Organic Food Industry
The organic industry has grown 20% per year in the last 10 years, hitting $20 billion last year in sales. By and large, the increase of supply is coming from the imported industry. Despite the increase, our food is not any safer or better because of this increase - this according to Mischa Popoff, IOIA Advanced Organic Farm and Process Inspector and author of Is it Organic? The inside story of the organic industry.
Popoff believes that there are serious problems in the organic industry. Most notably, the fact that organic crops and livestock are not tested. Over 80 percent of the certified organic foods sold is imported from places like China, Indonesia and Mexico, and all “certification” is based on paperwork and the payment of hefty fees, not on inspections or testing.
Popoff says more is needed than just the current written records with auditors who simply look at the paper trail. He proposes that organic crops be randomly tested in the field to ensure that organic practices are in place.
Initially, my reaction was ‘we do not need more testing’, but as I read his comments, I understand that his proposal would actually be more efficient and offer a better guarantee of the safety and legitimacy of organic foods.
He proposes that inspectors randomly show up and test the soil. If inspectors showed up and tested for the same chemicals on every farm every year, it would be a far more accurate and efficient system. As an inspector, he says pouring through farmers’ paperwork to see if they have purchased nitrogen fertilizer is not efficient, nor does it guarantee that the farmer does not have pounds of it rounded up and stored in his garage.
Conscientious farmers spend a great amount of time to be certified, but would this be necessary if an inspector could show up and test the soil? Popoff compares this process with athletes who are randomly tested for drug use. He says “Can you imagine an athlete showing up for the 100-metre dash with receipts for all the approved substances he ate over the last four years in an attempt to demonstrate he had not injected anything illegal? “
This is all sounding very familiar compared to the recent proposal of the USDA GAP certification program. GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) are a collection of principles to apply for on-farm production and post-production processes which are meant to result in safe and healthy agricultural products. I became aware of this name when our local high school (Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School) was unable to receive any gleaned produce free from our farmers because the produce was not from a GAP certified farm - ? I wondered what the heck this was about and after I did a bit of research, found that there was a free class being offered and I attended. This one day course is offered to farmers to learn what is involved and what needs to be done to become a GAP certified farm. I received a 3” three-ring binder filled with forms and procedures - farmers would need to invest more equipment and time and pay an annual fee all to be “certified as safe”!
An important missing link in this certification is that there is no accounting of economical, social and environmental sustainability.
There are no small farmers that I know of that have any interest in becoming GAP certified as it is just too much paper work and the costs are too high.
When you purchase foods organically, you should be getting a guarantee that no pesticides or synthetic fertilizer are used in growing or preserving foods. Furthermore, if the product has truly been raised organically, there should be a requirement that the food is not then placed in a can that is lined with toxic BPAs.
I say: the further a product labeled organic has traveled (Mexico or China), the more chance it has of NOT being organic. I stay clear of both fresh produce and canned goods that come from great distances.
It is a safe assumption to believe that our neighbors are being true to their organic practices if they say they are organic. If you are not sure, get to know them and ask questions, and if you don’t have access to a farmer, read about the products and companies online. As this industry continues to grow, and the “industry’ take over, we need to be ever more suspicious.