Barton Agriculture Instructor Vic Martin publishes columns in the Great Bend Tribune each Sunday. The following is a series on what qualifies as "organic."
Great Bend Tribune
Published April 12, 2015
What Exactly Is Organic? Part 1
Before today’s topic a brief update is in order. Temperatures the night of April 3 fell well below freezing ranging from the low 20s to around 30 over the area for several hours. Spotty freeze damage has been noted already in South Central Kansas and more will likely become evident over the next little while, especially under warm windy conditions. Leaf burn won’t be a big deal but since wheat was jointing or jointed in much of the area, it will pay to keep an eye out for damage to the developing head inside the stem. Damage was noted earlier south of Wichita as wheat development was much further along.
One of the major trends in foods over the last decade is the organic food movement. From businesses like Whole Foods to large sections in the produce sections of food retailers like Dillon’s and Wal-Mart, it’s hard to miss the increasing prevalence of organic fruits and vegetables. Look in the meat section and you’ll find free range chickens and grass-fed beef. You can purchase organic eggs, soy or almond milk and the list goes on.
There is vigorous debate regarding what food are “safe”; whether or not organic foods are healthier; and the use of antibiotics and preservatives in foods. Social and conventional media are awash with arguments from all sides. In many ways this is as much a lifestyle and spiritual argument as it is based on health and science. The purpose here is simply to provide context for people to make informed decisions regarding their food purchases. The next few weeks will focus on this area and what the various terms mean. First it helps to provide a framework of what we are discussing. And the best place to start is by defining what organic means.
- Until the “organic” foods movement, organic had a much different meaning. For the hard sciences (chemistry and biology) organic simply meant carbon compounds. Life on earth is carbon based, i.e. carbon is the structural basis for living organisms. We are a carbon-based life form. And compounds such as fossil fuels (hydrocarbons) derived from living organisms are organic. When those working in agricultural and horticulture refer to organic matter in soils, they are referring to compounds derived from dead and decaying organisms. Naturally, there are many more elements contained in organic compounds than just carbon.
- The organic foods movement has a much different definition of organic. Here its meaning varies but overall it means the production of foodstuffs without the use of synthetic inputs. Those synthetic inputs include fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. It doesn’t mean that these products aren’t used in producing food but that fertilizers and pesticides used are “natural.” The word natural is in quotation marks because there is debate in the organic foods community regarding how to define natural. This movement normally excludes antibiotics, genetically modified organisms, and in some cases specific animal rearing practices.
Next week will focus more specifically on the difference between organic (natural) foods, traditional food production, and what “certified organic” means.
Great Bend Tribune
Published April 19, 2015
What Exactly Is Organic? Part 2
Last week’s column explored in general terms what organic means to chemists and the scientific community and what it means to the “natural” foods community. This series of articles isn’t intended to take sides but to provide information to help in making informed decisions. Now let’s briefly attempt to get a handle on what exactly “organic” foods are. This involves several parts and it is important to note there are foodstuffs claiming to be organic and foodstuffs that have followed certain strict requirements and are certified as organic.
When a producer terms food “organic” the word is meant to conjure up certain images such as pure, healthy, wholesome, nutritious and so on depending on your background. The producer is conveying organic farming practices were used in every step of food production. What exactly does (should) that mean if you are interested in the organic food movement? First there are varying definitions of what organic means from person to person, place to place, and country to country.
- The organic or natural foods movement arose in the mid-20th century in response to the development and increased usage of synthetically manufactured fertilizers and pesticides. It was argued that natural fertilizers (animal manures, nitrogen from legumes, etc.) were better for the soils, crops, and the environment. It was an environmental and spiritual response against what was termed chemical or industrial agriculture. The movement really started to gain steam in the late 1960s and early 1970s in part because of the increasing environmental problems brought to light by issues such as DDT and the Bald Eagle, and earlier with the publication of Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring.” This combined with serious environmental problems was the impetus for the formation of the EPA and a boost for the organic (natural) foods movement. Also tied into this was the reaction against modern society, a movement toward self-sufficiency, and a desire for a simpler life. This isn’t good or bad but context for what has evolved into the modern organic foods movement.
