Organic food
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An organically-grown apple. Fruit and vegetables grown organically appear similar to conventionally grown produce. In most jurisdictions, organic food must meet specified production standards, which specify growing and processing conditions different from normal agricultural and food safety requirements. |
Organic food is
food produced according to organic standards, which means crops grown without the use of conventional
pesticides, as well as
artificial fertilizers or sewage sludge, animals reared without the routine use of
antibiotics and without the use of
growth hormones and food processed without
ionizing radiation and without the use of a wide range of
food additives. It is produced on all levels without the use of
genetically modified organisms.
Historically, these farms have been small family-run farms.
There is evidence that these organic farms are more
sustainable and environmentally sound, among other benefits (see
benefits).
However, these claims are subject to dispute and still not settled among scientists. For example,
Anthony Trewavas has written detailed critiques of organic agriculture
.
Once only available in small stores or
farmers' markets, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. Organic food sales within the US have enjoyed 17 to 20 percent growth for the past few years
[ ] while sales of conventional food - while still larger in size - have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market.
[Warner, Melanie. "What Is Organic? Powerful Players Want a Say". New York Times: Nov. 1, 2005.]See also: Organic farming for information on the production of organic food.Organic foods can be either
fresh or
processed, based on production methods.
Fresh food
Fresh food is seasonal and perishable. Vegetables and fruits are the most available type of organic, fresh food, and are closely associated with organic farming. They are often purchased directly from growers, at farmers' markets, from on-farm stands, supermarkets, through speciality food stores, and through
community-supported agriculture (CSA) projects. Unprocessed animal products like organic
meat,
eggs,
dairy, are less commonly available in their purely "fresh" form.
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Chips, cookies, and other snacks are an example of processed food. |
For fresh food, "organic" usually means produced without extensive use of synthetic chemicals (eg:
fertilizers,
pesticides,
antibiotics,
hormones), in the USA substantially free of
genetically modified organisms, and often, but not necessarily, locally grown.
Processed food
Processed food accounts for most of the items in a
supermarket. Often, within the same store, both organic and conventional versions of products are available, and the price of the organic version is usually higher (see
modern developments). Most processed organic food comes from large food conglomerates [
1] producing and marketing products like canned goods, frozen vegetables, prepared dishes and other
convenience foods is beyond the scope of small organic producers.
Processed organic food usually contains only (or at least a specified percentage of) organic ingredients and no artificial
food additives, and is often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions (eg: no chemical ripening, no
food irradiation).
At first, organic food comprised mainly fresh vegetables. Early consumers interested in organic food would look for chemical-free, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers: "Know your farmer, know your food" was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through first-hand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using
organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored.
Consumer demand for organic foods continues to increase, and high volume sales through mass outlets, like supermarkets, is rapidly replacing the direct farmer connection. For supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labelling, like "certified organic", is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance.
A "certified organic" label is usually the only way for consumers to know that a processed product is "organic".
Legal definition
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The official seal of USDA certified organic foods. |
To be
certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adhears to standards set by the country they are sold in::Australia:
NASAA Organic Standard.:Britain:
Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards.:United States:
NOP Program Standards.In the United States, the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.A. § 6501-22) created the
National Organic Program (NOP). The regulations (7 C.F.R. Part 205) are enfored by the
USDA through the National Organic Program under this act. These laws essentially require that any product that claims to be organic must have been manufactured and handled according to specific NOP requirements. A
USDA Organic seal identifies products with at least 95% organic ingredients.
Defining the benefits of organic food has largely been left to word of mouth, occasional media coverage, and the promotional efforts of organic advocates. Even though many large food and beverage
corporations, like
Kraft Foods, have rapidly moved to acquire significant stake in both fresh and processed organic products
["Corporate Industry Structure: 2005", by Phil Howard, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, University of California, Santa Cruz.], the specific sales points of "organics" go largely unmentioned on product packaging and in advertising.
Counter-arguments to the claims in this section are found below in
criticism..
