The Truth About Organics

The truth about organics is... there is no such thing! At least, not in the sense of the word. Indeed, there are many "Certified Organic" farmers in Canada, and the organic food industry brought in $1.7 billion in 2005. The question remains, however: What is the definition of organic?

The most general definition, in this context, would be "grown without the use or influence of artificial chemicals." Right off the bat, I know this is not possible. The air, the gases in our atmosphere, contains not insignificant amounts of chemicals we created ourselves. This means that every plant in the world is "growing under the influence" of some kind of artificial chemical. Agreed, the amount of chemical absorbed by a plant through the air is very small and probably has no effect on anything, but it is there.

The next thing is the fact that there are more than just organic farmers out there. There are also farmers who do things in the traditional way, using chemicals and fertilizers to aid the growth of their crops. The organic farmers, more often than not, border one or more conventional farmers. The wind blows, too. It blows the pesticides and chemicals that the conventional farmer was using right over the crops that the organic farmer was growing. Well, I guess that means that field is not so organic anymore. In fact, it is pretty darn conventional.

The Independent Organic Inspectors Association is the body, in North America, responsible for insuring that organic is as organic as it can be. Their findings? Organics are nor always organic. Farmers sometimes look at the organic premiums and say, "well, those guys get all the money, so I'll give that a try!" After that, they grow one or two seasons as organic as they can, and then say, "Well, my yields are down! A little fertilizer can't harm, right?" So they fertilize that year and then the next year, they use pesticides. All the while, they are getting organic premiums for non-organic food. And, folks, here is the kicker. The Independent Organic Inspectors Association can't enforce anything. They can admonish a farmer for having pesticides on the farm, but they can't afford to fine him or test his product. They also can't remove the farmer from the "Organic Producer' List. Crazy.

Organics are way more expensive, and they are completely unguaranteed. They are also not quite possible. Consumers, when you go to the store, is it really worth the premium for some carrots or a loaf of bread that may have been accidentally or even purposefully sprayed? If it is, great, if not, don't bother. Save yourself some money and grow your own, or buy from a local greenhouse that promotes limited chemical use. You'll be further ahead and living within your hundred mile radius.

For more information, do some reseach. To start, look here!  The Truth About 'Organic' Food
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