What does organic mean? Get the textbook definition, plus 14 facts the organic industry doesn’t want you to know. Use this information to make the best decisions for your family when it comes to buying organic products.
When my daughter was born, Mr. Crumbs and I committed to buying organic milk, chicken, and eggs. Shortly thereafter, we also decided to buy organic produce according to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, as often as the budget allowed.
As the price of food continues to rise, we fight back by evaluating the food we buy. We consider what items we buy, the quality of what we buy, and whether our original decisions still fit into our real food mentality.
For example, we’ve noticed that the price of milk has gone up $1.50 since last year. We’ve been experimenting with dairy-free options, and have even considered forgoing all milk unless it has been cultured into yogurt or kefir. No definitive decision has been made yet, but we’re not sticking our heads in the sand and pretending the issue doesn’t exist.
So when a reader made the comment that she wasn’t going to buy organic produce anymore after doing some research for her own family, I started wondering about our own decision to buy organic produce too… especially since I’ve heard practically nothing but rave reviews about organic foods since day 1.
WHAT IS ORGANIC FOOD?
Why would a fellow real food eater purposely stop buying organic produce? What skeletons did she uncover in her research that I should know about? Were they really so bad that it warranted swearing off buying organic produce entirely?
I decided to do a little digging myself and as it turns out, there’s a plethora of “hidden” information on organic food and the organic industry as a whole. I say “hidden” loosely, because it’s not buried beneath links and PDF files to the point of no return.
It’s just that unless you choose to look, you won’t find anything.
After reading several books and articles and coming across enough little-known facts about organic food to make my head spin, I wasn’t so sure about our commitment to organic food anymore.
These 14 facts I’m sharing today are only a small glimpse into the organic industry – an industry that has grown at a rate that may not be sustainable for the long term.
I’m prefacing these facts with a disclaimer that I’m NOT calling organics bad or good, nor am I calling conventional bad or good. I firmly believe and will continue to encourage every family to make the best decisions that suit their needs.
But I also believe that your decisions should be well-informed.
With that said, here is some background information to set the stage.
WHAT DOES ORGANIC MEAN?
Many people don’t know the true meaning of the word “organic.” Some take it to mean natural, pesticide-free, and local. Others take it to mean certified to the utmost degree.
Here’s what it means to the United States Department of Agriculture, and for our purposes, the REAL definition of organic:
Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced according to the USDA organic standards. These methods integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used.
I know that language is somewhat ambiguous, so here are a few highlights to help explain what those “approved methods” include, in plain English:
- That irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were not used
- Pesticides, if used, must be derived from natural sources
- These pesticides must be applied using equipment that has not been used to apply any synthetic materials for the past three years
- The land being planted cannot have been treated with synthetic materials for three years either
- Producers met animal health and welfare standards, did not use antibiotics or growth hormones, used 100% organic feed, and provided animals with access to the outdoors.
Note: There is also a chemistry definition of organic, which has to do with chemical structure, where a chemical is considered organic if it has at least one carbon atom. That’s not the definition we are using today.
Another post that you might find helpful is one that I wrote on the labeling of foods in the supermarket. You’ll want to read that one too, if you haven’t already, so you can understand what all the stickers on our produce means.
14 FACTS THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW
I’ve gathered information on things in the organic industry that gives me pause, including pesticides, labeling with the ‘organic seal’, and the quality of the organic food. Use these as a stepping stone in your own research.
(1) Pesticides are allowed in organic production.
Organic advocates often leave the impression that organic farming eliminates the need for pesticides…if that were true, the Organic Materials Review Institute would have no need to list more than 40 pesticides allowed in organic production.
This will come as a big shocker to those who buy organic products to avoid harmful pesticides. It’s true that each one of the 40+ pesticides on the “approved” list is individually reviewed and approved for use, but they’re still pesticides. They’ve been designed to do the same thing as all the other pesticides out there and there’s no guarantee that they’re any safer.
(2) Some “natural” chemicals used in organic farming are carcinogenic.
Until recently, nobody bothered to look at natural chemicals (such as organic pesticides and pest control), because it was assumed that they posed little risk. But when the studies were done…you found that about half of the natural chemicals studied are carcinogenic as well.
The organic industry has always been deemed “safer” than conventional, so very little attention has been given to testing the chemicals used in organic farming to see whether they really are safe. As it turns out, some of the approved chemicals may do just as much harm as some of the “dangerous” chemicals used often in conventional farming.
For families like my own, where we buy USDA organic foods to avoid harmful chemicals, this means that our money spent has essentially been wasted. In fact, we might be doing more harm than good since the “natural” chemicals haven’t been thoroughly tested.
(3) Organic pesticides aren’t always as effective as synthetic and may require more application in order to achieve the same protection.
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.
Building on the fact that many organic pesticides haven’t been tested for safety, now we see that farmers are having to use more because they’re not as effective as the chemicals used in conventional farming.
I’m not sure what’s more dangerous – consuming a larger quantity of chemicals that have NOT been tested for safety, or consuming a lesser quantity of chemicals that HAVE been tested for safety…
LABELING WHAT IS ORGANIC
(4) There are 35 non-synthetic, non-organic substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed foods labeled with the USDA Organic Seal.
When you buy organic food items, how often do you read the ingredients? Do you ever? Or do you just trust the organic label and feel better about what you’re buying?
Carrageenan is an ingredient found in dairy products that serves as an emulsifier, making ingredients creamy. It’s also a substance known so well for causing inflammation that it’s used to test anti-inflammatory drugs.
You’ll find this often in items like coconut milk and almond milk, and you’ll find it in both conventional AND organic ingredients because it’s on the list of approved non-organic substances allowed to be in foods labeled organic.
(5) There are 43 synthetic, non-organic substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as organic ingredients
This is similar to point #4, except this time we’re talking about non-natural substances, like cellulose and ethylene.
Cellulose is most often found in packages of shredded cheese, to help keep it from clumping. Cellulose is also the fancy name for wood pulp.
