What is “Organic”? – Explaining The Organic Label

Thank-you to Megan of 6:00pm fame for sending this article on what the “requirements” are for a product to be labeled organic.  Megan is a health teacher in Strafford, and a local farmer in Barrington forwarded this article to her for perspective. While the debate to eat “all organic” will rage on, our strategy is to eat local, in season produce as much as possible, and supplement as necessary with fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables from the grocer. The important thing is that you are getting enough vegetables in your diet. Debating the merits of organic is not really relevant if you aren’t getting adequate nutrition to begin with!

The Organic Label

Organic produce has become increasingly popular in recent years, as consumers have grown more health conscious and environmentally aware.   Many stores and supermarkets now have large sections devoted to organic fruits and vegetables.

WHAT MAKES PRODUCE “ORGANIC”?

Contrary to what most people believe, “organic” does not automatically mean “pesticide-free” or “chemical-free”. In fact, under the laws of most states and new federal standards, organic farmers are allowed to use a wide variety of chemical sprays and powders on their crops.

So what does organic mean? It means that these pesticides, if used, must be derived from natural sources, not synthetically manufactured. Also, these pesticides must be applied using equipment that has not been used to apply any synthetic materials for the past three years, and the land being planted cannot have been treated with synthetic materials for that period either.

Most organic farmers (and many conventional farmers, too) employ mechanical and cultural tools to help control pests. These include insect traps, careful crop selection (e.g., by planting disease-resistant varieties), and biological controls (such as predator insects and beneficial microorganisms).

ORGANIC PRODUCE AND YOUR HEALTH

When you test synthetic chemicals for their ability to cause cancer, you find that about half of them are carcinogenic.

Until recently, few scientists bothered to look at natural chemicals (such as organic pesticides), because it was assumed that they posed little risk.  But when the studies were done, the results were somewhat shocking: you find that about half of the natural chemicals studied are carcinogenic as well.

This is a case where everyone (consumers, farmers, researchers) made the same, dangerous mistake. We assumed that “natural” chemicals were automatically better and safer than synthetic materials, and we were wrong. It’s important that we be more prudent in our acceptance of “natural” as being innocuous and harmless.

ORGANIC VS. SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES

Clearly, the less we impact our environment, the better off we all are.  As mentioned earlier organic farming practices have greatly advanced the use of non-chemical means to control pests.

Unfortunately, these non-chemical methods do not always provide enough protection, and it’s necessary to use chemical pesticides. How do organic pesticides compare with conventional pesticides?

A recent study compared the effectiveness of a rotenone-pyrethrin mixture versus a synthetic pesticide, imidan. Rotenone and pyrethrin are two common organic pesticides; imidan is considered a “soft” synthetic pesticide (i.e., designed to have a brief lifetime after application,  and other traits that minimize unwanted effects). It was found that up to 7 applications of the rotenone- pyrethrin mixture were required to obtain the level of protection provided by 2 applications of imidan.

It seems unlikely that 7 applications of rotenone and pyrethrin are really better for the environment than 2 applications of imidan,  especially when rotenone is extremely toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

It should be noted, however, that we don’t know for certain which system is more harmful. This is because we do not look at organic pesticides the same way that we look at conventional pesticides. We don’t know how long these organic pesticides persist in the environment, or the full extent of their effects.

When you look at lists of pesticides allowed in organic agriculture, you find warnings such as, “Use with caution. The toxicological effects of [organic pesticide X] are largely unknown,” or “Its persistence in the soil is unknown.” Again, researchers haven’t bothered to study the effects of organic pesticides because it is assumed that “natural” chemicals are automatically safe.

WHY HAVEN’T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE?

For obvious reasons, organic farmers have done little, if anything, to dispel the myth that “organic = chemical/pesticide-free”. They would only stand to lose business by making such a disclosure.

Pesticide manufacturers have little concern in the matter. To them, “synthetic pesticides sold” and “organic pesticides sold” are both “pesticides sold”.

As for conventional farmers, they are not really in a position to be critical. It would not be in their interest to draw attention to chemical and pesticide use.

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?

The purpose of this article is not to discourage you from buying organic produce.

It is only meant to let you know what you are or aren’t getting when you make such a purchase. Unless you know your grower personally, there is no guarantee that your produce has been grown without pesticides or other chemicals. It’s a point to consider, given the substantially higher cost of organic foods.

There are many choices and decisions that we, as consumers, are asked to make. Hopefully, this has provided some new information that you will find helpful.

Many thanks go to the Organic Crop Improvement Association for providing much of the information for this study. The OCIA has chapters in AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL,  IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, NC, ND, OH, PA, SD, UT, and WI. Thanks are also extended to the California Certified Organic Farmers, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic.  The following state Departments of Agriculture have also been very helpful: AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, HI, IA, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO,  ND, OK, SC, TN, VA, and WA. States with no laws governing organic products include Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Tennessee.  Minimum requirements for the country are established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board.

The data describing the carcinogenicity of natural and synthetic compounds are referenced in Gold, L.S., et al. (1992) Science Vol. 258, pp. 261-265.

A copy of this document may be downloaded at http://www.37c.org/lhom/organics.doc