Recently, the Russian edition of Forbes magazine published an article titled “Seven myths about organic food”, which elicited a huge response from readers. The author of the article is a popular journalist for a glossy magazine, who “decided to find serious grounds for her dislike of organic products. And she found it by arming herself with authoritative opinions.
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“Norman Ernest Borlaug, an American geneticist, who won the Nobel prize for a highly productive, disease-resistant wheat, said: “Even if you could use all the organic material, such as the remains of animals, plants, human waste and put them back in the ground, you still cannot feed more than four billion people.” This may be boring, but plants need fertilizers – namely, nitrogen in the form of nitrate and ammonia. Most plants are unable to get such elements directly from the atmosphere.” Rob Johnston sounded even more sophisticated in his article published in The Independent called “The great myth about organics: Why organic food is a temptation that we can not afford?” Johnston compiled a list of all legends and myths about organic foods and disproved them. He then summarized all of these myths and debunked them, concluding : “Not only are organic products non-nutritional. They are detrimental to one’s health.”
On the one hand, the aforementioned point of view is too categorical and one-sided, though arguing would definitely need special knowledge beyond the bounds of an academic curriculum is required. On the other hand, savoury materials about organic products (without their clear definition) as a panacea for all diseases, are equally unconvincing. So, the third option is to put on your thinking caps and try to understand the subject on your own.
How it all began?
The organic movement first appeared in Europe in the first quarter of the 20th century. Its ideologist was a prominent Austrian esoteric philosopher named Rudolf Steiner.
“They were the ones whom we should now call real environmentalists. All of them have succeeded in overcoming the scientific dogma of their day. They looked at the world from a new perspective and posed new questions. Instead of obtrusive modern concepts of diseases and their causes, they tried to find health reasons. All this inevitably led to a gradual understanding of the fact that all living things are united.” (an excerpt from a report by Yves Balfor, a famous follower of Steiner).
One such environmentalist British scientist Sir Albert Howard was one of the founding fathers of organic farming. In his work titled “An Agricultural Testament” published in 1943 he promoted the concept of organic farming and scientifically proved the importance of recycling organic waste to improve the fertility of soil.
For his contribution to the development of agriculture Albert Howard was awarded the title of a knight. After the publication of his works, the system of organic farming spread all over the world.
The term “organic agriculture” (organic farming) was popularized in 1943 by another English agrarian named Sir Walter Northborn. In His Agricultural Testament he described a farm as a single organic whole of which none of its parts can be neglected without violating the vital functions of the organism as a whole. Soil, plants and animals must interact harmoniously with each other. It is this sense that should be put in the concept of “organic agriculture” and “organic products” in contrast to common opinion that the aforementioned concepts are related to the chemical and carbon basis of fertilizers.
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WHO’S TO JUDGE?
In EU
The non-profit organization IFOAM – International Federation of Ecological Agriculture Movements – was created in 1972 in Versailles. This is now a worldwide movement for ecological agriculture based on democratic postulates. Today, IFOAM unites around 750 organizations in more than one hundred countries. IFOAM Basic Standards are in fact standards of the European Union. The system of inspection of organic products in the EU is mixed and can be both public and private. The state accredits private certification agencies and supervision of their activities. These agencies, in turn, control farms, food processing and imports from other countries, as well as certify their products according to EU legislation. IFOAM certification is usually conducted twice a year and is valid for 12 months. Then re-certification is required. If necessary, additional unscheduled inspection of the soil, agriculture and harvest can be arranged. The entire production chain – fields, meadows, cattle farms, warehouses and shipment points, elevators (to avoid mixing with other grains) and an organization engaged in export-import operations – should be certified.
In the U.S
The Law on Marking of Certified Organic Products was introduced only in 2002. The National Organic Standards is comprised of several basic principles: abstaining from the use of prohibited substances such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and waste water three years prior to certification, refusal to use X-rays (i.e. for decontamination of meat) and genetically modified organisms, protection of soil and detailed documentation of all agricultural operations. Pastures and one hundred percent organic feeding without added antibiotics and hormones are specifically stipulated in the law. Mind you, by U.S. laws food processing companies are not obligated to inform consumers about the technologies used in the cultivation or preparation of a given product. All that they have to do is indicate the ingredients contained in their products.
In Ukraine
There is neither proper legislation, nor state certification or support for organic production. In 2008, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine was instructed to draft a law on organic production. It has yet to be introduced. According to official data of the IFOAM, in 2002 there were 31 farms in Ukraine that were granted the “organic” status and in 2008 there were already 118 certified organic farms (source: website of the Organic Movement Federation of Ukraine).
IN BRIEF
The most popular types of organic products among consumers are fruits and vegetables. They are followed by drinks, bread and pastries, dairy products, soups and pasta, meat, packaged snacks and organic baby food.
Organic products are 30-140% more expensive than their traditional counterparts (according to the U.S Congress Research Service.)
Organic products of the EU account for 3.2% of the total volume of the agricultural market.
The biggest share of common areas of organic farmlands is located in Austria and Switzerland. Around 70% of organic products in most countries are sold through supermarkets.
Products labelled with the terms natural, 100% natural, bio, free range (“free grazing” or “natural conditions”) and pesticide-free are in no way related to organic production.
The organic status is assigned to products with a minimum 95% content of organic ingredients. Only products that contain organic ingredients are marked “100% organic”. The marking “Made with organic ingredients” means the product contains a minimum of 70% organic ingredients.
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