| The word "organic" may appear on | | | | poultry are among the reasons many |
| packages of meat, cartons of milk or | | | | Americans are turning to organic foods. |
| eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient | | | | Organically raised animals may not be |
| foods. Certified organic requires the | | | | given growth hormones to or antibiotics |
| rejection of synthetic agrochemicals, | | | | for any reason. Producers are required |
| irradiation and genetically engineered | | | | to feed livestock agricultural feed |
| foods or ingredients. Literally, of | | | | products that are 100 percent organic, |
| course, the term is a redundancy: all | | | | but farmers may also provide allowed |
| food is composed of organic chemicals | | | | vitamin and mineral supplements. |
| (complex chemicals containing carbon). | | | | The US Department of Agriculture finally |
| Any materials used in the production or | | | | put in place a national system for |
| processing of organic food must be | | | | labeling organic food. The new federal |
| proven safe. Awareness is growing about | | | | rule guarantees you, the consumer, |
| the value of organic foods. But, whether | | | | organic products that are grown without |
| organic chicken or pesticide-free | | | | toxic pesticides, herbicides, or |
| lettuce represents "healthier" | | | | fertilizers. Pesticides derived from |
| alternatives has long been a subject for | | | | natural sources (such as biological |
| debate. | | | | pesticides) may be used in producing |
| Organic farming is one of the fastest | | | | organically grown food. Limitations in |
| growing segments of the U.S. Gardening | | | | relation to which pesticides may or may |
| organically is much more than what you | | | | not be used, present the organic grower |
| don't do. In fact, sales of organics | | | | with some unique and very demanding |
| have surged more than 20 percent each | | | | challenges. Food that is at least 70 |
| year in the past decade. In terms of | | | | percent organic will list the organic |
| number of farms, acreage and value of | | | | ingredients on the front of the package. |
| production, the organic food industry is | | | | More than 40 private organizations and |
| growing at a rate of 20-30% per year. As | | | | state agencies (certifiers) currently |
| commodity programs are eliminated, more | | | | certify organic food, but their |
| farmers have discovered that organic | | | | standards for growing and labeling |
| production is a legitimate and | | | | organic food may differ. Even with these |
| economically viable alternative | | | | labeling rules in place, consumers |
| enterprise. The growth in the number of | | | | should be prepared for some confusion |
| organic farmers has increased steadily, | | | | when shopping for organic foods. For one |
| similar to the growth of the U.S. | | | | thing, organic products are not |
| In current organic production systems, | | | | uniformly labeled because many farmers |
| growers are not permitted to use | | | | using organic methods do not pursue |
| conventional synthetic organic | | | | certification at all. In addition, the |
| fungicides in their disease management | | | | language contained in seals, labels, and |
| program. Non-organic milk comes from | | | | logos approved by organic certifiers may |
| farms that are allowed to use | | | | differ. |
| genetically modified cattle feed, along | | | | While consumers struggle with the fact |
| with routine antibiotic treatments and | | | | that often, the availability of organic |
| synthetic pesticides. Arguments have | | | | materials is limited when large |
| long raged as to the effects these | | | | quantities are needed. More and more |
| hormones and chemicals have on the | | | | people have come to appreciate the added |
| bioproducts. Growth hormones in cows, | | | | dimensions of value and quality |
| pesticides on produce and antibiotics in | | | | available in the organic marketplace. |