Veena Annadana
New Member
What are you getting when you buy 'organic'?
10:38 PM, Apr. 4, 2012 | Comments
Are you an organic farming fan? Do you buy organic food? Although organic products still are less than 5 percent of total food sales, organic sales have increased 10 to 20 percent per year for the past 20 years, making it the most rapidly growing food sector.
A growing number of consumers are willing to spend more on their food and believe their food dollars are well invested when they purchase products labeled organic.
We all want high-quality food for enjoyment and health benefits. Some qualities you may search for include taste, nutrient content, safety, production that supports a healthy environment and freshness.
Organic labeling does not verify specific characteristics of the food itself. Rather, it validates that the food was produced using specific production practices. This distinction is unclear to many consumers.
For decades, organic farmed food was marketed mostly by direct or local sales to consumers. As large supermarket food distribution separated people from farms, questions arose about labeling and whether consumers were being accurately informed about the farming practices that produced their food.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 mandated USDA develop organic certification rules. It took 10 years before the National Organic Program was established to define these rules. You can read these rules atwww.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop.
National Organic Program (NOP) rules define specific production practices required to use the organic label. The program is overseen by private third party auditing businesses that verify producers have followed the rules. If you are willing to pay more to support the type of farming defined by these rules, then you are getting what you paid for.
Additional inferences and assumptions often are made about organically produced food, but the label does not guarantee them. For example organic products do not necessarily come from small family farms. The rules only assure that all producers who apply the label are following similar guidelines for organic farming. Large-scale producers can follow these rules as well as small-scale producers.
(Page 2 of 2)
For small, local producers who market directly to consumers, there often is little incentive to pay for organic certification. Conversely, it is easier for a supermarket chain to get a reliable supply from a large rather than small producer, meaning most organic foods you buy at a supermarket are grown on a large scale.
NOP rules do not specify farm size. Nor do they prohibit monocultures. Organic systems are not free of all chemical use. The rules prohibit use of some chemicals but allow others. Neither do the rules specify additional food safety. Some organic advocates were upset that these things were not included in the rules. As written, the rules only define a specific set of production practices.
I am not suggesting that organic foods are inferior to conventional products. Generally, they are safe and of high quality. But when you buy something, you should know what it is and what it is not. If you want to know what you are purchasing when you reach for the organic product, read the NOP rules.
For small, local producers who market directly to consumers, there often is little incentive to pay for organic certification. Conversely, it is easier for a supermarket chain to get a reliable supply from a large rather than small producer, meaning most organic foods you buy at a supermarket are grown on a large scale.
NOP rules do not specify farm size. Nor do they prohibit monocultures. Organic systems are not free of all chemical use. The rules prohibit use of some chemicals but allow others. Neither do the rules specify additional food safety. Some organic advocates were upset that these things were not included in the rules. As written, the rules only define a specific set of production practices.
I am not suggesting that organic foods are inferior to conventional products. Generally, they are safe and of high quality. But when you buy something, you should know what it is and what it is not. If you want to know what you are purchasing when you reach for the organic product, read the NOP rules.
Source: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120407/COLUMNISTS147/204070302/What-you-getting-when-you-buy-organic-?nclick_check=1
10:38 PM, Apr. 4, 2012 | Comments
Are you an organic farming fan? Do you buy organic food? Although organic products still are less than 5 percent of total food sales, organic sales have increased 10 to 20 percent per year for the past 20 years, making it the most rapidly growing food sector.
A growing number of consumers are willing to spend more on their food and believe their food dollars are well invested when they purchase products labeled organic.
We all want high-quality food for enjoyment and health benefits. Some qualities you may search for include taste, nutrient content, safety, production that supports a healthy environment and freshness.
Organic labeling does not verify specific characteristics of the food itself. Rather, it validates that the food was produced using specific production practices. This distinction is unclear to many consumers.
For decades, organic farmed food was marketed mostly by direct or local sales to consumers. As large supermarket food distribution separated people from farms, questions arose about labeling and whether consumers were being accurately informed about the farming practices that produced their food.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 mandated USDA develop organic certification rules. It took 10 years before the National Organic Program was established to define these rules. You can read these rules atwww.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop.
National Organic Program (NOP) rules define specific production practices required to use the organic label. The program is overseen by private third party auditing businesses that verify producers have followed the rules. If you are willing to pay more to support the type of farming defined by these rules, then you are getting what you paid for.
Additional inferences and assumptions often are made about organically produced food, but the label does not guarantee them. For example organic products do not necessarily come from small family farms. The rules only assure that all producers who apply the label are following similar guidelines for organic farming. Large-scale producers can follow these rules as well as small-scale producers.
(Page 2 of 2)
For small, local producers who market directly to consumers, there often is little incentive to pay for organic certification. Conversely, it is easier for a supermarket chain to get a reliable supply from a large rather than small producer, meaning most organic foods you buy at a supermarket are grown on a large scale.
NOP rules do not specify farm size. Nor do they prohibit monocultures. Organic systems are not free of all chemical use. The rules prohibit use of some chemicals but allow others. Neither do the rules specify additional food safety. Some organic advocates were upset that these things were not included in the rules. As written, the rules only define a specific set of production practices.
I am not suggesting that organic foods are inferior to conventional products. Generally, they are safe and of high quality. But when you buy something, you should know what it is and what it is not. If you want to know what you are purchasing when you reach for the organic product, read the NOP rules.
For small, local producers who market directly to consumers, there often is little incentive to pay for organic certification. Conversely, it is easier for a supermarket chain to get a reliable supply from a large rather than small producer, meaning most organic foods you buy at a supermarket are grown on a large scale.
NOP rules do not specify farm size. Nor do they prohibit monocultures. Organic systems are not free of all chemical use. The rules prohibit use of some chemicals but allow others. Neither do the rules specify additional food safety. Some organic advocates were upset that these things were not included in the rules. As written, the rules only define a specific set of production practices.
I am not suggesting that organic foods are inferior to conventional products. Generally, they are safe and of high quality. But when you buy something, you should know what it is and what it is not. If you want to know what you are purchasing when you reach for the organic product, read the NOP rules.
Source: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120407/COLUMNISTS147/204070302/What-you-getting-when-you-buy-organic-?nclick_check=1