For the environment
In several surveys that have looked at smaller studies to build an overal comparison between conventional and organic systems of farming a general agreement on benefits has been built. In these surveys
[Stolze, M.; Piorr, A.; Häring, A.M. and Dabbert, S. (2000) Environmental impacts of organic farming in Europe. Organic Farming in Europe: Economics and Policy Vol. 6. Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart-Hohenheim.]it has been found that:
*Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides or herbicides into the environment - some of which have the potential to harm local wildlife.
*Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems. That is, populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
*When calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield: Organic farms use less energy and produce less waste - waste such as packaging materials for chemicals.
See "Organic FAQs" in the journal
Nature for more details.
One study found a 20% smaller yield from organic farms using 50% less fertilizer and 97% less pesticide.
Some critics argue that organic farms have lower yield than conventional farms. Studies comparing yields have had mixed results with some showing less yield and others showing roughly equal yield
. Supporters claim that organicly managed soil has a higher quality
and higher water retention. This may help increase yields for organic farms in drought years. One study of two organic farming systems and one conventional found that, in one year's severe crop season drought, organic soybean yields were 52% and 96% higher than the conventional system and organic maize yields were 37% higher in one system, but 62% lower in the other.
Studies are also consistent in showing that organic farms are more energy efficient.
Of course, these comparisons need to be evaluated with care because neither conventional nor organic farming practices are uniform. See
criticism.
For producers
For those who work on farms, there have been many studies on the health effects of pesticide exposure.
Even when pesticides are used correctly, they still end up in the air and bodies of farm workers. Through these studies, organophosphate pesticides have become associated with acute health problems such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems.
[Ecobichon DJ. 1996. Toxic effects of pesticides. In: Casarett and Doull's Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons (Klaassen CD, Doull J, eds). 5th ed. New York:MacMillan, 643â€"689.] In addition, there have been many other studies that have found pesticide exposure is associated with more severe health problems such as respiratory problems, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions,
cancer,
depression, neurologic deficits,
miscarriages, and birth defects.
Summaries of peer-reviewed research have examined the link between pesticide exposure and neurological outcomes and cancer in organophosphate-exposed workers.
For consumers
A study published by the
National Research Council in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet.
A recent study in 2006 measured the levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 23 school children before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped dramatically and immediately when the children switched to an organic diet.
Most conventionally grown foods contain pesticides and herbicide residues (see
Pesticide residues in food). There is controversial data on the health implications of certain pesticides. The herbicide
Atrazine, for example, has been shown in some experiments to be a teratogen, even at concentrations as low as 0.1 part per billion, to emasculate male frogs by causing their gonads to produce eggs - effectively turning males into
hermaphrodites.
The US EPA and state agencies periodically review the licensing of suspect pesticides, but the process of de-listing is slow. Furthermore, some countries are slow to ban pesticides that have been unlisted in the United States. It is sometimes claimed that local conditions (meaning the pests causing crop damage) require that such pesticides be available for use.
Criticism of organic food and organic agriculture includes the following:
Organic food is elitist
Critics claim that organic food is more expensive than conventional food and thus too highly priced to be affordable to most people.
Food safety
Conventional food does contain pesticide residues (see
Pesticide residues in food), but some toxicologists consider the level to be so low as to have no effect on the consumer. For example, a sunburn increases the risk of cancer much more than would the pesticide levels in a conventionally grown fruit . Furthermore, it is known that consumption of conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables actually reduces the risk of cancer (B.N. Ames, see reference).
The author Thomas DeGregori argues that at the heart of the Organic movement are feelings of being anti-technology and anti-modern science
[DeGregori, Thomas R. (2004). Origins of the Organic Agriculture Debate. Iowa State Press, Ames, Iowa, 211 p. ISBN 0-8138-0513-9] and points out that modern science, after all, has increased the life expectancy of many people and helps to feed the world's growing population.
The potential health effects of minute quantities of environmental pesticides described above are subject to debate, and the discussion above should not be taken as settled truth. Modern analytical chemistry is capable of detecting such small quantities of a substance that the meaning of a positive result is difficult to interpret, and many independent scientists think that such residues are without effect. Pesticides are subjected to a battery of tests before they can be approved by EPA and "residue tolerances" are established above which produce containing these tolerances cannot be sold. It should be kept in mind that all substances are toxic at some level. In fact Professors Lois Swirsky Gold and Bruce Ames have shown that 50% of all natural chemicals in food gave a positive test as a carcinogen when tested in rodents, casting doubt on the valididity of the test methods.
