organic food has grown from just $1 billion in 1990 to nearly $30 billion today. As big corporations enter the market, concern has grown about enforcement of organic standards, and some see the movement drifting away from its founding principles of sustainability and local farming. They are alarmed by organic tomatoes grown in far-off, Mexican deserts that require constant irrigation, organic cows living on industrial-sized feedlots, and chickens laying organic eggs while confined in high-capacity barns. But others say that big farms bring organic food to the masses. For this month’s Environmental Outlook series: the organic food paradox.
Guests
Mark Kastel
co-founder, The Cornucopia Institute, a progressive farm policy research group based in Wisconsin
Elisabeth Rosenthal
International Environment Reporter, The New York Times
Miles McEvoy
deputy administrator, National Organic Program, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Program Highlights
In 2002, the USDA established legal standards for organic food. Since that time, the market has grown into a $30 billion business. As organic food goes mass market, it raises concerns about enforcement and whether organics are drifting away from core values of sustainability and local
farming.
Increasing Demand
Organic food represents a $30 billion industry that grew at 10 percent even through the recession, Rosenthal said. Organic food is more available now than ever before. Diane wondered if it is really better for people. Rosenthal said she is concerned not only with the health benefits of organic food, but also with whether or not it is sustainable. For example, she noticed the tomatoes in her local supermarket labeled as coming from Baja, California. After some research, she found that the area the tomatoes are grown in has to be highly irrigated and is not environmentally friendly or efficient.
Setting And Enforcing Standards
The National Organic Standards Board continually assesses its guidelines and rules. McEvoy said. As stipulated by the USDA, each farm selling organic produce, whether in the U.S. or abroad, has to have an "organic system plan." Highly qualified inspectors visit the farm, and certifiers also do unannounced inspections, sampling, and residue analysis," McEvoy said.
Can Large Companies Do A Good Job?
Kastel believes there are a few large companies that can stick to the appropriate standards, but that there are problems with many more. For instance, the USDA recently closed legal complaints against giant industrial egg producers, some with 100,000 birds with no access to the outdoors (a requirement by the organic standards). "The organic standards are indeed scale-neutral but we feel they're scale-limiting if they're aggressively enforced," Kastel said.
The Spirit Of The Law Versus The Letter Of The Law
Ropsenthal said that once something moves into the big business industrial sphere, it may be more likely that the food produced there is not what many consumers have in mind when buying organic. "I have in my mind an organic chicken farm where I see chickens wandering around. And that's why I buy this pack of eggs," she said. "There are a number of places that can comply with the letter of the law without really complying with the spirit of what I think of as organic agriculture. And I think that's important to consumers," she said.
You can read the full transcript here.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
When we go to war with Iran how will it be done? Air Power only? Boots on the ground? Then once we win what do we do?
Thanks
Bill
Monticello IN
The reason why organic foods are grown in desert areas is because it's one of the few places here in the states that still has virgin soil. Unfortunately, so many of the farms across the country have been heavily fertilized, affecting the soil and water for years, even decades, to come.
I agree that our concept of "organic foods" has changed although our access to organic foods has grown. The most disturbing change is the packaging that I see at my Wholefoods grocery store and all the stores in the Wholefoods chain. Often terrible synthetic polymer packaging that we cannot recycle here in Washington, DC is used for cooked chickens, greens and many fruits. In addition, the butcher sections are still using styrofoam trays for the meats. Why can't we have meat products wrapped in paper or recyclable cardboard. These practises are really irresponsible and detrimental to the environment.
I won't buy foods in such packaging, but what can I do to lobby for change?
My husband and I raise bees and sell our honey. There has been an explosion of interest in beekkeeping here in St. Louis and the surrounding area. People are concerned about where their food comes from and are increasingly distrustful of the lax regulations on the food industry and particularly imported food. Most of the honey sold in the US is imported and there are no standards on honey. Much of the imported honey contains no pollen at all but much of it does contain such things as metal shavings and antibiotics. We also have a large backyard garden and also keep chickens so we have fresh organic eggs every day. Everyone should eat local when possible and know where your food comes from and what's in it.
I'd like to know the story behind Whole Foods and Stonyfield Farms getting involved with Monsanto. What's going on??
This is the type of program that helps people to become more informed, therefore more self-empowered about something that the quality of life and the quantity of life literally depends on.
Thank you so much for choosing to talk about organic farming and organic food today.
Lests hear some of the specifics of certification and certifiers in China and other Third world type countries.
How are the checks and balances credible in such places?
How often and to what extent are the certifiers chosen vetted and reviewd.
China, in particular, has NO credibility with me if it is the "honor system" that is being relied upon.
