Organic Certifications, Labels, and What They Mean
Filed Under: Green Politics on July 27, 2009
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what that “organic” sign in the grocery store means. For many of us, it merely means “same stuff, higher price.” Most Americans are aware that our produce in the grocery store has to meet specific requirements in order to be able to display the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s seal and use the word “organic” on their label.
The most vocal critique of the USDA’s organic certification is in what is considered “organic” and what is not. The mandatory participation requirement is also a big one.
That second issue is probably the greatest one, since just using the word “organic” on your product label requires that you comply with all USDA requirements before being able to state that your product is “organic.” In other words, the USDA has the power over that one word and ultimately decides what is and what isn’t defined as “organic.”
This presents a huge obstacle. Under the law, anyone selling foods and labeling them “organic” must comply with the USDA’s record keeping and onerous compliance rules. Even non-USDA certification groups for food production aren’t allowed the name “organic” unless they are part of the USDA’s system.
This means that alternative labeling certification groups, like the Certified Naturally Grown certification alliance, cannot use “organic” in their very name.
This brings to question how the costly government certification requirements can be considered the right choice for giving consumers confidence that what they’re buying is really “organic.” Since the system favors huge operations over smaller, more localized ones, it’s obviously weighted in favor of factory farms (which can be organic certified) and Big Agra.
Further, because the certification and the very use of the word “organic” is now politically controlled, it’s possible for lobbyists and insiders to manipulate how the certification is done or the requirements for it. This leads to questions of how organic those things labeled “organic” really are.
In 2005, for instance, an appropriations bill for the USDA allowed 38 synthetic ingredients to be considered “organic” when certifying foods for the USDA Organic label. Among the beneficiaries was Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser), who now use the organic label on their Wild Hop Lager.
The control of the word “organic” allows the USDA and its subsidiaries to decide who does and who doesn’t get to use this valuable marketing term. Ostensibly, of course, this means that nefarious companies who’ll use the word wrongly to get more buyers will not be able to use the term. It also means, however, that small businesses and farmers (even home gardeners) who sell their organic wares can’t call them that either.
In my mind, I have to wonder why groups like Certified Naturally Grown aren’t allowed to use the word “organic” with their members when they withhold their label for only the most stringent of organic practices.
Small farms and food makers who wish to use the CNG label are required to not only keep their operations at the highest of organic standards, but are randomly audited by other members in the CNG to ensure that they are doing so.
By comparison, a USDA Certified Organic operation must keep costly and tedious records from seed to harvest, must pay for organization membership and for all inspections, etc. This is costly and works only for large-scale commercial operations, but for smaller operations—especially those that do not focus on one or two crops, but grow several—this is quite onerous.
Further, seed-saving and similar practices are not allowed under the USDA’s program unless the farmer doing so is also a certified seed supplier. Even if it’s just for their own use!
CNG farmers follow the same basic rules of the USDA program, but the record keeping can be tailored to meet their needs. Further, their farms are required to be open to public access (full time or by appointment) to allow any consumer or interested party to also come to the farm and see operations. This encourages public discourse on the CNG certification and also allows consumers to see where their groceries are coming from. Most CNG participating farms agree that this actually increases sales and local consumer interest in their operations.
Finally, the CNG runs entirely on free-will donations and volunteer, grassroots efforts. The USDA is a government-mandated, forced participation edict. Not only does this give the USDA full ownership of the word “organic,” but it gives them the power to decide how it’s defined and who gets to use it.
You tell me which you think is better.
Find out more about the Certified Natural Growers Association at their website by clicking here.
Find out more about healthy foods from this simple foods chart from the Health Ranger at NaturalNews.com.
Read more about the What Why and How of Organics in this informative article by MyQute.
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- Eco-labels on products are often just lies
- The Food-Pharma-Government Coalition Brings Fear Mongering and Death
- USDA to Dump National Animal Identification System.. Sort of
