Lifting the Curtain on Organic Food

Organic food can be a good choice. Some of the time. But it can also be an expensive choice, that leaves us asking the question: What are we really paying for?  I’m not referring only to the high prices that we, as consumers pay, but also of the tremendous costs of certification required for a product to be labeled organic, which we also pay, indirectly. To understand this cost we need to understand the certification process. The following, taken from the Gale Encyclopedia of Diets, are the requirements that must be met by all certified organic farms:

"• The product must be raised or produced under an Organic Systems Plan that demonstrates and documents that the food meets the standards for growing, harvesting, transporting, processing, and selling an organic product.
• The producer and/or processor are subject to audits and evaluations by agents certified to enforce organic standards.
• The grower must have distinct boundaries between organic crops and non-organic crops to prevent accidental contamination with forbidden substances through wind drift or water runoff.
• No forbidden substances can be applied to the land organic food is raised on for three years prior to organic certification.
• Seed should be organic, when available, and never genetically altered through bioengineering.
Good soil, crop, and animal management practices must be followed to prevent contamination of groundwater or contamination of the product by living pathogens, heavy metals, or forbidden chemicals, and to reduce soil erosion and environmental pollution."

(Davidson et. al.)

In order to ensure that all these requirements are met, organic farms must spend more time and money keeping adequate records, checking soil, implementing proper pest deterrents and providing more manual labor for various maintenance and upkeep. And this is to say nothing of the environmental and monetary cost of shipping and storage for international farms. Lastly, organic food is currently in the minority of all food being produced, and thus is not as readily available. So, accordingly, organic food costs more.

But isn’t organic worth the high prices then? In theory I would say yes, but in reality, I would say well that depends.

It depends on whether or not such practices and regulations are actually being followed. I for one am not a blind believer in government regulation. Yes I think that there needs to be regulation, but no I don’t think it’s always executed properly. How do I know that a behemoth factory farm didn’t simply bribe the government agents in order to receive their label and then make an enormous profit? Anyone who’s read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair knows that what is presented to us on stage betrays that which is hiding beyond the back curtain.

Just one more reason to be leery of large corporate farms

In my opinion there is no surefire way of knowing what is behind that curtain; it's out of our reach. Commonsense, a moderate knowledge of history, and some education will have to prevail. It’s no secret that government officials take bribes all the time (again, check your history, or simply open your eyes if you don’t know this), and I for one would rather not give the little money I have to a corporation that can afford to buy our government; their rich enough, okay? If that means sacrificing that green and white label, then I am willing to do it.

But how will I know that my food is free of toxic chemicals and GMO’s? Well, in some cases I won’t, but when you think about it, how can you really be certain of anything? Unless you have your own farm, or are one of Brooklyn’s elite (which I, like most, am not), all you really have is education, and again, that all-too-uncommon, common sense.

Let’s be clear. I’m not saying don’t buy organic (I buy organic all the time). I’m saying you have to understand what labels really mean and the likelihood of a label telling the truth. Large corporations have one goal and that’s to make profit and keep making more profit. If having an “organic” label will help increase revenue and decrease competition then they will find the cheapest (or if you prefer, most economical) means of obtaining that label. Hey, that’s just what it is.

On the other hand, smaller companies and family farms often have histories steeped in valued traditions, personal connections and pride in their communities. As much as these businesses need to make money, they often also care about preserving their integrity and their connections with community. Perhaps most importantly, such companies/farms are made up of individuals whose livelihood is their work, as opposed to detached CEO’s who only set foot on a farm for a photo op.

Shouldn't we all love nature this much?

What I’m trying to say is that even if big business can provide me with truly organic products (which I’m not sure it can), I would rather support a small family farm that maybe can’t afford to certify their food as “organic”, but makes every effort to supply nutritious and sustainable foods that are as purified as possible of pesticides, GMO's and extensive radiation. While such foods may not be labeled as “organic” by our government, they often meet most of the criteria listed above. Small farms cannot always afford to hire extra labor, keep extensive records, or, dare I say it, to pay off an agent. Despite this, however, they can afford to let people like you and I visit their farms and pull back the curtain to see what’s behind. Sometimes people can even choose to help out, as is the case with farm shares (see last post), the latest way of getting back to our roots, literally.

A woman working on a farm share

So what’s the best choice? Well if you have the money, the best choice in my opinion would be to buy certified organic from a small, local farm. But for the rest of us, buying local and even lending an occasional hand to a farm in need is a good choice (feed your body and your soul). And lastly, if neither is an option, organic is better than conventional, or so I believe. But remember to do your homework and be creative, there are far more solutions than we realize. For example, if you can’t afford to buy organic and the local options are lacking, who’s to say you can’t grow your own tomatoes? Strawberries? Herbs? Perhaps it will take a little work and practice, but hey, sometimes it’s necessary to get your hands dirty, and it can even be fun!

In conclusion, let us be mindful that the cost of our food is not paid for only in dollars. We pay for it in our health, our family’s well being, and the conditions of our community and environment. If we can make it so that we spend more (time & money) on good food and sustainable business, then perhaps it’s worth it and perhaps it’s as much an investment in our collective future as it is in our diets.




Source:

Davidson, Helen M., A. William Atkins, and Megan Poeter. "Organic Food." The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition. Ed. Kristin Key. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2013. 875-880. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.