NOP

The USDA Organic logo identifies organically grown or produced foods

Organic foods have been carving out a niche in grocery stores and restaurants for more than two decades. They’re a core element of the green revolution that’s mounting in the United States and the rest of the world, and they’re part of a refreshing, responsible approach to health and wellness. But just what is organic? What’s the difference between organic and non-organic foods? And who decides which is which?

Organic? Who says?

As of 1990, at least regarding the overwhelming majority of organic foods in the United States, the voice of authority is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA developed the National Organic Program (NOP) to implement the Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which is a federally developed set of provisions intended to establish and maintain a code of standards for organic farmers and producers.

The regulations upheld by the NOP are comprehensive. They cover all aspects of food production from permitted fertilizers, pesticides, feed and dietary supplements, to soil quality, crop rotation, origin and living standard of livestock, pasturing practices and more. Once a farmer meets the fifty or so detailed requirements outlined by the NOP, they’re awarded the use of the “USDA Organic” label.

A lot of small-scale community farmers employ natural, renewable and health conscious farming techniques, too. In fact, the restrictions on equipment and supplies imposed by limited capital actually cause smaller operations to fall naturally in line with many organic standards. Aside from often not wanting to employ industrial farming techniques, most community farmers simply can’t afford to. The NOP recognizes this, and allows community farming operations to use the term “organic” without first requesting an official inspection by an NOP agent.

Organic versus non-organic

The National Organic Program (NOP) awards farms "USDA Organic" status

The NOP’s standards help to identify farmers that trend away from industrial food production. Choosing food products either produced locally or boasting the “USDA Organic” label champions the efforts of these farmers, and helps to promote responsible, health-conscious, sustainability minded farming practices throughout America. While the NOP manages an exhaustive collection of regulations, there are a few core requirements that ensure certified organic producers really outshine their non-organic counterparts.

No synthetic fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers are manufactured using mined minerals like potash and phosphorus together with fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas — most of which are non-renewable resources. Their production relies on ecologically questionable industries such as oil refining and potash mining. As reserves of fossil fuels, potash and other minerals diminish, the cheap, large-scale production of synthetic fertilizers must come to an end.

Sustainability isn’t the only problem facing synthetic fertilizers. They also contribute to the degradation of soil quality. While they do deliver sufficient amounts of the exact nutrients crops need to grow, they don’t replace minerals found in natural soil that would normally end up in the fruits and vegetables that we eat. Crops grown in synthetically fertilized fields contain as much as 75% less of the minerals that form part of a balanced, nutritious diet.

Organic farmers don’t use synthetic fertilizers. They turn instead to nutrient rich, renewable alternatives like compost, manure and guano, among others.

No synthetic pesticides

Synthetic pesticides have been associated with a wide variety of adverse health effects ranging from simple skin and eye irritation to reproductive issues, nervous system damage and even cancer. The World Health Organization reports that some three million workers worldwide are poisoned each year from pesticide exposure.

Pesticides also wipe out insects and other pests which play a critical role in maintaining balance in the natural environment. Devastated insect populations are linked with dramatic falls in natural pollination which result in habitat destruction and withering biodiversity. Almost all synthetic pesticides linger in air, water and soil long after they’ve protected crops from potential invaders. This toxic pollution poisons plants, animals and people, and results in large tracts of biologically inert land.

Organic farmers don’t use most synthetic pesticides. They choose natural alternatives that ward pests away instead of killing them, and revert to smaller growing operations wherein pest control without pesticides is less labor intensive.

Higher soil quality

Industrial farming robs soil of its natural nutrients through overproduction and poisons it with the persistent use of harsh pesticides. Crops are genetically modified so that they can tolerate the toxic conditions imposed by pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers are used to replenish only those nutrients which are strictly necessary for the crops to grow.

Organic farmers, on the other hand, use soil that’s been free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for a minimum of three years. They also observe land management plans that include crop rotation and pasturing schedules which ensure their soil remains well balanced and nutrient rich.

No growth hormones

Industrial livestock operations use growth hormones to fatten their stock. Traces of these synthetic growth hormones are often present in meat even after it hits the supermarket. These have been shown to be carcinogenic in humans and are linked to the development of several types of cancers. Bovine growth hormones have also been linked to premature puberty in girls, which in turn has been associated with the development of breast tumors.

Organic farmers don’t use hormones to fatten their cattle. Their animals proceed through a natural life-cycle, relying on exercise and balanced nutrition to gain weight and reach maturity.

Strict drug limitations

All kinds of industrial farming attributes — things like cramped living spaces, poor nutrition and high environmental stress — cause abnormally rampant sickness in cows, pigs, chickens and other farm animals. These illnesses are combated with the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, which results in small amounts of antibiotic drugs making it into meat, eggs, milk and other animal products.

When humans consume tiny amounts of these drugs over long periods of time, bacteria normally present in their body develops abnormal resistance to the immune system. This can cause a variety of bacterial ailments as well as an increased potential to develop infection.

Organic farmers provide healthier living conditions for their animals, which means they don’t need to resort to over-medicating their cattle to keep them from surrendering to illness. The types and quantities of drugs that organic farmers are permitted to use are strictly controlled by the NOP.

The big picture

Organic farming promotes health, responsibility, long-term planning and economic diversity. It takes the critically important task of feeding the country out of the hands of blindly profiteering mega-corporations, and puts it back into the grasp of community farmers and local growers.

When you choose organic fruits, vegetables, meats and other foods, you’re choosing a more nutritious, sustainable, and community oriented lifestyle. You’re choosing an alternative to cheap, mass-produced food that supports your health and the health of your family, your community, and the world at large.