Does Organic Matter?

In our wide realm of experience, we apply labels–to ourselves, others, and the things around us–as a shortcut to help us make sense of our world. But labels can change in meaning over time, and often become more or less important.

Consider this short history of the “organic” label. When our grandparents were young, food was grown on traditional family farms. No chemicals were used and so food was inherently organic, but without the label.  In the middle of the last century, with young people moving away from family farms and with the introduction of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, farming became more industrialized. As a response, in the 1960s and 1970s an “old-fashioned” organic movement took root. Its focus was practical–growing food without chemicals–but it was also philosophical; farmers were committed, above all, to permanence and sustainability. This was farming with integrity, a way of meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. And, thus, the first “organic” label was created.

In the last decade, this label has grown in breadth and popularity as it has been shaped, in part, by large corporations that value profits over sustainability. “Organic” has developed a magical connotation and has been used to bestow a halo of good health, for us and the planet, that may not always be deserved. “Organic” has also been reduced to a marketing program–a name to attract us–that often offers no guarantee of goodness. There is nothing healthful about organic pop tarts, organic soda, or organic evaporated cane juice; as New York University Professor Marion Nestle states, “Organic junk food is still junk food.”

Sometimes labels can make it easier to understand our options, but I wonder about the value of an organic label that can increase our food costs without adding the meaning it once did–or the meaning that we imagine it does. Under the law, “organic” currently refers to any food that is mostly free of synthetic substances, has no antibiotics or hormones, has not been radiated or fertilized with sewage sludge, was raised without pesticides and contains no genetically modified ingredients. There is no question that this is all good. But is it enough? Does it tell us everything we need to know? Read the complete post »