Organic Standards are not a panacea, and it can go too far (or not far enough). I watched a show on Animal Planet where a Vet went out to an organic farm for a cow who was trying to deliver two dead calves. He extracted the calves and treated her with antibiotics to save her life. The farmer told the camera’s that he would have to sell her on the regular market because of that she, as a brood cow, was no longer considered “Organic” and non for her future calves could be either. This was a onetime lifesaving and appropriate use of medication. I find it to much that farmers would have to sell a brood cow and take a loss from the cost to feed and care for doing the right thing and caring for her in a proper way. I do not like that there is a penalty to caring for animals in a proper manner.
More important to me than the label "Organic" is the spirit of the way the food was produced. Like one of the speakers said. I believe organic means something different to me. Organic may be better than non-organic, but I’m looking for something more than arbitrary standards.
Thank you for the information. From listening I understand the threat of the large corporate farms pose to the small organic farmer and the benefits from that growing industry but doesn't the world benefit if large farms get better at providing healthier food and reducing the negative impact on the environment? Can't the marketplace that created the organic industry protect it? Why get the government involved; I think the government would only corrupt the industry. Big business/farms can manipulate the government easier than the free market. Thank you
Yes, about the soil, that which formerly was not used for organic can still be filled with pesticides and affect the produce.
I raise my own poultry for eggs and meat. They are completely free range feeding on pasture grasses and bugs as well as an all vegetarian but non organic feed. To me this is more "organic" than 100,000 chickens in a chicken house with a 10X20 dirt "outdoor area" fed organic feed.
Is there a website that I can go to to check which products are certified organic and the ones that are revoked their organic status for non compliance.
What does it mean when my local farm tells me that their products are organic but they can't label them as such because it is expensive to get that certification?
Thanks
Blain- Silver Spring
Someone needs to discuss the USDA auditing and inspection process. I understand that inspections are scheduled, rather than random, so inspection process "compliance" can easily be staged.
Why isn't easier to get municipalities, the National Park Service and multifamily buildings with large rooftops to support and approve rooftop gardens, community and civic gardens so that civilians can protect their food supply, avoid the middlemen, become more community-oriented and be more ecologically-minded?
The guest describes chickens running around free as organic. This is not necessarily true. Chickens running around free are free range chickens. Chickens can run around free and not be organic. They are not the same thing. We raise our own chickens at home. Our chickens are free range and are let out every morning and cooped up in the evening. However, they get a grain supplement that is not organic. This system is nice for the chickens and I think they are happier. However, there are several things that make this way of raising chickens I'm sure difficult on a larger scale. First, you have to worry about predators. We have lost several of our chickens to raccoons, foxes, hawks, and dogs. Second, it is hard to find the eggs. The chickens don't always lay their eggs in their boxes. Our kids end up looking all over for the eggs. Third, it can be messy as the chickens leave their droppings everywhere.
Perhaps, people that our concerned about how their food is raised should do it themselves. Plant a garden, raise chickens, raise freezer beef and pork etc. That's what we do. Maybe then there would be a bit more respect for the farmers who work day and night to provide them food.
I am a founder of a now national organic brand - it started in my kitchen and from my love of good, clean food. Here's my comment - we are a very large country and organic food comprises only 3%+ of our entire food supply. If you want any organic around, stop listening to Cornucopia Institute. May sound counterintuitive, but here's why I say this: they hold companies to idealistic, unrealistic standards that few food companies who are profitable can hold to. In order for organic food to stay around, it has to turn a profit and actually compete. Eggs, milk and meats are difficult ones and candidly, organic food production is much easier to manage when you're talking about crops. If you look at the foods CI is most critical of, it's milk, eggs and meats - which are very complicated to manage. Please look into the financing of CI.
Why isn't easier to get municipalities, the National Park Service and multifamily buildings with large rooftops to support and approve rooftop, community and civic gardens so that civilians can protect their food supply, avoid the middlemen, become more community-oriented and be more ecologically-minded?
For years I have been driving out to a farm (25 miles roundtrip) to buy eggs produced by chickens who are fed organically and allowed to actually peck around outside in the barnyard. The other day while shopping at my local Walmart, I see Walmart is selling Free Range Organic eggs from a company called Farmers Harvest. There was a "USDA Organic" stamp on the carton. What are the actual living conditions of the chickens who laid these eggs?
We can talk about the spirit of organic all day long! Its meaningless. This is about science and logistics. How do we grow food in an ethical, acceptable, and sustainable way to meet the demand? What Elizabeth Rosenthal is talking about really is a sustainable ideal, not just merely organic. The U.S.D.A's organic program is not focused on sustainability, its focus is on regulating the pesticides used, etc. The U.S.D.A's Organic program is part of its Marketing program. Consumers and citizens should demand that the U.S.D.A make sustainability more of a priority and put more science into its evaluations of what constitutes sustainable practices. This is one of the challenges of the 21st century.
I work for a firm, NMI, that just completed a 9 month project regarding organic messaging to consumers. Do you think it is better to get more people pesticide-free food and work on the broader sustainability aspects than it is to have it perfect from the get-go?
- We know consumers DO value freshness and will choose local over supermarket every time
Great discussion!