Ethylene can be found as a natural plant hormone, and in nature, it’s what triggers the fruit to ripen. In farming, however, fruits are picked early so that they can be shipped to faraway places without going bad before arrival. Upon arrival, a synthetic variation of ethylene is sprayed on the fruits so that they look ripe on the shelf at the supermarket.
(6) Over 45 non-organically produced ingredients are allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled “organic” when the ingredient is not commercially available in organic form.
Basically, an organic food production facility simply has to say that the organic version of such-and-such ingredient isn’t available, and they’re allowed to use the conventional counterpart.
Included in this list is soy lecithin, the leftover sludge waste from processing soybean oil. Cornstarch is also on the list, which is produced from corn…and according to the FDA, 92% of corn is genetically modified. You’ll find these in a lot of processed foods.
(7) Only 95% of a food item is required to be organic in order to be USDA-certified organic.
The other 5% is supposed to come from a list of approved substances, but there are small loopholes that allow things like the casings of sausage to be made from prohibited substances, even if the sausage is marketed as USDA organic.
It’s also worth noting that some of the items allowed to be in organic foodstuffs aren’t even food. One example is the synthetic chemicals used in disinfecting washes. In my opinion, the guidelines are rather loose.
ORGANIC PRODUCTS CERTIFICATION
(8) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Organic Program (NOP) do not certify or inspect companies/foods for certification.
The USDA is the umbrella manager of the NOP.
The NOP creates the policies and regulations for certifying agencies to follow during the certification process.
Neither the USDA nor the NOP have specific responsibilities or hands in the day-to-day operations of the organic certification process. Instead, they are simply the managers overseeing that the organic certification is working as it’s supposed to…in the United States. Neither the USDA nor the NOP have any control or authority over farming methods or food produced in other countries.
(9) The company/brand seeking organic certification pays the accrediting company.
The accrediting company not only offers the original certification but also offers the annual re-certification of being organic.
To put this into perspective, it would be like paying a police officer to help you when they respond to a 911 call…or paying the officer as they patrol the neighborhood…or paying the officer when they arrest you.
While most companies are honest, this arrangement clearly creates a potential conflict of interest. Fraudulent certifications and under-the-table payments for signatures and accreditation can be easily obtained and forged.
(10) Two of the three major organic certifying companies are for-profit. Only one organization is non-profit.
Quality Assurance International (QAI) is the largest certifying company of USDA organic foods, and it is for-profit. California Certified Organic Farmers is also for-profit.
Oregon Tilth was founded as a non-profit company and still is.
Since the certifying companies are businesses seeking to obtain and maintain profit, it should be even more concerning that they’re being paid by the ones they certify.
(11) The actual certification to become organic, and follow-up inspections of companies certified organic, are often outsourced to a third party.
The major organic certifying companies usually do not have offices in faraway places, nor do they have the funds to travel to faraway locations to certify and/or inspect for themselves. As a result, these tasks are often outsourced to another third-party company.
If you’re following along, here’s an example of how far removed the farm can be from your fork:
- USDA/NOP certifies QAI (QAI pays USDA/NOP).
- QAI certifies Muir Glen as an organic tomato processing plant (Muir Glen pays QAI)
- QAI outsources the organic certification of the remote tomato farm to a third party (the tomato farm pays the third party, and the third party pays USDA/NOP)
- Your local grocery store buys organic tomatoes from Muir Glen and has no clue where the tomatoes truly came from (and to be honest, Muir Glen might not know either).
QUALITY OF THE FOOD
(12) Organic foods may be cross-contaminated with conventional versions of the same food.
Both organic and conventional avocados are grown in Mexico. These avocados are likely grown in neighboring fields and processed in the same facility. The risk of cross-contamination between conventional avocados and organic avocados, as well as any other food item, increases with each step away from the farm. The farm itself, shipment to a plant, during processing, during packaging, during shipment, and during the stocking of the shelves are all opportunities for cross-contamination.
Since the NOP doesn’t specify the width between organic fields and conventional fields (they simply state “sufficient to prevent contamination“), conventional and organic foods could grow – and go through the other steps in the food production process – right next door to each other with minimal interference.
Depending on how well each farmer/processor/shipper regards the rules for organic in their own country, the risk could be exponentially far greater. The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention has a database containing several cases of where organic food items have been contaminated with their conventional counterpart. That database is HERE.
From the consumer’s standpoint, once the bin is full, the avocados will be labeled organic. We can’t really know, because you can’t judge whether an avocado is USDA organic or conventional by looks alone.
(13) Organic foods may be “watered down.”
Say we’re dealing with an almond grower that grows both organic and conventional almonds. The grower ships the harvested almonds to the processing plant, where the nuts are hulled, shelled, and pasteurized.
Conventional almonds may be mixed with organic almonds – intentionally or unintentionally – in order to produce a higher yield of “organic” almonds. While this is against NOP rules, it happens, nonetheless.
The NOP receives about 200 complaints of fraud each year. Harold Chase and his selling of conventional corn as organic corn is one of the recent ones happening in the U.S. You can view a list of other cases investigated and closed by the NOP HERE.
(14) Annual sales of organic food totals about $27 billion each year, yet there are only 27 employees in the NOP.
The NOP has no dealings with the day-to-day operations in the organic industry. In short, they’re responsible for creating the rules and enforcing the rules. They also handle complaints and disputes that arise from breaking the rules. Yet the NOP is severely understaffed to handle these issues.
With only one staff member for every $1 billion in sales each year, the NOP is forced to be a reactive organization, rather than a proactive organization for the organic industry.
Note: The $27 billion figure was as of 2011. Within a couple of years, the organic sales total yielded over $52 billion worldwide.
WHAT DOES ORGANIC MEAN TO YOU?
Since some of the government standards about organic farming listed above aren’t quite what we imagined, an alternative to “organic” labels is food labeled Certified Naturally Grown. They hold most organic porcesses but are peer-reviewed instead of government certified. You can find more about this program here.
Eating real food is truly a journey. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to just cover our eyes with a blanket and stop asking so many questions. But knowing why we do the things we do is what keeps us on this journey. It helps us to continue making good, smart choices with the food we buy and the money we spend.