- In general terms, organic food production doesn’t use synthetic (inorganic) fertilizers or pesticides. It relies on manures and crop rotation for fertility and pest control. Normally, it is more labor and even machinery intensive in controlling pests. It may use pesticides but they are “naturally” occurring. Organic foods eschew preservatives and tend to be less processed (whole grains flour vs. white flours for example). Foods are additive free, not irradiated, ripening is not chemically induced, and GMO crops and compounds are not used. For animal products there is no usage of antibiotics, growth hormones, or other similar compounds. There is also an emphasis how the animals are reared and used typically involving open or free range animal husbandry. Various levels of vegetarianism are not necessarily part of those eating organic diets.
Unfortunately, this discussion will have to wrap up next week when we delve in what the differences are between organically and conventionally produced foods.
Great Bend Tribune
Published April 26, 2015
What Exactly Is Organic? Part 3
This week wraps up the discussion of “organic” foods before comparing them to “conventionally” produced foods. Last week’s column briefly described what organic means in general terms. When you purchase a product “Certified Organic” what does that really mean?
For a food to be certified as organic in the U.S. there are rules in place that must be met. Briefly, here is how it works:
- The USDA uses private and state agencies to inspect organic foods.
- Organic farms with less than $5,000 annually in sales are exempt from the certification process but must make accurate claims regarding their products and comply with the rules. There is a potential $10,000 fine for each violation for selling organic foods that do not comply.
- If it is certified organic it means the food doesn’t contain antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, irradiation or bioengineering. Organic farmers agree to adhere to specific soil and water conservation methods and to rules regarding the humane treatment of animals.
Here is how the USDA defines the following terms:
- 100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
- Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic.
- Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can't be used on these packages.
- If the product contains less than 70% organic ingredients it may not contain the word organic on the label or the organic seal. It may least ingredients as organic in the ingredient list.
- Terms like “free-range” and “all-natural” should not be confused with products labeled as organic.
There isn’t room for detail of all the specifics of what all the criteria are for organic foods as they vary depending on the product involved. Suffice it to say that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are prohibited as are genetically modified organisms and when land is involved, there is a necessary period of time the land must be free of synthetic chemicals before the products are considered organic. One of the difficulties in certain organic operations is insuring that there is no contamination of the organic food production process from nearby nonorganic operation. And as part of the annual inspection and certification process, extensive detailed records must be maintained. Next week is a comparison of organically labeled vs “nonorganic” foods.
Great Bend Tribune
Published May 4, 2015
What Exactly Is Organic? Part 4 - conclusion
The last several columns provided general background on the rapidly expanding organic foods market. Today’s column briefly outlines conventionally produced foods to highlight the differences between the two. Perhaps the first question to deal with is “Are conventionally produced foods inorganic?”
- First, this column is addressing the production, not the processing, of foodstuffs and is not wading into additives, preservatives and processing.
- Remember that any “food” you consume providing nutrition is carbon based (excluding certain minerals) and so it is all “organic.” The organic label refers to certain guidelines and production techniques not the physical makeup of the food.
- Briefly, conventionally produced foods allow what organically labeled foods don’t – synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, GMOs, antibiotic use, animal supplementation and growth hormones. However, just as there are regulations regarding what can be labeled organic, there are rules and regulations regarding conventional food production.
- Please keep in mind that conventional producers, many of them, may use organic sources of fertilizer such as manures and legumes. They also practice integrated pest management techniques which balances environmental and safety concerns with production.
- The major point with input use for conventional food production is the degree of regulation involved. Restricted pesticides have strict protocols on everything from timing and rate to pre-harvest intervals. They must be approved be approved by the EPA and undergo periodic review for efficacy, safety for people, and for the environment. Foodstuffs are tested and safe pesticide residue levels determined which cannot be violated. Levels allowed are extremely low and well below levels of concern. GMOs undergo extensive testing for potential negative environmental effects before release. Fertilizer use is monitored to minimize potential environmental damage,
- Use of antibiotics and other products for livestock production is well-defined and are under constant review. Public comment is allowed for rule and regulation changes for the use of these products.
- The conventional foods coming out of the field are regulated for safety. Programs such as HACCP and BQA work to insure a safe quality food supply. This isn’t to imply that accidents and mistakes don’t happen but there are procedures in place to minimize these problems and correct them as new information comes to life.
- In terms of food safety – no reliable, repeatable research has found conventional food production to be unsafe. Foodborne illness outbreaks happen for both foods. In terms of nutrition – foods produced either way can be nutritious and flavorful. It really is a personal choice.
Either way it pays to consider that we have the luxury of debating this issue because we have a safe, abundant, cheap supply of food.