What does organic certification mean?

The growing number of foods, fibers and other products is marked with organic certification in response to consumer concerns about the way foods are grown, harvested and processed. Many food labels on the market can be confusing for consumers, often deliberately, but organic certification has an accompanying set of standards and procedures that need to be followed to be marked as organic. Movement to grow food organically, without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and with sustainable energy, began to take off in the 1960s by the Silent Spring , a landmark for the environmental movement. The wide range of farms voluntarily adopted its own environmental standards and began to designate its food products accordingly, as consumers were increasingly aware of the greater problems associated with food production and harvest. In 1990, the Act on the production of organic food, Settg Out federal standards was accompanied by a label.

In general, to be considered organic, food must be grown without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. It cannot be irradiated or fertilized with waste sludge, which is a common practice on many conventional farms. Organic foods must be grown sustainably, using cover crops to protect and restore fields, correct crop alternation and focus on Earth's health. If animal fertilizes are used, less than 120 days must not be used before harvesting. The use of composting plant materials is stimulated.

In addition, organic manufacturers cannot grow genetically modified organisms (GMO) or feed them to livestock, which are increased behind organic standards. Organic livestock must be fed with organic foods throughout their lives and raised to a certified organic pasture if pastures are raised. Some consumers are horrifiedSure that organic does not always mean humane and that organic livestock can be produced on feed and limited surgery of animals as well as conventional meat.

There is a dizzy number of regulations governing organic foods and several certification organs. The United States Agriculture Ministry offers ecological certification in accordance with federal standards through a number of certification agencies. California certified ecological farmers and Oregon Tilth programs adhere to federal standards and international ecological legislation. High -quality International also offers environmental certification, which is in line with federal standards.

Organic certification, although a voluntary process, differs from voluntary food labels such as "GMO free" because organic certification is governed by strict standards and abuse of the shield has a severe fine. Organic certification is designed to ensure consumers that their meal wasBeno in healing and a sustainable way and is safe to eat. It is also relatively expensive to become a certified farm and requires more inspections. For this reason, many small farms using ecological practices have decided not to be organic certification, although their food can be produced behind organic standards.

For consumers who can afford a somewhat higher price, ecological foods are a better choice. They tend to have greater nutritional value because they are grown on healthy soil, are brought up in a sustainable way that considers the long -term consequences of severe agricultural use and promotes the well -being of the country and the species that live on it. With increasing popularity of ecological foods and increasing number of farms looking for certification, the cost of ecological stores begins to decrease and can sometimes be comparable to conventional agriculture.