Do you buy USDA organic food? Is it to avoid pesticides or pesticide residue? Because it tastes better? Because it’s “healthier?”
Regardless of what you buy, make sure you know why. Understanding the quality of food and its importance to your family is one of the foundational lessons I teach in Grocery Budget Bootcamp. Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE 5-day Crush Inflation Challenge and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!
We look at food labels and ingredients and see natural, pure, organic, grass-fed, pastured, etc, and it can get very overwhelming to research them all. But digging into those terms and understanding them will help you make the best choices for your family.
WHAT’S YOUR STANCE ON ORGANIC FOODS AND THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY? HOW DOES ORGANIC FOOD FIT INTO YOUR GROCERY BUDGET?
Comments on this post are currently closed. We would like to thank all the readers and small farmers who have left positive feedback and expertise. You helped us correct and clarify a few of our points. If you have any questions or concerns about this post, feel free to email me directly!
stephanie
So confused now! I guess I will just keep buying grass fed beef,organic free range eggs and chickens,and keep searching for the cheapest organic produce,and hope for the best…And yes I’m starting my own Non Gmo garden,and making a chicken coop to raise my own for my family,never tried this before so wish me luck,all in all I’m eating better than I ever have…Realist not Extremist.
Tiffany
Good luck Stephanie! Kudos for starting your own garden and getting chickens!!
(And it’s okay to be confused – there’s a lot of information out there. Hopefully we’ll get through it all sooner rather than later. 🙂 )
stephanie
Yes I hope so…Lol…My new thing is to post all the Organics I find at different stores for friends on my FB page ,they can choose ,I also find a lot at .99 store,so that saves me money which is a plus..
Meghan
As always, great and informative post. I’m finding the more I try to learn about real food, how little I actually know. This will definitely help me make smart decisions for my family, based on what is most important to us. Thank you!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Meghan!
Sarah Bennett
In regards to the dirty dozen and clean 15. I would like to request your take Tiffany, on what your idea of a list like that would look like. I am a farmer and I know that there is always room for loop holes and really the only way to be sure about what you are eating is to grow and produce it yourself. But every winter especially I wonder when I chose what to buy in the grocery store what to spend the extra on and what not to. I would love for you to do a follow up article on this and what you have found is most important to still get organically and what is only minimally different.
Thanks
Sarah
Tiffany
I will definitely include this in a follow-up article Sarah. My research has changed our approach to shopping, but we haven’t had a chance to implement it and see how it pans out in real life. I’ll be sure to share how it goes though, because that “how this works in real life” aspect is always the kicker!
Melissa L.
We will most likely continue to buy the organic products and produce that we do buy, but probably won’t feel so bad when we can’t find a certain item or can’t afford it. We have gotten used to the taste of most things and find their conventional counterparts to taste so salty or unusual. We buy mostly fresh food – not a lot of boxed or processed foods, but I do have children and a daycare so I’m almost forced to purchase snacks that I would rather not because most of the kids aren’t used to the way my family eats. I always look forward to this time of year when I can get my garden started and can start going to the local farmers markets!
Tiffany
I think that’s a great stance Melissa! I hope you’re able to put up some of your bounty this summer – dehydrated snacks would be a great addition during those winter months!
Rebecca
Wow–I want first to say how impressed I am with the kindness and respect of commenters on this post. (I didn’t read all the comments; just browsed.)
A couple of years ago, I wrote an editorial for a magazine I work for after a study released the finding that organic and conventionally grown produce had the same nutrient value. I wrote to encourage cash-strapped moms like myself to lay aside the tremendous guilt we are made to feel because we simply cannot afford to buy organic for our families. If we did insist on organic, some of us would starve.
The backlash I received in hate mail was staggering. I was told by one reader that it would be better if more people died rather than continue with conventional farming and poisoning the earth. Another told me I was outside of God’s will in my position, leading people into hell, and going there myself. Because I told them not to feel guilty over their inability to buy a $4 green bell pepper when they can get 3 for $2 instead?
There is much encouragement in this post, and I thank you for it. I wish I had had access to it back then.
Not yet starving, still feeding four kids, and still not in hell…
–R
Erin
Of all the responses, I think I like yours the best! 🙂
Tiffany
Thank you so much Rebecca for sharing this!! Encouraging readers is always one of my goals, so it’s encouraging to ME to hear that I’ve done that. Thank you for your support!
In regards to the backlash – my heart goes out to you because I’ve been there (and in some cases are still there) and completely understand! {{hugs}}
sarah
Thank you ladies for giving someone the truth behind the labels. I doubt you could go to hell for doing what you feel is right for your family. I’m more concerned for the people that try so hard to make everyone else feel bad about their choices. I buy no organic. I am a conventional farmer. I believe in our practices. I sleep well at night knowing my animals are taken care of, my kids are fed, and we are doing the best we can with what we have. I agree if organic feels right to you and you can afford it, go ahead. But for me and my family we seem to be surviving just fine on conventional.
Tiffany
Thank you Sarah, for being bold enough to share this!! Your honest opinion is a breath of fresh air, and I appreciate you being confident in the decisions you make for your family without bashing others in the process. Many blessings to you and your family!!!
John
A friend posted this to a group I am in, and I figured I would share the response I gave there here. I have been involved with food and farming for over a decade now. I speak at various conferences such as Mother Earth News, Weston A. Price, and the like. So I have a good bit of knowledge and experience on these issues.
First and foremost, I think the title of this post is really misleading. That alone is a big problem. No one is hiding almost any of the above in the “organic industry.”
From there here were some comments I shared,
“This article has some good points mixed in with some highly inaccurate assertions or information,
Like this,
“They’ve been designed to do the same thing as all the other pesticides out there and there’s no guarantee that they’re any safer.” This just isn’t an accurate assessment of organic versus non-organic approved pesticides, for instance.
