Organic farming was the only type of farming used worldwide until the invention of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in the early 20th century. When agriculture began to become industrialized and the use of synthetic inputs became the norm, handfuls of farmers throughout the US and abroad reacted by holding on to the farming traditions of before and resisting the new conventions. This type of farming soon came to be known as “organic.”

Traditionally, organic food production has certain characteristics, including:

• The product was grown or raised by a producer who uses practices in balance with nature, using methods and materials that do not harm or destroy the environment. The farmer is committed to maintaining harmony with the environment; building biodiversity; and fostering healthy soil and growing conditions.
• Land on which organic food or fibers are grown has been free of known and perceived toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers for three years prior to certification.
• Crops are rotated from field to field, rather than growing the same crop year after year. Cover crops such as clover are planted to add nutrients to the soil and prevent weeds.
• Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that use organic feed, do not administer antibiotics or hormones, and they give animals access to the outdoors.
• Food has been minimally processed, with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation and was not produced using genetically modified organisms.

Regulation
In October 2002, organic food became regulated by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program. The National Organic Standards Board, a federal advisory panel created to advise the USDA on developing organic legislation, defines organic agriculture as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." ⁱ

The Difference between Organic and Sustainable
Although many of the principles and practices employed on sustainable and organic farms are the same, some organic farmers are not sustainable, and some sustainable farmers are not organic. The distinction between organic and sustainable can be very confusing, but it’s an important one to understand, as many organic products these days are not sustainable, and are actually produced on massive industrial farms. Some organic dairy farms, for example, raise cows in large confinement facilities but are able to meet the bare minimum requirements for organic certification.

To make the distinction between these two farming methods clearer, here are some comparisons between organic and sustainable:

• Certification
  Organic farms must be independently certified every year and approved by the USDA, while sustainable farms do not require any official certification.

  USDA Definition: “Organic Production”

  "A production system that is managed in accordance with the [The Organic Foods Production] Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity." ⁱⁱ
  
  In order to bear the USDA "Certified Organic" seal, a product must contain 95 to 100 percent organic ingredients.ⁱⁱⁱ Products that contain 100 percent organic ingredients can be labeled "100 percent organic," ^iv while products that contain more than 70 percent, but less than 94 percent organic ingredients can be labeled "Made with Organic Ingredients," but cannot use the USDA "Certified-Organic" seal.^v
  
  Violators of organic labeling regulations can be fined as much as $10,000 for each offense. ^vi Farmers need to prove that their operations comply with all the requirements specified by the USDA, establish and submit their organic farming system plans,
  keep all records regarding their organic operations, and permit on-site inspections in order to be certified as an organic producer. ^vii

• Animal Welfare
  Organic farmers need to give animals “access” to outdoors, but they can actually confine animals and gain organic certification with as little as an open door leading to a cement patio. In sustainable farms, animals must be permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, like rooting, pecking or grazing.  A sustainable farmer might keep his or her animals indoors in bad weather, but the animals are given ample space to move around naturally. Sustainable farmers assure that their animals are healthy, comfortable and well cared for.
• Antibiotics
  While no antibiotics can be fed to organic-certified livestock, there is no legal restriction for antibiotic use in sustainable farming. Many sustainable farmers do not administer any antibiotics at all, but some may do so when their animals are sick and need to be treated. The milk and meat of animals given antibiotics on these farms are not used for human consumption until the antibiotics have fully passed out of the animals’ systems.
• Artificial Hormones
  No added or artificial hormones are allowed for organic farming, nor are they used for sustainable farming.
• Corporate Involvement
  Organic food can be produced by large corporations, while sustainable food production is carried out by small farmers and families who live on the land where they farm.
• Size of the farm
  For organic farming, there is no limitation on how many acres can be used to grow crops. Sustainable farmers plant crops in relatively small, mixed plots as a form of pest control and to build soil fertility.
• Food Miles
  Organic food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate, and certification does not take into consideration the use of fossil fuels used to truck food.  Sustainable food, however, is distributed and sold as close to the farm as possible.

Corporate Takeover
Organic agriculture is becoming more popular because consumers are demanding healthful and environmentally-friendly food. This shift in consumer behavior is good news, but unfortunately, increased demand for organic foods has attracted large agribusiness corporations that intend to profit from the trend.

Although it’s not obvious to consumers, large corporations own many popular organic food brands. For example, Silk soymilk and Horizon dairy products are produced by Dean Foods, the nation’s largest milk producer. ^{viii ix}  The corporate takeover of organic food is further encouraged by Wal-Mart, as it recently expanded their organic food sales in spring 2006.^x Such corporate involvement does not only threaten the existence of small sustainable farmers, but also deteriorates the quality of organic food and makes it harder for small organic farms to compete.

