What does "organic" really mean?
Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 06:41:49 AM PDT
Recent investigation by a consumer advocacy group and a newspaper have found that organic labelling of food products in Australia is potentially misleading. Because there are multiple bodies – none governmental - that can provide certification for organic products, confusion abounds about what “organic” means in the Australian context. Forgive me for dabbling in areas that others, like Expat Chef, so expertly skewer; I can only look upon this as a concerned layperson. I know that for myself, if I see a can of something like tomatoes or beans or what-have-you labelled “organic”, I automatically assume that somebody behind that label has assessed the contents and manufacture to certify that result. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no, this article shows:
[S]ome own-brand organic products bought by The Sun-Herald in Coles and Woolworths [NB: Coles and Woolworth’s are the two biggest chain supermarkets in Australia. Rachel]last week had none of the official logos. Woolworths' organic tinned tomatoes had no official certification, and the small print on Coles organic carrots stated "product in conversion to national standard" with no other explanation.
Five different products bought in Coles used five different organic logos.
The Sun-Herald also looked at the cost of organic goods compared with conventional products.
Organic carrots from Coles cost $3.48 for one kilogram compared with $1.68 for the conventionally produced equivalent.
In Woolworths, organic carrots were $3.98 compared with 94 cents for the mainstream equivalent.
Organic tinned tomatoes in Woolworths cost $1.15, compared with 58 cents for a "normal" tin.
And 500 grams of regular minced beef from Coles cost $5.55 compared with $7.33 for its organic rival.
Like other Western countries, organic is a fast-growing niche in the agriculture business:
Research by The Sun-Herald reveals how buying "organic" can cost customers more than twice as much. The organics industry is one of the fastest growing in the Australian food and grocery sector, increasing by 30 per cent in the past year.
It is now worth about $400 million a year in the retail sector, the Government's Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation says.
There are eight organic certification bodies, which are overseen by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
We talk a lot about nutrition, consumer awareness and corporate opacity, and organic foods encapsulate all three themes and are issues regardless of country; there was a similar debate going on in the US, which led the USDA to create its own National Organic Program. I’m aware that there’s a fair amount of controversy over what led the USDA’s standards, but I’m not au fait with the issues – perhaps someone can educate me? To my mind, the UK has the best handle on the issue; the Soil Association, a non-governmental, non-profit foundation, monitors and certifies about 70% of all organic products that come into the UK, and charge licensing fees for those that want to receive their certification standards. It’s clear, it’s (thus far) reliable and uncorrupted and it’s unified. A brief description from this page on their site:
The Soil Association is a charity which promotes and develops sustainable approaches to food, farming and other products. We run a standards setting programme to write, update and modify the rules and regulations for organic production and processing as necessary. As a result of this rigorous standards setting process some of our standards (rules and regulations) are higher than those given by the law for organic food. The Soil Association is respected nationally and internationally for its integrity and pioneering work.
The Soil Association standards are set by a thorough and open process in which we actively seek input from a wide range of sources. Experts in the field, representatives from businesses and consumers, along with our own public supporters are all part of the process through which we research and set the rules for organic farming and processing.
Soil Association Certification Limited (SA Certification) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the organisation. SA Certification carries out inspections and awards organic certification to farms and businesses that meet our standards. You will notice our symbol and certification number (UK 5) on many items of organic produce. SA Certification is the oldest and most experienced organic certifier in the UK and licenses about 70% of the organic food on sale.
So what do you think, MTs? Should there be a single certifying body to provide clarity on what “organic” means? Do you buy organic products, and if so, what?
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