The 2nd point, about carcinogens, is likewise really problematic… almost half of all chemicals period have been found to be carcinogenic… to make the general funny response, H2O is deadly. It is all about dose and form of exposure, etc.
when sweeping claims like this get made, it is really unhelpful to teaching people good thinking about food and health.
the use more claim is another it just isn’t that simple type issue, and relates back to other issues related to industrial organic food production (instead of local organic production by small farmers).
I can go on if members want, or maybe write a little response to this.
I do believe she completely gets wrong the 5% rule with organics and totally misunderstands how that works. the 5% rule is in regards to multiple ingredient items I believe, not single items (like a fruit, or oats, etc.).
So, when you get an organic avocado, it isn’t 5% non-organic… but if you buy, say a box of processed organic cereal, or granola, etc. yes, that can be up to 5% non-organic.
Again, I can go on, if people want to discuss some of these matters and why they matter.”
From there, I think some of the latter points qualify as slander and liable without proof. When I talk about problems in industrial organic, I have actual proof thanks to Cornucopia and other groups that collect evidence.
Producing blog posts that will generate a lot of traffic without having evidence of some of the accusations of wrong doing in my view is a violation of basic standards of how we are to treat others and their businesses. It may generate internet traffic, but it does so at a very high cost.
Christine
You make some excellent points. Just how I was thinking. Thank you for bringing some accuracy to this discussion!
Tiffany
Hi John – I appreciate you sharing your experience and personal opinions. Before I address any of your specific claims, I want to clarify that not a single one of the numbered points is my personal opinion. They are all facts and my sources are cited at the bottom of the post.
I also mentioned early in the article that this information is somewhat hidden. It’s not NOT public knowledge, but it’s not necessarily readily available unless you know where to look. Even then, you have to take a significant amount of time to read and thoroughly research from several sources in order to remotely come to a conclusion. The purpose of this post was to share what I myself had learned over the past three months of researching organics for my own family. I know that many of my readers don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to researching topics like this, so if I can share what I’ve learned in order to help just one family, then it’s worth it.
You state that natural pesticides not being any safer is inaccurate. Do you have testing data to show otherwise? At the time my sources were written, there was not any testing done on the safety of natural pesticides (as I mentioned in the article), but I know that science progress as a fast rate. I’d love to continue researching this, and would appreciate if you had any resources to share.
My thoughts on carcinogenic claims are the same. Since what I was written is factual and cited, I’d be interested to know if there are more current resources that state otherwise.
You are incorrect on the 5% rule – it applies to anything that bears the “certified organic” label. Edit: We did update the point in the original post.
Can you tell me which points you believe are slander? As I’ve already mentioned, and cited in my article, these points are not my personal opinion but rather based on factual data.
Your last comment makes me think that you are a new reader to Crumbs – welcome! You should know that it has never been, and never will be, my intention to provide inaccurate information for any gain whatsoever. I encourage you to dig around the archives a bit, read more about my story and how Crumbs developed before drawing such a rash conclusion. I believe that you’ll find a blogger who is quite the opposite to the one you have characterized!
John
[This comment has been edited in order to maintain the positive environment we strive to maintain. While readers are encourage readers to share their opinion, personal attacks or discussions that do not further the mission of Crumbs – which is help people eat real food and live healthier lives, on a real budget – are not tolerated.]
Well, for numbers 8-14, you provide no sources. I don’t see how these are not much more than personal opinions about how stuff actual happens, or while factual, seem to imply something is amiss without any actual evidence of it being so.
Tiffany
John,
My source for #8-14 is a book titled “Organic: A journalists quest to discover the truth behind food labeling.” It’s source #6 listed above. It’s written by a well-respected, well-researched and award-winning journalist. He cites over 100 sources in his book. If you want to know the exact page number I obtained these facts from, feel free to check out the book from your local library. While you’re there, I also recommend checking out the last source cited, “A Field Guide to Buying Organic.”
I’ve also edited your comment in order to maintain the positive environment we strive to maintain. While I encourage readers to share their opinion, we do not tolerate personal attacks or engage in tit-for-tat discussions that do not further the mission of Crumbs – which is help people eat real food and live healthier lives, on a real budget.
If you want to further discuss this issue, I truly encourage you to read the two books I’ve mentioned and then contacting me directly.
Erin
I just wanted to say, Tiffany, that your response and humility to others says a lot about your character and makes me want to read your blog even more. Thank you!
Janira B.
Tiffany,
If you have a chance, read this article. http://www.foodrenegade.com/vaccines-pr-and-the-news-cycle/
When you receive comments that attack you personally and make blanket negative comments to attack your well researched article – it’s a PR ploy to bring doubt and to try to discredit the blogger. Since this post has received so much traffic you are bound to be attacked.
Keep up the good work Tiffany!!!! If they don’t like what you say, no one is forcing them to read your posts.
Tiffany
THANK YOU Janira for sharing this! The Organic Trade Association has came forth just this morning. I appreciate all the support and comments you’ve left on this blog!!
Laurel
Thank you, John!
carla
Thank you as well.
mary
Enlightening. Informative. Helpful. (Including all the pointed comments).
Tiffany
Thanks Mary! And yes, the comments are wonderful!
norma
I don;t buy 100% organic and I treat all organic produce I buy the same as the conventional produce I buy. Meaning I soak it in vinegar water or 1 t. of bleach water. Yes, I know bleach is a chemical but it was recommended by our chiropractor and then soaking in plain water. It neutralizes the chemicals from the pesticides etc…….. so I have read.
the best plan it to raise as much fruit and veggies as you can yourself and frequent farmers markets to avoid the majority of chemicals.
Tiffany
We soak all of our produce in an apple cider vinegar wash – maybe that would be a bit safer than bleach? Do you know why he recommended bleach in particular? Or was that just in preference to plain water? Just curious. 🙂
Your plan for sourcing – home and then the market – sounds great!
Jean
What about the GMO issue? One of the main reasons I buy organic is to avoid GMO’s especially when we are not allowed to know if a particular food is GMO or not. Know your farmer is the best way to avoid Organic Fraud so buy local BUT check out your farmer. Ask the right questions, as a ‘retired’ local grower I know the questions to ask. There are many things that are getting harder to get ‘Organic’, like corn, because of cross-pollination with GMO products.
