OTA, if you come back to read the comments here can you post a link to the copy of these case studies?

As you probably know there are areas of the world that lack sufficient organic inputs. That’s just one issue that comes to mind.

One of the bigger problems I see is an “artificial” distinction between “natural” and “synthetic” in the polarizing realms of “good” and “bad”. Does the OTA support this idea? If so what is the OTA’s scientific justification for this?

Or maybe not…

“What is most important to remember is that any time you purchase an organic product—whether it is carries the USDA Organic seal (meaning it contains 95 percent or more organic ingredients) or is labeled as “Made with organic ingredients” (70 percent or more organic ingredients), you are supporting farmers who follow practices such as crop rotation, measures to encourage biodiversity, and alternatives to toxic and persistent pesticides—practices that are healthier for the farm workers and their families, and less polluting to the water and air around these farms and the wider community.”

I’m pro practices that are healthier for farm workers and their families and reduced pollution. What about the the remaining 5%-30%? Is it because a judicious, therapeutic use of synthetic chemicals has been approved by the OTA as being aligned with the OTA’s stance on “sustainable” practices? Or are there a political or economic reasons behind it?

Thank you in advance.

for this reason, i probably wouldn’t have reacted like your mother did. i would have been happy to find the delicious cheese which i so much enjoyed after trying it only once before, while its organic element would have been an added bonus.

the organic food market in greece has only recently gained ground; two (maybe three) years ago, there was hardly anything labelled ‘organic’. now, there are organic shelf sections, separate organic fruit and veges, etc. i dont like this myself – some produce that was being grown organic de facto is now being labeled as ‘organic’ – i wouldnt be surprised if the price was higher now for those items than it was before the organic label.

my biggest pet hate is seeing uniform-looking fruit and veges that are labelled organic – how did they grow so same-looking??!!?? I know first hand that tomatoes, oranges, cucumbers, literally everything, grows along similar but not exactly the same lines. where did all the non-standard parts go? when we buy this kind of ‘organic’, we are creating more waste

i myself shy away from supermarket organic food simply because i can’t stand the industrialisation of the organic market. everything is (over-)packaged (non-organic food lies in bulk containers), glemaing, shining, labelled: it’s clearly based on higher profits (you pay for all that pampering), especially when it’s found in an environment where most people do most of their shopping most of the time – the industries are probably thinking that someone’s bound to fall for it

great chart for the organic bandwagon – did i see m and m’s beign labelled as organic???

Your mother lived that life, knew that life and food that came with it. How can a label of “organic” possibly replace or be a substitute for that first hand knowledge?

OTA would also point out that there is a growing body of research that shows organic farming is equally as productive as other farming methods, and sometimes produces higher yields. For instance, in side-by-side field trials conducted by The Rodale Institute for nearly 30 years, organically managed corn and soybeans have produced yields on average equal to those of conventionally raised crops, while building soil health and cutting energy use. In drought years, organic crops tend to have higher yields than their conventional counterparts.

In addition, researchers at the University of Michigan have shown that on a global scale, organic farming in developing countries can yield up to three times as much food as conventional farming on the same amount of land. These yields can be accomplished using existing quantities of organic fertilizers and without putting more farmland into production.

What is most important to remember is that any time you purchase an organic product—whether it is carries the USDA Organic seal (meaning it contains 95 percent or more organic ingredients) or is labeled as “Made with organic ingredients” (70 percent or more organic ingredients), you are supporting farmers who follow practices such as crop rotation, measures to encourage biodiversity, and alternatives to toxic and persistent pesticides—practices that are healthier for the farm workers and their families, and less polluting to the water and air around these farms and the wider community.