To certify or not to certify: the great organic debate
Last night we attended a great panel on the up sides and down sides of farmers certifying their produce as “organic.” It was one of the most interesting and informative talks we’ve been to in a while, so we wanted to share our new found insight with all of you!
What exactly is organic and who can use the “o” word to describe their product? The organic standards we have today came about in 2003. Before that everything from sewage sludge to genetically modified foods could all be called organic…can you believe that? The only farmers who can use the word organic when speaking about their food & farming practices are farmers who have been certified. Check out the CCOF website to see more about what it takes to become certified. Don’t count out those farmers who are not certified though. Many farmers who grow their crops in the same way as certified organic farmers CHOOSE to not certify.
The panel consisted of 4 people…3 farmers and a chef. We will call them Farmer A, Farmer B, Farmer C, and The Chef. All of the farmers grow their produce in the same manner, but they have all chosen different paths when it comes to being certified organic. Farmer A has never been certified, Farmer B used to be certified but dropped the certification, and Farmer C has been certified since organic certification was created. The Chef owns two restaurants in town that are proud to serve local foods, but have chose to not market themselves with organic or local labels.
Farmer A
Farmer A owns a small family farm and grows mostly berries. They have chose to never be certified organic even though their growing practices follow all the guidelines necessary to be certified. The biggest reason they have never been certified is because of the extreme amount of paperwork and high cost associated with certification. 100% of all their business is done at farmer’s markets, so they have never had to depend on labels to sell their produce for them. Selling at farmer’s markets has allowed them to communicate, and build relationships with their customers, which has been their main marketing technique. As the farmer said…”you ask, we tell, you believe us.” They are able to tell the customers how they grow their food, and the customer believes them because of the relationships they have built; making the need for an organic label obsolete.
Farmer B
Farmer B owns a medium sized family farm and does about 25% of their business through farmers markets the other 75% through wholesale distribution. They began as an organically certified farm, but dropped the certification due to the tough restrictions, and cost. When they first began about half of their acreage was organic and the other half wasn’t, so as an organically certified farm they needed to be sure that the organic fields never became contaminated by anything in the non-organic fields. They have continued to farm with organic principles and are considering becoming certified again for marketing purposes. They currently describe themselves as “local & sustainable.”
Farmer C
Farmer C was one of the first organically certified farmers in California, and has had organic certification continuously since. They view organic certification not necessarily as a marketing tool, but as a way to make a statement that they support organic & sustainable practices. As far as marketing is concerned though, being able to put the word “organic” on their label is important since 95% of their business is wholesale. They feel that if there was no organic certification it would be difficult to keep farmers honest about disclosing how they are growing their produce…it maintains quality control.
The Chef
The chef serves mostly local food in his restaurants, but does not seem very concerned with produce that is labeled as organic. He is more concerned with making sure that the food is safe and being educated about the pesticides used that whether or not the farmer is certified. He purchases all produce from the local farmer’s market, but feels that it is to expensive to invest in an all organic menu. Customers set the trend, so until more customers request that label he will not raise menu prices in order to accommodate it. After the panel was over we were all treated to some of his amazing food (pictured), and let us just say that we could taste how fresh it was!
The main point that we got out of attending this panel is that being an educated consumer is extremely important. Many farmers who are certified organic still use dangerous chemicals to control pests. Up until recently, nicotine was allowed as an organic pesticide! If you are lucky enough to shop at a farmers market, and you get to have face to face interaction with the farmers themselves, make sure to ask questions. The best advice we got all night…”if a farmer claims to not use pesticides ask them what they use to control pests on their farm. If they aren’t ready with an answer, or are afraid to disclose an answer, don’t buy from them.”
Ecoutrement 
Why go Organic Certified organic products are tightly regulated under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Family Relationships
Thanks so much for the great question. The one thing we learned at this panel is that to be called organic, even by USDA standards, you must be certified. No produce can be called “organic” unless the farmer is certified.