Tiffany
You’re right Jean – organic farms can be right next to a GMO farm and it’s totally okay… and out of the control of the organic farmer if cross-pollination (or cross-contamination) occurs. According to standards, organic food is supposed to be non-GMO. But that’s not how it always is in practice…
Rebecca
I’ve personally, in person, spoken with local organic farmers about their certification process. They can not be *right next* to GMO fields, there is a distance (which I don’t remember exactly) that must be there as a buffer and so many have to own land they can’t farm simply to have this buffer for certification. Even with that buffer, some have lost the organic certification because of cross contamination because of the wind, etc… carrying over the unwanted products. There are also many farmers who follow organic methods and nourish the soil, etc… but don’t spend the time and money on certification, as they feel it won’t be beneficial to them. Cost too much time and money, not provide enough benefit.
I don’t have the answer to this problem of providing consumers with a standard and providing farmers with regulations that make it feasible to be certified.
I just buy organic where I can, know the farms I buy from as best I can, and garden, keep chickens, etc…
Tiffany
Thanks Rebecca – I’ll dig a bit deeper into the buffer zone and research that more!
Edit/Update: From what I’ve been able to find, the NOP doesn’t specify the width between organic fields and conventional fields, they simply state “sufficient to prevent contamination“ – SOURCE
Tiffany
Thanks Celeste – we’ve covered GMO a little for corn, but we haven’t gone in depth on the others just yet!
Theresa
As an organic dairy farmer, we do have to leave a buffer strip. We also plant much later to avoid cross contamination. Most conventional farmers don’t plant hay or oats either. Organic producers have to rotate our crops every year. On our farm, we plant our corn away from fields of conventional corn, and because we can’t have seed treatments, we have to wait until the soil is 50 degrees or higher. This means we plant 3-4 weeks later. We were given a “spot check” by Oregon Tilth last year on our oats, which is they take a sample, come unannounced, and test it. They did seven pages, yes, seven pages of testing for chemicals, gmos, etc., no amounts of residue were found. We take what we do very seriously, and are getting tired of being called liars, thieves, frauds. We work very hard to assure no chemicals or GMOs taint our milk and crops. We sell our milk through Organic Valley, and they have even higher standards than the USDA/NOP standards. We care about quality!
Tiffany
Thank you Theresa! I’ve mentioned to other commenters that this article is not a personal stab at the small farmer by any means. It’s mere facts about the organic certification/label that many people don’t know about. I also know that while you and other small farmers work very hard to follow the rules as their written, your work ethic doesn’t span the globe across every country. Many of our foods are imported, so I believe it’s important that readers (consumers) know that blindly buying the organic label doesn’t guarantee anything. Buying locally and supporting the small farmer is a better way to know what you’re buying. I wish I had an organic dairy farmer like you close to my home!
Laura
I appreciate the work you are doing! Thanks for speaking up.
Ashley
We buy what ever fits our budget at the time. We are planning to grow more of our own food and start from organic seeds because even that 5% of non-organic can not contain gmo’s. I started some apple trees from seed this year. My biggest goal is to grow our own food with as little chemicals as possible. I know I can’t do everything, but every little bit helps. We also have two worm bins that we compost yer round. People laugh when I say that I need to feed my worms but they love the food and I love the dark, rich, earthy soil I get from them.
Tiffany
I have a friend who swears by her worm poop. I’ve seen her garden, so you have my support!!
The only catch with GMO’s being in organic food is the clause in NOP’s regulations that says if an organic variety is not available for commercial use, they are allowed to use non-organic – which means there is a chance that particular item could be GMO. One example (of many) is cheese. Finding organic rennet (the enzyme most often used that separates curds and whey in the cheese-making process) is very difficult, and 70% of cheese is made with a GMO variety of this enzyme. If the manufacturer cannot find organic rennet for commercial use, they could have to resort to the conventional, GMO variety. While they would request letters of certification that the rennet was not GMO, those letters aren’t always clear… and frankly, the suppliers aren’t always honest.
Not trying to tit for tat Ashley – it’s just another thing I learned in the research process that surprised me. 🙂 I hope your garden flourishes!!
Julie Schaer
This is not true. When a seed is not available in sufficient quantity or quality a farmer can- with approval- use a non-organically produced, non-GMO seed. The farmer is responsible for gathering sources to show that the seed is not available and for affidavits and documentation that the seed used is not GMO. It is a lot of work and a hassle. Trust me, farmers avoid this and much prefer to source organic seed. There is no clause in the NOP for GMO anywhere. It is a dirty dirty word in the Organic world
Tiffany
Thank you Julie and Celeste!
Ava
One of the trainers that I was working out with was doing a lot of research into nutrition. I told him that I was pretty proud of myself because I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods and buy only organic/ non GMO products. He told me that the only things I should buy at Whole Foods are 1. Grass fed beef, 2. Grass fed milk, 3. Eggs. He said the rest is a waste of money. Just invest in a good veggie wash/ salad spinner. I am sure that there are still some benefits with organic.. but after doing the cost/benefit analysis on that, I think I am going to follow my trainer’s advice.
Tiffany
I think you’re trainer is on to something good! You can find good, real food at SO many other places than the expensive health food stores. 😉
Heather Y
What about the whole “Dirty Dozen/Clean 15” list? Does that even apply, if it’s true that even the organic stuff is getting sprayed with stuff too?
To be honest, I feel a little like crying! To think we’ve been working so hard to stretch our budget to afford the organic/natural options when it’s very possible we’ve been wasting our money! Blech!
Being in Michigan, our farmers market only runs May to October, so we are very limited on local produce for half the year. That makes it harder to be diligent with our dollars as we don’t have a ton of options…
Tiffany
Heather, the “Dirty Dozen/Clean 15” definitely helps if you want to buy organic and you’re not sure where to begin, but you’re right – it’s possible that it’s all getting sprayed anyway.
