What Is Organic?

The buzz surrounding New York City's recent decision to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants highlights the latest strategy in America’s ongoing war against potentially harmful food. The relatively new movement to regulate or ban the use of trans fats is apparently fueled by the national rise in obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease—not to mention the national rise in obesity. Healthier eating seems to be on everyone’s minds.

Now that healthier eating is entering the public consciousness and becoming a way of life for some, many more people are starting to believe what “health nuts” have been promoting for years: “organic” foods are better for you.[1] Organic food proponents argue that organic food production causes less detriment to the environment, ensures better treatment of animals, and results in foods with greater nutritional value.[2] The range of choices in organic products is increasing as the trend toward healthier eating grows, in spite of the high prices of organic food (often double the price of comparable conventional foods). Organic food is big business.

The exact definition of “organic” depends upon the standard of certification used. There are many, both international and local. The European Union and the U.S. have two of the most influential and powerful. According to the Organic Trade Association both systems are similar and share the following: (1) third party certification, (2) audit trails, (3) annual inspections, (4) accreditation (5) materials lists, (6) defined conversion periods, and (7) a sustainable farm plan. Within the E.U. and the U.S., individual countries and states may have their own certification standards as well. This means the process of producing and buying organic food can be complicated and confusing, for both farmers and consumers.

To attempt to clarify the USDA “organic” label (and to pick apart all those acronyms): the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appoints a 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) comprised of four farmers/growers, two handlers/processors, one retailer, one scientist, three consumer/public interest advocates, three environmentalists, and one certifying agent. The NOSB members come from all four U.S. regions, and serve five-year terms. Based on the NOSB’s recommendations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) developed national organic standards and an organic certification program for farmers. Food labeled “organic” by the USDA must meet these standards, whether it is grown in the United States or imported from other countries. In the U.S., federal laws regarding organic standards supercede state laws.