Sustainable vs Organic – what’s the big deal anyway?

One of the hottest debates in food circles these days is the organic versus sustainable issue. To help you wade through the chatter, I thought I’d try to explain the difference and talk a bit about what’s happening in the marketplace.

Although many of the principles and practices used on sustainable and organic farms are the same, some organic farmers are not sustainable, and some sustainable farmers are not organic. Organic farms must be independently certified every year through a government program, while sustainable farming is more a philosophy or way of life and doesn’t have independent certification. Organic food is labeled “USDA organic”, whereas with sustainable food, you generally need to ask the farmer questions about his/her production methods and then decide which food you think is best for you and your family.

Other differences include:

Animal Welfare – Organic farmers only need to give their animals ‘access’ to the outdoors – this could be a door or a cement patio without much room to move around. A sustainable farmer will raise animals on pasture as much as feasibly possible so animals can carry out their natural behaviors like rooting and pecking.

Antibiotics - Organic farmers cannot use any type of antibiotic on animals, whereas on sustainable farms, animals are sometimes given medication if they become sick. They are not put back into the herd until they are better and all medication has left their system. (Note: the real issue is not ‘no antibiotic use’ or ‘medically necessary antibiotic use’ – the main issue of concern is that animals should not be fed low doses of antibiotics on a daily basis. This happens on factory farms and is contributing to problems with antibiotic resistant bacteria in humans.)

Corporate Involvement - Organic food can be produced by large multinational companies, while sustainable food is raised on small farms by family farmers who live and work on the land. In addition, these corporate organic farms tend to be extremely large, with acre after acre of the same crop. Sustainable farms are small in size, with crops planted closely together to help with pest control and to assist in fertilizing the soil.

Food Miles – Organic food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate, and organic certification doesn’t take fossil fuel use into consideration. This means that organic food can help contribute to our problems with global warming. Truly sustainable food is distributed and sold as close to the farm as possible. If you find it hard to believe that cows contribute to global warming, read the United Nations report “Livestock’s Long Shadow – Environmental Issues and Options” which concluded that livestock contribute more to global warming than transportation does. (There will be more on this in the months to come….)

If you’d like a more thorough background on these issues, read our “What is Sustainable?” section as well as our “Organic” page on Sustainable Table.

So what’s the problem, you ask? Well, organic has become big business – which means big business has entered the organic world. And when big business enters the picture, the focus turns from producing the best food for the consumer to making as much money as possible. Check out an Organic Industry Chart from Michigan State University to see what organic brands are owned by large multinational corporations.

If you’d like some background on what’s happening, read Jake Whitney’s January 28, 2007, article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Organic Erosion: Will the term organic still mean anything when it’s adopted whole hog by behemoths such as Wal-mart?”

One thing to remember, though, is that there are many, many organic farmers that are raising food in the most humane, ethical and sustainable way. The problem, as we see it, is that as big business gets more and more involved in the organic movement, the issues become more confusing. So some organic producers (who you’ll most likely find in large supermarkets or chain stores) are large corporations that are not using the most sustainable practices. But other organic farmers are raising animals and crops in sustainable ways on small family farms – you’ll most likely find these types of farmers at farmers markets. If their products are being sold in large supermarkets or stores, odds are there will be large signs advertising the product as being from a local family farm.

So what can you do? First, don’t overwhelm yourself. If you’re in the store and are looking for the healthiest food you can find, and all you see is organic but you have no idea where it’s from or who produced it, it’s still okay to buy it! It’s still going to be better than conventional factory farmed food. And sometimes we just don’t have the time to ask all the questions – so do the best you can. And realize that making the shift to sustainable will take time – but every little step helps.

And if you can, frequent farmers markets and roadside farm stands. The focus is now shifting away from merely organic to local, sustainable (which can include organic, but it’s not the main focus) – so look for a farmer near you!

Next week, tips on finding a sustainable farmer….