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Organic Agricultural Products: How they are regulated
A technical article from LVTIA/GC
By: Dariush Bakhtar, Ph.D., CPSS., LVTIA Garden Club Chair
November 2012
It is commonplace these days for the consumers to see the label "organic" on the fruit plant containers in the local gardening/nursery place, on the meat
packages in the community grocery store, on the menu in the cozy corner restaurants, or even on the wall menu in the neighboring coffee shop. It is also
commonplace to tune in any commercial radio or TV, open any newspaper and/or magazine and hear, watch, or read phrases like "organic green and
black teas", "organic fruit trees", and even " organic fertilizers and seeds". The majority of consumers trust the labels believing that the word "organic"
means the product is" safer" and more delicious and may be more nutritious". Hence, they pay a higher price compared to commonly packed products.
What are the requirements for a product to be labeled "organic"? Which agencies regulate the products that are presented to the market as "organic"? Is
it acceptable if someone takes truckloads of mulch from Lopez Canyon Landfill, pack the mulch in small packages, label the packages organic, and
market them as "organic" soil additives to the consumers? Do the packages qualify to be labeled and sold as "organic"?
Are the so-called "organic" products tagged by the producer and advertised by the media safer and/or more nutritious/delicious than the ones with no
"organic" labels? I have no answer to this question. For this reason, because of the repeatedly questionable "organic” advertisements for the edible
gardening and food industry, I, at LVTIA Garden Club, see it necessary to perform a review of literature regarding the "organic" products. This effort will
educate myself more, and I might be able to clarify the term "organic", and the logics and the regulations behind the term. I will publish my findings
gradually within LVTIA’s Newsletter, so that I would help the consumers not to misunderstand the terminology," organic" and pay higher prices for
assumed advantages that may or not exist. I will greatly appreciate it if the readers of LVTIA Newsletter, help me with their knowledge and improve this
article. You can contact me at [email protected].
An organic compound as we learned in the fundamental of chemistry and biology, is a chemical/biochemical compound that is a part of or originates
from a living organism. Living organisms might be bacteria, fungi, trees and /or animals. Seeds, fruits, leaves, and branches of trees are organic
compounds. Natural products fruit juices, syrups, and gums from trees are organic compounds. Sheep, cow, and chicken meats; blood and manures are
organic compounds. Snake poison and skin are organic compounds. Semi decomposed or fully decomposed plants and /or animal residues are organic
compounds.
The most common organic compounds are carbohydrates that are compose of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Proteins contain nitrogen that breaks into
amino acids and then into nitrogen that is the major nutrient element required by plants. Having this information, it is confusing what organic tea,
organic cucumber seed, and/or organic root stock means.
The National Organic Program (NOP), a regulating program by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), defines "Organic “ as a labeling
term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. These methods integrate cultural,
biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage
sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used."
In 1990, congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). The OFPA required the USDA to develop the national standards for agricultural
products to be qualified as organic agricultural products. Since 1990, the OFPA and the NOP regulations require that agricultural products that are
labeled as organic, originate from farms or handling operations that have been certified by a state or, alternatively, an Agricultural Marketing Service.
Neither the OFPA nor the NOP regulations address the food safety issues or nutritional values.
The NOP developed the national organic standards and established an organic certification program based on the recommendations of the National
Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The board comprises of fifteen members, who were the representatives of the following categories: Farmer/Grower,
Handler/Processor, Retailer, Consumer/Public Interest, Environmentalist, Scientist, and Certifying Agent. Secretary of Agriculture appoints the NOSB.
In addition to considering NOSB recommendations, the USDA reviewed State, private and foreign organic certification programs to help formulate these
regulations. The NOP regulations are flexible enough to accommodate the wide range of operations and products grown and raised in every region of
the United States.