Source: What Does Organic Really Mean? Food and Farming Practices

What Does Organic Really Mean? Food and Farming Practices

ByKatherine GallagherPublished July 26, 2021

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Business & Policy

• Corporate Responsibility
• Environmental Policy
• Economics
• Food Issues

In This Article

• Produce and Crops
• Livestock and Poultry
• Processed and Multi-Ingredient Foods
• Organic Management
• Is Organic Farming Better for the Environment?

Although organic farming has gained an immense amount of momentum over the last two decades, the term was actually coined back in the 1940s. English agriculturalist Walter James first used it as a way to describe a farm as a living “organism,” while the founder of the Rodale Institute published his own farming methods that refrained from the use of chemicals around the same time. As safety concerns over the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in food grew throughout the 1990s, so did the popularity and demand for organic products. Today, the annual global organic market exceeds $100 billion, with about 2.8 million organic producers operating worldwide.https://4b2c38fbdfa38d6b5d9609c253e91233.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

But what does “organic” mean, really? At its core, organic refers to food that’s been managed, raised, and farmed in a manner that conserves natural resources and biodiversity. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), certified organic foods are grown and processed according to specific federal guidelines, including those that address soil quality, animal raising practices, pest control, weed control, and the use of additives. Most of the time, organic farmers use natural substances as well as physical, mechanical, or biologically based methods as often as possible.https://4b2c38fbdfa38d6b5d9609c253e91233.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

In order to put the official USDA Organic certified label on food, producers must follow a strict set of regulations set forth by the department. Farms or businesses can be certified by private, foreign, or state entities that have been accredited by the USDA as certifying agents located all around the world. There are fees involved as well, and certification costs vary—anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars—depending on the certifying agent and type, size, and complexity of the business. The USDA runs an organic certification cost-share program (basically a financial aid or assistance program) that can reimburse up to 75% of costs for qualifying operations.

Once a farm or business has been issued an organic certification, the work doesn’t stop there. There’s also an annual recertification process required to maintain the status, including on-site inspections and updates.