Corporate-owned organic brands can push down the prices of organic products because they’re willing to cut corners in the production process and share a smaller portion of their profits with the farmers. They’ll confine dairy cows most of the year and sacrifice animal welfare,^xiwhich allows them to sell their “organic” milk at low prices that small organic farms with higher standards can’t match.

This problem is aggravated by agribusiness’ push to weaken USDA organic standards. In 2005, agribusiness lobbied the Congress to pass a bill that allows for the use of 38 synthetic food substances in the processing and handling of certified organic foods. ^xiiThe new rule requires consumers to pay more attention to the ingredients of organic food products and to pay more attention to the difference between various organic foods and brands.

What You Can Do
The organic label is a useful tool when you’re shopping in a conventional grocery store, because it helps you find food that is free of pesticides and antibiotics. But don’t go by the label alone! It’s important to look for food that is not only organic, but also local and produced by a small farm with high standards.

• Visit the Eat Well Guide for a national listing of stores, restaurants and small farms that sell sustainable and organic meat, eggs and dairy.
• Ask Questions! Use our Questions to Ask cards to help you hunt down the most sustainable organic meat, dairy and eggs.  
• Know your brands! Use the Cornucopia Institute’s Dairy Report and Scorecard to find out which milk and dairy brands are truly organic.

Did You Know?

• According to the USDA, consumer demand for organic agricultural products has increased steadily in the U.S., rising 20 percent or more annually throughout the 90's.^xiii
• A 22-year study conducted by the Rodale Institute determined that organic farming operations use 30% less energy than conventional farms.^xiv
• Between 1997 and 2003, US farmers and ranchers increased the amount of certified organic farmland for crops and livestock by nearly one million acres. ^xv
• In 2003, 2.2 million acres of the U.S. farmland were used to produce certified organic crops and livestock.^xvi

For More Information

• Organic Consumers Association - The OCA is a nonprofit public interest organization which focuses on issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and sustainable agricultural production. The website contains an extensive archive of news articles and scientific reports about organic food, genetically engineered food, irradiation, globalization, mad cow disease, bovine growth hormone, and other topics related to food safety.
• The USDA National Organic Program - This is the USDA's official National Organic Program website. The site contains information for consumers, producers, organic certifying agents, food processors, and food distributors about organic standards and the organic certification process.
• The Definitions and History of Sustainable Agriculture – In this page the AFSIC defines and describes the background and concept of sustainable agriculture.
• International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) – IFOAM is a Germany-based organization which leads organic movements worldwide.  IFOAM has created an accreditation program whose purpose is to set an international organic standard that is acceptable throughout the world.

Reports and Articles

• New research proves organic milk is higher in vitamins and antioxidants than non-organic milk
  According to new research released at the Soil Association's annual conference, organically reared cows, which eat high levels of fresh grass, clover pasture and grass clover silage, produced milk which is on average 50% higher in Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), 75% higher in beta carotene (which our bodies convert to Vitamin A) and two to three times higher in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthine than non-organic milk. (The UK Soil Association, January, 2005).
• “Organic Foods in Relation to Nutrition and Health: Key Facts”
  Summary of an article published in “Coronary and Diabetic Care in the UK 2004” by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts. It was written by James Cleeton, Policy Projects Co-ordinator at the Soil Association. (The UK Soil Association, 2004)

Sources

• The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. “Organic Food Production.” National Agricultural Library, USDA 2003.
• USDA National Organic Program, “Definitions -- Regulatory Text.” USDA, accessed December 28, 2006.
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. The National Organic Program: Labeling and Marketing Information, October 2002.
• Ibid.
• Ibid.
• Ibid.
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. The National Organic Program: Certification October 2002.
  
• Gogoi, Pallavi. “Wal-Mart’s Organic Offensive.” Business Week. March 2006.
• Organic Consumers Association. Organic Industry Structure. June 2005.
  
• “Organics at Walmart.” (accessed October 20, 2006).
• Warner, Melanie. “A Milk War over More than Price.” New York Times, September 2006.
• Organic Consumers Association. “What are the Implications of the Ag Appropriations Bill or Organic Labeling?” November 2005.
• Demitri, Carolyn, and Catherine Green. “Recent Growth Patterns in the U.S. Organic Foods Market,” USDA Economic Research Service September 2002.
• Cornell University. “Organic farming produces same corn and soybean yields as conventional farms, but consumes less energy and no pesticides, study finds.” July 2005.
• USDA Economic Research Service. Data Sets: Organic Production: Data Files: Certified Organic Pasture and Cropland, by State 1997; Certified Organic Pasture and Cropland, by State 2003.
• USDA. Economic Research Service. Data Sets: Organic Production, USDA ERS, (accessed October 20, 2006).