Organic -- it's a lifestyle and rallying cry for devout environmentalists and alluring to high-end suburban shoppers, yet somehow reminiscent of a barefoot hippie standing ankle-deep in mud. But what does it mean?
"Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.... Conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bio-engineering, or ionizing radiation."
That's the legal definition formulated by regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Simple, right?
"'Local' to many people, they think it's organic, but it's not," says Annie Malka, owner of Annie's Buying Club, a Tavernier, Fla.-based cooperative purveyor of organic fruits and veggies. "There is a certification."
Federal inspectors work to ensure that farms seeking the certification meet the applicable standards before labeling their product "organic."
Malka's business distributes organic fruit and vegetables to nearly 500 clients in the Keys and South Florida. The produce Malka sells, while procured locally when possible, comes mostly from California, where a longer growing season and more diverse climate yields a wider array of fruits and veggies.
"The reality is, there's money to be made in organics, so big business got into it," Malka says.
But with big business involved and an ever-growing market share on the line, some critics of the organic movement say the focus on sustainability is lost.
In fact, linguists trace the word "organic" back to Latin roots meaning parts working in harmony, like organs in a body. Analogously, an organic farm should work in harmony with its surroundings.
"I started thinking of this years and years ago because organics, for me, it kind of encompasses so much more than food. It's basically a lifestyle," says Ellin Meade, owner of the Marathon health and organic food store Food For Thought.
Consider eating certified organic produce trucked in from California. Is it still organic even after tons of carbon was expended getting it from the ground to your plate?
"When you weigh them both, I'd rather have some things trucked in economically in bulk than go to a local farmer who's spraying pesticides," Malka says.
She supports the introduction of big business into the organics market.
"You can buy organics in [big box stores] now, which I think is great. It's not just a hippie thing. It's not just a fad."
Not just a fad indeed.
In 1990, the sale of organic food in the United States hit $1 billion, according to figures from the Organic Trade Association. Compare that to $20 billion in sales in 2007.
Prior to World War II, organic was actually the convention; it was the mainstream.
But the war ushered in an era of technology and modernization that replaced old-school farming practices, with increasingly high-yield, industrial farming techniques. That, coupled with government subsidies to large farm companies, which were initially meant to ensure there would be no food shortages, made it harder for small organic farms to compete.
"I see food as power," Meade says. "I see food being wielded as a political weapon against us. Our soil is being poisoned with pesticides, with contaminated animals that are kept in filthy overcrowded yards being fed antibiotics and hormones, and that stuff is going into our water. By choosing organic food, you vote with your dollar."
Fast-forward to the 2000s, there's a national obesity problem and negative press from groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, books like "Fast Food Nation" and films like "Super Size Me." The appeal of organic is and has been making a resurgence.
And none too soon, Malka says.
"Our whole food system right now is just in crisis. It's so disgusting that we can't know what things are made of and animals don't get to eat what they're supposed to eat. It's really unbelievable. We've decided that convenience enhances our life. I'm of the mind, does it really? What's wrong with taking a little longer to cook, sitting down to the table, eating with the family and eating something that actually tastes good?"
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