Would the guests make any comments about this recent event :In an attempt to protect these farmers, a case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, was filed in federal district court in Manhattan on March 29, 2011, on behalf of 83 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations, representing over 300,000 members.
On February 24, Judge Naomi Buchwald dismissed in the case.
Re: Regulation of local farmers markets, e.g., truth in advertising.. I'm driving in spring in the farming areas of south jersey, the local corn is about 2ft. tall, yet the farmers market advertises "local farm raised corm and other produce..." Where does this corn come from? Also, on inspection of the crates in the back i see tha all of the fruit comes from all states except NJ. Who regulates local farmers markets as it relates to truth and advertising?
I was listening to the show this morning on organic farming and I have an observation.
I noticed both your guest and several listeners seemed to regard small organic farmers who have perhaps a few acres and maybe 5 or 6 cows as almost sacrosanct whereas any kind of large commercial farmer as being almost Machiavellian, a bad actor or something.
Why is that?
As a small business owner myself, I can tell you that small is extremely painful. The goal of every small business is to be successful enough to scale up, become larger and earn a good living.
Lastly, from the perspective of a grocery chain. If I were Trader Joes with perhaps 300 stores, my task would be much more manageable buying from 8 or 10 large organic suppliers than maybe 500 small ones.
Why, then, does it seem that small (and often struggling) is always "good" and large (and somewhat successful) is always "bad?"
Alan B
Texas
The matter is that there now IS a system. Codifying and enforcing public law has driven the market to creat this new "greenwashed" food system. So that now, Organic means, you're in the politically correct cash stream. The same old problem remains. Not, what do we produce, but rather, What can we produce that isn't already provided in super abundance? In deed, I can't raise organic food for myself but it's cheeper to buy it from the system.
The USDA has historically provided social support for agriculture, usually for stratigic reasons. Farmer's markets, ATTRA and Small farm programs at land gant universities are replacing the historic efforts, such as 4-H, FFA, Grange, county fairs, etc. Make no mistake that these tie-dyed, earth tone efforts are indeed being driven by, "the system".
Persons who are interested may want to start looking here:
https://attra.ncat.org/
Great broadcast, Thanks Diane!
I will repost on my Food Innovation & Sustainability blog: https://www.facebook.com/Moment.Innovation
IT'S TIME TO BUST UP THE MEGA-FARMS
There may be benefit to have some portion of the American agricultural economy operated by mega-farms. However American agricultural policy does not favor the true small farmer, and it would stun most Americans to find out how the legal definition of "small" applies to farming as it does to business in general. A clue to this is the recent need to use the word "micro" as in "micro-business, micro-farm, micro-loan," etc. The true family farm in today's agricultural environment is a micro-farm" and is being run out of business by taxation related to zoning changes for the building of "McMansions" and by competition from the lowest common denominators in agriculture, which are the mega-farms producing lesser quality foods as cheapest prices, and this is true within and without the USA. A mega-farm in China is still a mega-farm.
IMPERFECT TOMATOES
With respect to the reporter, who spoke of her personal preference for imperfect tomatoes as a measure of the definition of organic comfort, this comment is truly amusing, but, more importantly, misses the mark in the context of which she raised the issue.
Mexican farmers, like farmers in other foreign nations competing for market share in wealthy markets such as the USA, do market their best products in both quality and appearance. They do this cognizant of product appeal to target markets. Such appeal may be a vanity in the eyes of the reporter and even in the eyes of the farmer competing for market share. It is a vanity that will be satisfied, as failure to do so will cost market share.
The reporter's concern about this particular aspect of organic definition detracts from the larger valid concerns, which are quality, sustainability, and humanity in production.
Two things impress me most from the program are: The idea of farms that contain over 100,000 chickens (or any other kind of avian) in any area, however large, being natural. Additionally that the organic farmer has to stand the costs to secure the crop from GMO invasiveness. Seems a little biased.
As someone who has been through this process, I can assure you, the scheduling makes sense. This is not like a health department inspection where there are a few items on a checklist. It's much like having an accounting firm come to audit your books. You need to gather the paperwork, have it organized and coherent. Staff needs to be shifted from their daily duties to assist the inspector. The inspector asks questions, will want to see item numbers from POs and check them against ingredient supplies...Compliance cannot be easily staged. Most people who have started organic food companies are just like the people who want to buy organic food and do a very good job. The level of mistrust does not match the level of problems within organic - the mistrust is much higher. The actual problems are very small.
I picked up on that too, why does responsibility fall on the organic farmer to "protect" themselves from GMO invasion? I'm guessing it has something to do with following the money trail. Classic "golden rule"; he who has the gold makes the rules, unfortunately.
I didn't realize the process was so paperwork-heavy rather than actual production facility inspection, which is what I was referrring to. It's easy to open up a barn door and get something certified as "free range" if you know the inspector is coming that day. From what you're saying the inspection process has little to do with inspecting and much to do with dotting I's and crossing T's. Therein lies the rub.