I feel you Heather, and I’ve felt like crying for a few months now as I’ve been doing this research. The light at the end of the tunnel though is being fully informed. Even if organic isn’t what we thought it was, we now KNOW this, and can spend our money and make decisions appropriately. And even if you still want to buy organic, you know what you’re facing.
As for the winter… you’re not alone. Can you stock up and can/freeze for Winter? Or maybe do that to cover a couple months of the winter, but be okay with the grocery store the other months and know that it comes with the territory of living where you are? I wish there was a one-size fits all option for everyone, but unfortunately, there are drawbacks to every scenario. 🙁
Jake
I feel like crying too. I work in this area and know hundreds of people that do. It’s terribly upsetting to read something so innacurate and needlessly hyperbolic. This appears to be based off one poorly researched and innacurate book and no efforts to contact any of the individuals or organizations that actually do this work.
Ccof is a non-profit, you can’t just add conventional oats in this example, the allowed non-organic ingredients are extremely limited, and always labeled. Etc etc.
Tiffany
Jake – the oats example has been removed, and a more accurate description has been put in it’s place. If you believe my facts are incorrect, I welcome you to leave additional links for me to research, especially since information is always changing. However, as of the writing of this post, every point made was factual. Just so you know, constructive feedback is always welcome, but slanderous comments will not be tolerated.
Shauna
Like everyone else, there are only so many dollars in the budget for us to spend on food. I have to prioritize my food choices because I can’t afford to buy everything organic. My top priority is to spend the money for pastured pork/chicken and grass-fed beef from local farms. It’s very expensive compared to supermarket meats, but I feel that it would be better to not eat meat at all than to eat meat from conventionally raised animals. Because I am investing in our meats, I do not have money to buy organic produce so I don’t buy organic produce. I buy from the local farmer’s market when I can and in the winter I buy what the supermarket has available. It’s important to be eating the fruits and veggies so not being able to buy organic does not stop me from buying and eating them.
Kristen
Shauna, I could have written your reply word for word! We buy local, pastured beef, pork, chickens, eggs, and milk. Those are my top priorities. We do not eat many processed products (mostly condiments that I need to work on replicating). I buy as many fruits and veggies as I can locally, then what I can’t get and during the winter is from the grocery store. We have a right budget, so I do not go out of my way to look for organic produce. I figure it’s my trade-off for feeding my family top quality meats. I’d rather get grass fed beef and conventional apples than CAFO raised beef and organic apples.
This was a great topic. Thanks!
Kristen
Proofreading fail: tight budget, not a right one!
Tiffany
Thank you for sharing how you make it work for your families Shauna and Kristen!!
Anna
Has anyone ever seen the hazmat, suits local farmers and strawberry patch growers wear when they spray their crops for bugs? Makes me wonder just how good their produce is to eat.
Tiffany
Yes, I have Anna. I live in California, in the heart of the country where the majority of strawberries and lettuce is grown. It definitely makes you think.
Madfiddler
I tend to buy mostly organic food because most of it is reasonably priced where I live, and I like to support my locally owned grocery. Organic produce does not necessarily have the levels of pesticides that conventional does, because organic farms are supposed to rotate crops to stop diseases from building up in the soil. Luckily integrated pest management (where farmers use various techniques to repress infestations and turn to pesticides only as a last resort) is catching on even with conventional farms. The diligence of a farmer in protecting the soil will vary from farm to farm whether organic or not, and IMO healthy soil is everything.
I like to know something about each crop so I have an idea which are more resource-heavy (I don’t eat almonds anymore regardless of the source, because they divert rivers and destroy whole watersheds to get water to them), or toxic (I don’t shun GMO squash. It has a gene from eggplant which makes it immune to blight and I believe that is safer and more effective than pesticide application). Things like the muir glen tomatoes are trickier. I love canned tomatoes and wish I could get around to canning some myself.
As far as additives are concerned, that is just what comes along with pre-processed food, regardless of whether or not it’s organic or not. It’s a price we pay for convenience, and I usually trust my tastebuds to choose between the few processed foods I buy. Ethylene gas whether natural or synthetic is not harmful so that doesn’t worry me, but a lot of conventional produce is washed in bleach water before it goes on the shelves which I’m not thrilled about. As you point out, choosing to eat non-destructively is certainly not as simple as picking organic or conventional. I try not to worry about it too much though. I eat what I can afford, and enjoy it as much as possible because life is short!
Tiffany
Thanks so much for sharing this with us Madfiddler! You’ve got some great ideas, and make awesome points. I like your final mantra – eat what you can afford and enjoy it!!
M.
Thanks, Tiffany, for this well-researched post. This is very helpful to me and my budget.
Tiffany
You’re so welcome!!
Tiffany
With each passing day, this is the stance we’re leaning towards too Amy. I balance is important, but if you’re going to buy/not-buy organic/conventional, I want everyone to be as informed as they can regarding their decision. Ultimately it’s up to each family to decide, but you’re right – a critical eye is a must!
Leslie
Don’t be naive to think that if you grow your own food, you’re safe from GMOs/pesticides . MANY seed and seedling companies are owned by Monsanto. It’s hard (and expensive) to buy organic seeds, which I assume have the same challenges as the food above (watering down, etc.)
Audra Russell
Leslie…there are quite a few seed companies that are not owned by Monsanto that you can buy organic, non-GMO seeds from, and honestly they are not that much more expensive than other seeds (and in some cases the prices are comparable. The two main ones I buy from are Seed Savers Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Tiffany
Thanks for offering Leslie helpful advise Audra!
Anna
Good point…..and bugs and pests get on your own garden too. Plus fertilizer has all kinds of stuff we don’t want.
mandy
Not every thing Monsanto sells is gmo. There are not gmo varieties available for the general gardener. Most of the gmos are in Agronomy crops. Hybrids are not gmos. I have had no problem finding non gmo non organic seeds in heirloom and hybrid varieties.
Jess
I do have a question…is there a difference in regulation between organic certification organizations? Would Oregon Tilthbe better because they are not for profit and less risk of manipulating the system?
