Ruminations on the Organic Label

While the composting requirement seems ludicrous in its specificity, the requirement that animals have access to pasture is not defined as to how much pasture they should have. One wonders if factory farms that add minimal outdoor access will suddenly be allowed to certify as organic. I shudder at the thought, but at present that does not seem to be out of the realm of the possible.

The rule sets both a minimum and maximum standard. In other words, if a private certifier requires more than the rule requires, the certifier is not allowed to state that fact. This is absurd. Most government regulations set a floor, a minimum, not a maximum. For example, safety standards are all minimums, and there is nothing forbidding greater safety. Many believe that this ceiling violates the First Amendment, but whether anyone will have the money to hire lawyers to challenge the rule on constitutional grounds is as yet an unknown: http://www.demeter-usa.org/Usdapressrele...

There are numerous other problems with the Final Rule, and those in the organics farming industry are not happy about it. Indeed, one speaker apologized to those in attendance for his role in pushing for the passage of the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act, stating that it is now obsolete given the international organic standards, and that he is working for its repeal. I spoke with the representative of a major certifying agency who stated a belief that biodynamic certification is now a more sensible course of action than organic certification.

Disheartened by what I learned about the new Final Rule, I sought out information about other types of certification. Other types of certification for an ecologically minded farmer may not be as marketable as the organic certification. But, they might grow in popularity, particularly if a large number of organic farmers decide that the Final Rule is not workable. One possibility is to certify as a biodynamic farm:

http://www.demeter-usa.org/

Another possibility is to certify one's farm under an eco-label. One new eco-label is The Midwest Food Alliance. It is too new as yet to be a realistic alternative for organic certification, but it looks promising, and I know I'll be watching to see how they do. http://www.thefoodalliance.org/

At this point I do not know whether we will pursue organic certification or some other certification for our farm. And, I do not know whether other organic farmers will leave "organics" to move to biodynamics or other ecologically oriented labels.

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