Organic food has "sold out"
Organic food began as a small movement with farmers rejecting the use of conventional farming practicies. With the market share of Organic food outpacing much of the food industry many big companies have moved into this market. With these large companies, and with the creation of a legal certification framework (2002 in the US), there is worry that there will be influence on the very definition of
organic food and will change it from what it used to be.
[Shapin, Steven. "Paradise Sold." The New Yorker, May 15, 2006. ]Sustainability
Newer non-organic practices, particularly no-till agriculture, which relies on pesticides to clear the land, offer considerable improvements in energy efficiency. Again, Trewavas, as mentioned above argues that the sustainability of organic agriculture is less than that of conventional agriculture (see Trewavas (2000) cited above).
* Soil benefits: Many of the claimed soil benefits of organic agriculture have been demonstrated to be due to crop rotation, which is not an inherently organic strategy (see Trewavas (2000) cited above).
* Pesticide use: It is a common misconsception that organic agriculture does not use pesticides. Some pesticides used on organic farms contain inorganic copper - and since copper is not biodegradable, this can lead to toxic copper accumulation in the soil. Approved organic pesticides are relatively less effective and must be applied at high levels (e.g. copper salts, sulfur) or must be applied frequently (e.g. pyrethrin). Other toxic pesticides that are approved for use by organic producers include ryania, Sabadilla, and rotenone.
* Toxicity of "organic pesticides": Conventional pesticides must be thoroughly studied before they can be placed on the market. However, such studies are not required for the pesticides used in organic agriculture. For example, the botanical pesticide Sabadilla is highly toxic to honeybees, and according to the California Department of Environmental Protection its mammalian toxicology has not been fully studied.
[http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/toxsums/pdfs/521.pdf]It should be noted that "conventional"
agriculture, utilizing large amounts of artificial chemical inputs, monocultures, and intensive farming methods, is a recent phenomenon. Indeed, almost the entire history of agriculture consists of what would be now termed "organic farming".
Rising consumer awareness of "organic" methods began in the 1950s with the promotion of organic gardening. In the 1960s and 1970s, one effect of a growing grassroots concern with environmental issues was the appearance of more elaborate approaches to organic food, including food-buying co-ops and dedicated organic producers. In the 1970s and 1980s, private sector organic certification and development of regulations at the governmental level began around the world. In the 1990s, formal organic certification began to be legislated in various countries, and this trend continues to today. During the same period, the organic food market experienced a sustained surge in growth, expanding at around 20% a year (exceeding the rest of the food industry by a factor of at least 10). The first years of the 21st century saw multinational food corporations taking major stakes in the organic market, and this has dramatically increased the variety, availability and falling cost of processed organic food.
Modern developments
The prices for organic food has been, and continues to be, higher than their conventional counterparts. This is because farmers who grow organic food have to meet stricter quality standards to have their products
certified organic. More labor is required to achieve this, bringing up the cost.
Since the 80s there is an increasing number of supermarkets that carry large volumes of organic food. This includes
Whole Foods Market in the US, and
Waitrose in the UK. With large volume sales, these retailers have been bringing the price of organic food down.
In the United States the pressure to bring the cost down will vastly increase soon because in 2006,
Wal-Mart, the largest grocery retailer, announced plans to increase the amount of organic food available in its stores.
Both conventionally grown and organic versions of certain products will be available, but Wal-Mart intends to keep the price of the organic versions to no more than 10% over the price of the conventionally grown counterparts.
Because of Wal-Mart's size and business practices, their move into selling organic food has some people worried
. Specifically, the increase in demand for organic food will require that more organic produce be imported.
Secondly, the push to lower prices "would virtually guarantee that Wal-Mart's version of cheap organic food is not sustainable".
