It's NEWS to Me!
The "WOW's of Organic Food and Health Awareness
Vol 1 Number 1 FALL 2006
EDITOR: Jan Boyle
ORGANIC 101: An Introduction by Jan Boyle, Certified Organic Producer
We are engaged in a movement that fosters "organic" as good for us, when it comes to the food we consume and even the clothes we wear. It certainly begs the question, So what does "organic" really tell us?
The term, "organic" is defined most often in reference to "organic farming" or "organic production," agricultural systems that implement methods and practices of growing healthy food and fiber and equally emphasize respect and nurturing of the ecology of the landscape and soil.
Often the only reference that the consumer has when it comes to buying organic is the fact that organic producers/farmers do not use herbicides, pesticides or synthetic chemicals. Certainly, that is true and it is "good for us" as well as for our environment. But there is more to be known about the organic production process. Wendell Berry, author and farmer, said it best:An organic farm . . . is not one that uses certain methods and substances and avoids others; it is a farm whose structure is formed in imitation of the structure of a natural system; it has the integrity, the independence, and the benign dependence of an organism
Organic producers strive to integrate the various components of the farming system into an ecological whole, where bioregional diversity of life is respected and incorporated into organic methods and practices. Organic production is a whole biosystem that is restorative and sustainable.
CERTIFIED ORGANIC IN A NUTSHELL
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was created to advise the US Department of Agriculture on developing organic legislation. The National Organic Program (NOP) established national standards for the production and handling of organically produced products.
This may sound like a lot of political rhetoric, but, in essence, organic certification is largely about integrity. It assures that the buyer is getting what he or she is paying for.
Under this system farmers and processors are evaluated through a certification agency (third party) to assess whether they measure up to a set of established organic standards. If they do, they are then certified.
Certified organic production means production by approved organic methods. It integrates cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.
ORGANIC LABELING
Confusion in purchasing organic products arises with the use of the term "organic." According to the regulatory text under the NOP the term "organic" may only be used on labels of agricultural products that have been produced and handled in accordance with the NOP regulations.
So if a label reads:
See these websites for additional information: