Can we talk?

To be organic or not to be organic

    Organic. Just what does that mean? And the word is everywhere. Organic fruits, milk, meat, underwear, blankets. I thought I understood organic, but unfortunately, it's just a marketing term these days.

    Just because something is labeled organic does not mean it's organic in its purest sense. There are ways to legally get around the use of the word. Read the labels to be sure. That is if you really care. Let's assume for now that you do care.

      Because people will pay more if it says organic, the word is loosely used. Unfortunately, people who have fallen into this craze are being duped more often than not. If it doesn't say "certified organic" then it's probably just a wish on the packager's part. Organic farms have to pass regular inspections. Beyond the farms, where is it processed and packaged? Meat grown in Argentina or Mexico might be processed in California (cut into smaller units and sorted) and packaged for distribution in Arizona. Each of these sites has to be certified organic, but there is no way of knowing if they all passed the inspections or were mixed with non-organic items.

    What do they inspect for? Chemicals, for one. There can't be creosote on the fence. No runoff from the neighbor's farm which uses chemical fertilizers. Only organic fertilizers on your own farm. No pesticides along the roadways or neighboring properties. No antitbiotics for your animals. You can't spray Off on yourself before you walk into the garden. They test your water, your soil, your fences, your plants, your grass, your animals, your feed, your equipment. You can see why it starts to get expensive even for the legitimate organic farmer.

      And you can see why someone might be tempted to take a shortcut. You could lose a whole season's crop or animals or eggs if something goes awry, like a pollutant in the water. But there aren't that many certified organic farms out there. And unless you buy directly from them, and most are not willing to undertake that business, you can't be sure of what happens at the other sites.

      I can call something organic if only some elements of it are truly organic. Say the meat is certified, but the vegetables and sauce in my beef stew are not, I can put the word organic on the jar labels. i might give the location of the beef farm, the location of the packing plant and the home office. But I can leave off the vegetables and the sauce factory. Get the picture?


      "All natural". You would think that would mean no additives. Wrong.  If you're buying honey, just plain "all natural" could be part corn syrup. Corn syrup is not a synthetic substance, so I guess it's considered natural. Adding "pure" only narrows it down a little. "Pure" legally allows a small percentage to be impure, or in this case, something else. It has to say "100% pure all natural" honey if you don't want corn syrup or other sweeteners. And if you want organic, be prepared for a larger price tag. Since honey bees can travel a far distance in a day's time, water and plants need to be pesticide and herbicide free, as well as devoid of unacceptable fertilizers on all surrounding areas.

      If you're really hyper about organic foods, just be more careful. Or learn to accept that merchants will take advantage of you. Don't take it out on your local grocer. He's just displaying what he's been told to carry. It's your own responsibility to see that you get what you're going after. Or you can just accept the fact  things won't always be as organic as you would like. But when it comes to household supplies or clothing, don't let merchandisers and advertisers confuse you with the green concept and the organic concept. They're just trying to get your money.

    Tomorrow I'll discuss whether it's worth the trouble.