As many folks know, "organic" is not the answer to all our of food related problems here in the US (or anywhere for that matter), but it IS a step in the right direction. Unless of course the term "organic" continues to be abused.
I recently read BBC News article about how Wal-Mart's chief executive officer stepped down after overlooking an error in the labeling of conventional pork (coming out of China) as organic FOR TWO YEARS.
As a farmer who is current striving to be able to label our products as 'certified organic,' hearing things like this make me really hesitant to join the club. Getting a basic organic certification is daunting enough, but maybe their should be a more strenuous process out there that captures bio-intensive, sustainable growing practices?
When Wal-Mart started buying organic products it instantly became the largest purchaser of organics in the world. This is great because it's helping make 'organic' more accessible, but is it also hurting the cause?
Jessika,
ReplyDeleteYou make some great points in your blog, especially the one about whether making organic certification more accessible means it is hurting the cause. I hope it doesn't, we need all the help we can.
Here is an article in this month's Puget Sound Co-op news that gives good reason for farmers to transition to organic: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/1111/30year_organic_study.html
It is America's longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and chemical agriculture. Their conclusion: organics rules!
The findings are:
--organic yields match conventional yields
--organic outperforms conversations in years of drought
--organic farming systems builds soil matter
--organic farming uses 45 percent less energy!!
--conventional systems produce 40 percent more greenhouse gases
--organic farming systems are proving more profitable
Thank you for transitioning your cranberry farm. Do know in time your hard work will pay off as indicated above. Organic Rules!
Thanks for sharing this Jess, I can't believe there wasn't a watchdog organization watching what Wal-Mart was doing- 2 years is unelectable! I agree that the integrity of the organic certification is at risk as the Big Businesses continue to enter the market and I hope that they aren't successfully at influencing the USDA - I guess we will see their damage through the next Farm Bill.
ReplyDeleteThis is the problem with not having a connection with your supplier. Wal Mart has the resources to send people even to China to take a look at how their products are produced. What gets me is that Wal Mart believed the supplier. Seeing as China is a country that allows Formica in baby formula and where grease is recovered from the gutter for reuse in restaurants, I'm not surprised that the pork wasn't organic. You're right. This kind of thing devalues the whole meaning of "Organic" in the consumers' mind and pushes the movement back. I'm not sure how to rectify the situation, except by transparency and honest on the part of both producer and seller. Of course, one could always buy pork (or cranberries for that matter) from someone you know and trust.
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