Organic is primarily a designation term that is used to refer to a wide range of products that have been produced using methods and methods approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its National Organic Program (NOP). Organic food is also one of the best steps you can take to maintain the quality of your food. In many cases, organic is also a good move for the environment.
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Many people think of "organic" as "earth-friendly". While this meaning is often the case, it is not always the case. Organic regulations focus on agricultural practices and food production steps that can be monitored and controlled to reduce the risk of food contamination and improve food quality. But for the most part, organic rules simply don't try to address the more complex issues surrounding land and sustainability.
Here is one simple example of the difference between the focus of organic norms and the emphasis on sustainability. In the US, we currently plant about 92 million acres of corn, 78 million acres of soybeans, and 57 million acres of wheat. Environmentalists believe that these 227 million acres and the way they are planted are unsustainable. Many factors combine to make our current planting of corn, soybeans and wheat unsustainable. Included are factors such as natural water cycles and natural mineral cycles in North America, as well as their inability to accommodate the 227 million acres of these three crops currently grown. The USDA Organic Program does not review or evaluate the sustainability of these acres. The program limits its focus to the farming steps that would be required for all 227 million acres of corn, soybeans and wheat to be certified organic. For example, USDA organic guidelines prohibit the use of genetic engineering, sewage sludge fertilizer, and irradiation on any of these acres. Such changes are likely to improve crop quality and land quality. But the practice of planting 227 million acres of these three crops will still be unsustainable, and this unsustainability will not matter from the USDA's point of view. Subject to USDA requirements, these crops will be labeled organic, regardless of their sustainability. The point here is simple:
The “big three” are of particular importance in organics. Genetic engineering, irradiation, and sewage sludge are sometimes referred to as the "big three" by National Organics Program commentators because they are practices that can have particularly problematic health and environmental impacts. The Big Three have always been – and still are – banned by organic rules. However, along with the prohibition of these three practices, many other practices are prohibited in organic food production. For example, most synthetic chemicals (including most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers) are banned by organic regulations. All these prohibitions in the production of organic food are important.
How to fully understand organic food labels
What does the "organic" label mean?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes, defines, and regulates the use and meaning of "organic" on food labels. This is a term used to describe raw or processed agricultural products and ingredients that (a) have been organically grown (grown) and (b) processed to the April 2001 standards, which have been fully enforced since October 2002. These standards prohibit the use of:
- Most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
- Sewer sludge fertilizer
- Genetic Engineering
- growth hormones
- irradiation
- Antibiotics
- artificial ingredients
- Many synthetic additives
How to understand the different uses of the term "organic" on food labels
Many people are not entirely sure about the exact meaning of the word "organic" or "organically grown" on food labels. One of their concerns is whether they can believe the words guarantee that the products were grown or produced without the use of potentially dangerous chemicals.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the term "organic" can be applied to a variety of products. The term can be used for agricultural products as well as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. And this also applies to the methods used to process organically grown produce in preparation for sale or to prevent spoilage.
Organically grown crops:
- The crop must be produced on the ground without the use of synthetic substances (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers), except for those stipulated by the standards.
- Prohibited substances could not be applied to the land 3 years before harvest.
- Boundaries and buffer zones must be defined on the land to prevent crop contact with prohibited substances from adjacent land.
- Soil fertility and crop nutrient management should be managed in a manner that improves soil health, minimizes soil erosion, and prevents contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, pathogens, or heavy metals.
Control methods may include:
- Use of crop rotation
- Use of composted animal manure with specified carbon to nitrogen ratio and temperature readings.
- Use of non-composted plant materials