Tiffany
The short answer Jess is no – if the certifying agency is US-based, then they should adhere to the USDA/NOP certification standards in their own process. I honestly don’t know if supporting the non-profit over other certifying agencies would truly avoid system manipulation… some of the highest paid CEO’s are from non-profit organizations. (Note – I don’t know the financials of Oregon Tilth, I’m just tossing food for thought out.
Jess
I love this post because we have never been able to afford organic and I’ve always felt guilty but not so much anymore. Thank you so much for doing all the research, it’s awesome!
I think anytime something is taken over by big business that is in it for profit the lines and standards become blurred. Supporting local businesses and agriculture is probably the best way to know exactly what is on/in your organic food. Or growing it yourself, which we are doing some of this year too! 🙂
Tiffany
Thanks Jess, and you’re welcome! I think that’s one of the biggest downfalls of the organic system as it stands right now. Many organic brands are now owned by bigger food companies. When we used to think buying Santa Cruz Organics meant supporting a local business, it’s really just feeding the system. SCO is now owned by RW Knudsen and Smuckers, and they bought it likely just to get a leg into the organic industry to increase profits.
To some people, buying organic is like buying name brand clothes. It’s buying the image, but not the product itself.
Anna
I have found buying organic fruits and veggies only cents on the dollar more. Go to TJs. An organic apple is 10 cents more. A banana 10 cents more. Spinach 50 cents more. Eggs 1 $ more. Milk 1.50 more. Cereal 1$ more. Hardly like buying name brand clothes. Now meat is much higher.
Also if you are concerned buy label 100% organic.
Of course there is a differance in organically grown and organic material. Wood, leaves, bones, animals, cotton, most paper, even ourselves, are considered organic. Whatever would break down over a period of time…just because it is organic or natural does not mean I want to eat it.
Use common sense. Avoid Nitrates. Don’t smoke. Get exercise. Avoid soda and high processed sugar. Limit fast food and pizza. Eat 100 % organic when you can and make good choices when you cant. Nothing is truly free of radicals. Or pesticides. Our rain is tainted and so is our soil to some degree.
Ty for reading my rambles.
Tiffany
Thank you for sharing your rambles Anna! 🙂
Dave
Hi Anna,
In most cases, you are absolutely correct about organic being the same or slightly more than non-organic. When conventional stores carry both organic and non-organic items they use particular pricing strategies to influence your decision-making processes. Something to keep in mind is that in these conventional businesses produce has the highest margin of anything in the store–even supplements! Conventional grocers generally have a margin of 300-400% on non-organic produce, while organic is usually 35-100%. I should know, I have worked in this industry at many different grocers for a large portion of my life. When you buy from your local health food store or co-op, they generally have much lower margins, because they are beholden to the consumer, the farmers, and, in the case of co-ops, the owners. Remember, large corporate chain retailers are beholden to their investors…period.
Like Julie says, it is really hard to understand all that local natural food purveyors go through to give you high quality foods at the best price they can afford. Sometimes it’s really difficult to understand from being outside of the food industry, but talk to farmers and food co-ops to get straight answers; they’ll be more than happy that you are interested in all the work that they do. I encourage you all to go out and learn about your food from the people directly involved in it’s production.
Dodie
I loved your rambles. Made perfect sense.
Gillian
I too can’t afford organic, and this article really helped me feel better about having to make that decision for my family.
Tiffany
I’m glad you found it helpful Gillian! 🙂
Anna
can you afford 10 cents extra for an organic apple? Fruits and veggies at Trader Joe’s are only cents higher. Meat is much higher. Don’t go to Whole Foods for a deal but TJs is guite affordable on many 100% organic items ♡
mandy
But do you have any idea of where your tj vegetables come from?
Ava
Also- Trader Joe’s is not available everywhere…. Costco has apples for CHEAP, and no organic apple selection at the Costco in my area plus no Trader Joes (Memphis.. the land of 1000 Krogers). So, it can be a tougher choice- especially when I worked to convince my husband to lay off on the processed foods. Saying no to the cheap Costco apples? We all have to pick and choose or battles with that.
I would also like to include this… growing up- I did not eat any fruits or veggies (other than iceberg lettuce). My parents gave us cheap cuts of meat (mainly hot dogs) and potatoes (the boxed kind) throughout my childhood. Yes, I had some health issues. However, I knew that my parents loved and cared for me. That did more for my overall well-being than any organic apples. I think I have a hard time with some of these comments. It reminds me of my mom apologizing to me because, according to her, she didn’t have enough money to provide for us growing up. My parents made choices and sacrifices (and it wasn’t food vs. designer clothes.. it was food versus heating bills), and my mom still feels guilt over that even though I’m now in my 30s! It just breaks my heart. Some of her decisions might not have been the healthiest, but so what? I still managed to survive, and because I was raised by a loving family, I think that I am doing better than most.
I don’t think Tiffany “coddled people that couldn’t afford organic” in her article, but I am. I’m happy to do it. Just be loving and try to do what is right- only you know your family’s budget. Your kids can see the effort even if you think that they are too young to understand.
makalove
Okay, but not everybody has access to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods where they live. And even those who do may truly NOT be able to afford the additional cost. 10 cents more for one apple doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up! Where I live, certified organic items cost 25-30% more than conventionally produced items. The monthly difference in my grocery budget is roughly the cost of my household electric bill in the winter (and about half of my household electric bill in the summer). There are plenty of months when I struggle to come up with enough to pay that bill, so it’s obviously a big difference for my family.
I think it’s really important, when talking about things like money, to recognize that you may have privilege in this area that the folks you’re talking to do not have.
GregW
I would agree with you that many people cannot afford “organic products “ but I find that not exactly accurate. Do you ever observe the junk that the American consumer has in their cart? The money that they waste on sugar laden, processed junk is astonishing. It’s more prudent to conserve in some areas because even if someone says they cannot afford it, the cost of healthcare down the road is exorbitantly more expensive.
Tina
Thanks for the helpful information.
