09 What Does Organic Mean?
From: Pat Maxwell
Series: November 2006 - Isla Earth Radio Series
Length: 01:34
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- 09 What Does Organic Mean?
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- Pat Maxwell
When you?re shopping for food, how do you know if it?s really organic? Do labels mean much?
The answer is yes, and no.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has standards for organic food. It inspects farms to make sure that fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and that livestock are raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. If the farm passes, its products can wear a ?USDA Organic? sticker ? meaning that the product is at least 95 percent organic. The standards also exclude foods that have been bioengineered.
But the USDA program is voluntary, so many organic foods don?t carry the sticker. Labels like ?natural? and ?free-range? do not mean that a product?s organic.
And standards haven?t been set for some foods. California, for example, won?t allow ?organic? labels on seafood until there?s a federal standard.
But with more people going organic, consumer power might persuade both producers and the government to set firmer and more complete standards. This could lead to labeling that will provide the definitive ?green light? for the organic shopper.
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When you?re shopping for food, how do you know if it?s really organic? Do labels mean much? The answer is yes, and no. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has standards for organic food. It inspects farms to make sure that fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and that livestock are raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. If the farm passes, its products can wear a ?USDA Organic? sticker ? meaning that the product is at least 95 percent organic. The standards also exclude foods that have been bioengineered. But the USDA program is voluntary, so many organic foods don?t carry the sticker. Labels like ?natural? and ?free-range? do not mean that a product?s organic. And standards haven?t been set for some foods. California, for example, won?t allow ?organic? labels on seafood until there?s a federal standard. But with more people going organic, consumer power might persuade both producers and the government to set firmer and more complete standards. This could lead to labeling that will provide the definitive ?green light? for the organic shopper.
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