USDA Defines Term "Organic"

There is no doubt that the organic food movement is in full swing. The number of organic farm markets is growing and the amount of organic products that are available is increasing.

Tired of having toxins in their food, consumers are demanding more organically grown food. The problem has been that there were no standards set to determine just what "organic" meant. A farmer who used little fertilizers yet ran a farm that spewed toxic fumes into the air could still slap an "organic" label on their products.

Now all if that has changed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finally developed a set of standards that specifically defines "certified organic". In the past, organic food certification was handled by various state and private agencies. These new standards ,which only apply to food products, will be enforceable and will provide penalties for false organic claims.

• To be labeled organic, all fresh or processed foods sold in the United States, including imports, must be produced according to the national organic standards and certified by an inspection agency accredited by the USDA.

• Before their crops can be certified, all organic farmers must use only approved materials that will not harm humans, animals, or soil life. They must develop an organic farm management plan, keep detailed records, and be inspected annually by an accredited certification agency. All companies that manufacture organic food products must follow similar strict requirements.

• The standards, as listed on the Wisconsin Organics website, www.wiorganics.com/organic_usda.htm, prohibit the use of all of the following potentially unhealthy materials and practices:

Toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers

A farm field must be free of these chemicals for at least 3 years before a certified organic crop can be grown on it.

Genetically engineered (ge) seeds or other materials

Many nonorganic products now contain GE foods. Because the government has so far refused to require labeling of GE foods, the only way you can avoid them for sure is to buy certified organic products.

Sewage sludge

Organic farmers would love to recycle human wastes safely into fertilizers for their soils, but this will not be possible until the nation has a sewage collection system that keeps toxic chemicals and heavy metals from contaminating sewage sludge (sometimes referred to as "biosolids"). For now, however, the USDA prohibits the use of sewage sludge in the production of organic food. Sewage sludge is widely used by nonorganic farmers.

Fresh manure

For years, organic farmers have voluntarily followed proper animal-care and manure-composting techniques to protect against transmitting food-borne illnesses. The new rules make those voluntary practices mandatory and will require a waiting period, probably 90 or 120 days, between the application of raw manure and the harvest of any organic crops that are likely to be eaten raw. Conventional farmers, who also use lots of raw manure because of its low cost, in contrast are not governed by any national restrictions on the use of raw manure.

Animal confinement

The new rules will require that organic eggs, meat, and dairy products come from animals that are given feed that's 100 percent organic. In most cases they will require that the animals be given access to the outdoors and pastures and will forbid the severe confinement conditions often used in nonorganic factory farms.

Irradiation

The USDA's organic rules ban the controversial technology of exposing food to radiation to kill microorganisms. Meat producers are beginning to irradiate non-organic meat because unsanitary conditions in animal food factories are contaminating beef and poultry with food-borne diseases organisms.

Antibiotics and growth hormones

Nonorganic meat and dairy products are produced using controversial synthetic growth hormones, including the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, which forces dairy cows to produce more milk, and several beef growth hormones that are banned in other countries. Also, disease problems are so severe in these food factories that growers routinely overuse antibiotics on the animals. The national organic rules prohibit the use of antibiotics and synthetic hormones in meat and dairy animals that are certified organic.

Having these set of standards will still allow those agencies who have provided certifications and site inspections to continue, but now they must follow the Federal standards and must be accredited by the USDA themselves. As with most certification processes, it will be very time consuming. A farmer who produces less than $5,000 worth of organic products per year is exempt from these rulings.

As with anything, there is opposition to these set of rules. This is coming from the government's lack of cooperation with existing organizations that already have set standards for what is considered organic.

The other opposition comes from price. Opponents are hoping that if there is a cost involved, that it not be passed on to the organic grower. They would rather see the costs be absorbed by the non-organic growers. Hopefully it will be an incentive for them to go organic.

This is a step in the right direction, and will undoubtedly lead to regulations for other products labeled organic, such as cleaning products and fabrics.