We mainly buy organic to avoid GMO foods but just because it’s labeled “organic” doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been genetically modified. We also want to avoid the nasty chemicals and pesticides. So glad that we have local farms near us where we can buy a CSA fruit & veggie share, grass-fed beef and free range chickens, eggs, raw milk and cheese, etc. I just wish we could do something in the winter when we have to rely on the food in the grocery store. I also wish that foods were required to labeled whether or not they’ve been genetically modified.. now that would be great!
Tiffany
Yes Tina, you are right! That sneaky 5% rule means that a food can be labeled organic and NOT be entirely non-GMO. I’m on board with you on the labeling of GMO too… have you considered buying enough during warm months to cover you during the cold? I heard that rubbing mineral oil on eggs preserves them for 9 months? I don’t know if that’s true or not, lol, but I saw it on an episode of “Doomsday Preppers”!!
Christy M.
Mother Earth News actually did research on the best way to store eggs and the best way was to just keep them refrigerated. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-store-fresh-eggs-zmaz77ndzgoe.aspx
Tiffany
Thanks Christy!
Julie Schaer
This is not true. The things covered by the 5% are from a specific list. There is no GMO in Organic.
Sam R
A bit more information on GMOs…
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/sorry-hipsters-organic-kale-genetically-modified-food-180952656/?no-ist
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/11/21/foods-give-up-avoid-eating-gmo/
Tiffany
Thanks for the links Sam!
ExposeThem
Why would anyone trust anything from the Smithsonian. Do you not realize that our country was compromised a long time ago? If you understood history correctly, you would understand why the gmo and pesticides, which are deliberately to poison us thereby either dying earlier, becoming infertile so we can’t breed, or making us sick so that we spend millions on pharmaceuticals. The conspiracy is truth and not theory and is nefarious. Wake up.
Tiffany
In most cases Julie yes, they have to come from an approved list. But there is a loophole where if an organic item is needed to make a food item, and it’s not available in organic for commercial processing, they can use conventional. There is a possibility that the conventional version is GMO.
Julie
Tiffany, this is one of the cases where it is hard for you to understand the way the system works if you are not a producer. FOr starters, it is in every case – not most. and a processor cant just say “oops I cant find it”, they have to PROVE and document that it is not available. Then they will have to PROVE that the alternative is non-GMO. Another thing that you are not realizing is that the certifying agencies are answering to the USDA and are audited. They lose their ability to certify and their whole business if they certify non-compliant stuff. In a case like you are describing, the certifying agency will most likely say “we will not certify this product.” Certifying agencies are typically MORE stringent than the NOP because it is less risky for them.
THe reason why I think your article is mis-leading is beacuse of this:
you say:
“Basically, an organic processing facility simply has to say that the organic version of such-and-such ingredient isn’t available, and they’re allowed to use the conventional counterpart.
Included in this list is soy lecithin, the leftover sludge waste from processing soybean oil. Cornstarch is also on the list, which is produced from corn… and as of 2011, 88% of corn was genetically modified.”
They cant “just say it” and be allowed. And you are leading people to the conclusion that the cornstarch will be GMO when the truth is that there is a huge exhaustive burden to prove that it is not and if that is not satisfied the agency will say it is too great of a risk for us to certify this product. The certifying agency does not earn any more if they are certifying 15 products at a facility than if they are certifying 1. And your whole point about the 3rd party is just…..you’re not understanding what’s going on.
Later you say “That sneaky 5% rule means that a food can be labeled organic and NOT be entirely non-GMO. ” This is NOT TRUE and the “5% rule” is not sneaky. It is presented in bulleted list in the NOP.
I guess im just frustrated because these inaccuracies are HURTING people who are bending over backwards to make your food trustworthy and give you more information about its production than any other group. Your are authoritatively responding to my and others’ comments with un-true statements. One of my jobs is to consult with conventional farms and line out what they need to do to transition to Organic. Im pretty familiar with the rules. I only had to read the first one of your 14 points to know that you dont understand how the NOP is implemented. Im not trying to be hard or mean. You are not alone, in fact you know more than most. I encourage you to keep digging, you need to ask the right people more questions and not draw so many conclusions until you do. You can call a certifying agency. They are usually eager to help. Invite them to comment on your blog.
Laura
Awesome comment Julie! Thank you for adding this information! I hope that Tiffany does more research and updates this article accordingly.
Judi
I was just told today in our local grocery that organic food can have a GMO seed!!!! Totally shocked me!
Katherine
Who in their right mind would rub mineral oil, a petroleum product, on a food source? Terrible advise!
Tiffany
I said I didn’t know if it was true or not, lol! It was from Doomsday Preppers – take it at face value!
Lauren
This post is a gift to those of us concerned about the prices of organic food and the impact of eating conventionally grown produce. I’m grateful to you for doing this research and being honest about what you’ve found.
We have had good luck with our CSA, although after the tomato blight came through, they did treat with copper sulfate (I think that’s what it was). However, when you know your farmer, you can get a sense of their level of restraint with chemicals and what they feed their family. We are really lucky to have great CSAs available in our area.
Thank you again for this great post!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Lauren! Unfortunately, bugs and pests have no regard for any crops, but I think that knowing your farmer on a more personal level (as opposed to the grocery store) boosts the confidence a bit when they have to resort to chemicals (synthetic or natural) in order to save the crop. I have no doubt that the small farmer doesn’t WANT to spray, but there comes a time when tough decisions have to be made. How wonderful that you’re able to communicate with your CSA on this personal level!!
mandy
I am a small farmer and looked into copper sulfate as an organic option. Couldn’t find info on safe levels on how to apply it or how long I should hold the produce before selling. Copper however has a lot of dangerous warnings especially with burning of eyes and corrosion of equipment. Warnings were much more alarming than the tested unorganic counterparts and not very effective and had to be reapplied after every rain.
Tiffany
Thanks for sharing Mandy!
Hadel Toma
Please watch earthlings documentary free on YouTube.
Violence towards innocent animals must stop for humans taste buds and traditions
Melanie
I am completely intrigued! I am just starting my clean eating journey and appreciate so much your article. What is a CSA?
I am currently buying from conventional grocery stores but am leaning more and more towards farmers markets.