When consumers buy something organic, often they’re also buying into the picture on the package—the cow grazing in a bucolic pasture or a farmer gathering goods by hand from a small field. Yet as the market for organic and natural foods has dramatically increased over the past few decades, and large megastores like Walmart and Costco have gotten into the organic business, the open fields and small farms have given way to factories and feedlots. “Industrial organic” seems like an oxymoron, but as large corporations acquire or control small brands, organic production has had to rise to the challenge. And that means mass production.
The organic label still requires that foods are grown without synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides, hormones, and fertilizers, and for the most part, this is better for the environment. But it also means that some of the ideals of the organic movement—eating seasonally and locally, fair treatment for workers, and small-scale production—are almost unheard of when it comes to supplying for the masses. To meet the demand for organic goods, many of the large producers must import their goods from around the world, calling into question the environmental practices of many organic brands.
I like to support small companies and producers, but it can be hard to tell which companies genuinely are small, and which are simply subsidiaries of larger companies. A useful chart put together by Phil Howard, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, helped me to decipher who owns whom.
Tom’s of Maine
In 2006, the huge consumer goods company Colgate-Palmolive bought Tom’s of Maine, a leader in the natural toothpaste and consumer goods market.
Odwalla
Odwalla was one of the first natural juice brands on the market and their rise in popularity didn’t go without notice from the major drink brands. Coca-Cola, whose products aren’t exactly health food, bought Odwalla in 2001. Odwalla also makes a line of energy bars.
Horizon Organic/White Wave Silk
Dean Foods, which is the largest dairy company in the United States, bought Horizon Organic Milk (which also owns The Organic Cow of Vermont) in 2004. Dean also owns White Wave/Silk brand soy milk, Alta Dena, and Mountain High Yogurt, among other brands.
StonyField Farms/Brown Cow
Stonyfield started making small-batch organic yogurt back in 1983 with milk from a small farm. Now the huge French food company Groupe Danone owns both Stonyfield Farms and Brown Cow, and some of their milk may come from cows in New Zealand, where it is powdered and shipped to the U.S.
Westbrae
One of the largest purchases of organic companies is the Hain-Celestial Group, which is controlled by the Heinz Corporation. In addition to Westbrae soy milk, they also own Casbah, Health Valley, Rice Dream, Soy Dream, and a slew of other brands.