Various alternative organic standards are emerging. They generally bypass formal certification, which can be expensive and cumbersome, and provide their own definition of organic food. One such, the Authentic Food standard, proposed by leading US organic farmer
Eliot Coleman, includes criteria that are incompatible with current agribusiness:
*All foods are produced by the growers who sell them.
*Fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and meat products are produced within a 50-mile radius of their place of their final sale.
*The seed and storage crops (grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, etc.) are produced within a 300-mile radius of their final sale.
*Only traditional processed foods such as cheese, wine, bread and lactofermented products may claim, "Made with Authentic ingredients."
["Authentic Food - Authentic Farming", by Eliot Coleman, Mother Earth News.]Some are also implementing new approaches to defining and buying food.
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is one such approach, that cuts out all the middlemen by having consumers partner with local farmers. CSA members prepurchase "shares" in a season's harvest, and pick up their weekly portions from distribution sites. Thus, consumers provide direct financing for farms, participate in the risks and rewards of annual growing conditions, and participate with farmers in distribution networks.
CSA is one example of "buying locally," which is often valued by both the organic food consumer and producer. Generally speaking, locally-grown
seasonal food can be brought to market more quickly than food that has to be transported long distances, and therefore can be better tasting and to some degree more nutritious by virtue of its freshness. Additionally, the act of buying foods that are locally-grown benefits local farmers and other employers. This
local food approach is seen as a direct investment in one's own community and a way to reduce economic dependence.
Organic food is also often linked with the
fair trade movement, based on the principle that social and environmental
sustainability are inextricably interdependent.
While organic food accounts for 1–2% of total food sales worldwide, the organic food market is growing rapidly, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations.
*World organic food sales were US $23 billion in 2002.
*The world organic market has been growing by 20% a year since the early 1990s, with future growth estimates ranging from 10-50% annually depending on the country.In the
United States, where organic food is federally regulated by the
National Organic Program:''':*"Organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and 73 % of conventional grocery stores, and account for approximately 1-2 % of total food sales in the U.S." — Feb 2003
:*Two thirds of organic milk and
cream and half of organic cheese and
yogurt are sold through conventional supermarkets.
In the
European Union, organic food is regulated by the
EU-Eco-regulation:
Germany::*
Baby food is almost exclusively organic, and over 30% of bread baked in
Munich is organic.[
2]:
Italy::*Existing legislation calls for all school lunches to be organic by 2005. :
Austria::*The government has created incentives so that within the next few years, 10 % of its food will comprise locally grown organic foods. :
UK::*By January 2005, 686,100 ha of land was managed to organic standards. Organic food sales increased from just over £100 million in 1993/94 to £1.21 billion in 2004 (an 11% increase on 2003). [
3]In
Cuba::*After the collapse of the
Soviet Union in
1990, the government converted the entire country to organic agriculture, and currently organic agriculture is the mainstream and many pesticides are not permitted by law. [
4] However, Cuba defines "organic" differently from many countries and encourages genetically engineered crops, particularly those with enhanced nutritional content and vaccines from GMO plants. [
5][
6]
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Fair trade*
Organic certification*
Organic farming*
Organic gardening*
Pesticide*
Herbicide*
Sustainable agriculture*
Genetically Modified Food
On Conventional vs Organic Farming
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Organic Food online magazine Includes a news section and UK directory of organic shops and box schemes.
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A Revolution in Sustainable Agriculture - from Big Picture TV
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Brief Introduction to Organics*
The British Library*
Eat Well Guide - Listing of farms, restaurants and grocers that sell organic foods
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First World Congress on Organic Food from National Food Safety and Toxicology Center
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Mounting Evidence that Organic Food is Healthier*
Organic Foods Store Locator*
Organic Food Australia - Information, search, and Community Food Systems.
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Organic Food Corner*
Organic Food News*
Organic Volunteers - Non profit to coordinate internships on organic farms.
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Why Certified Organic Food Is Better Food from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Pesticides and food
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Extensive Press Release on Pesticides from the Ontario College of Family Physicians
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Pesticide and Food (pdf) Brochure from Nutrition.gov
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Pesticide Residue Limits on Food from the Environmental Protection Agency
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Pesticides in Food from the Northeast Organic Farming Association
