What Does “Organic” Really Mean?

(an excerpt via GOOD magazine.)

credit: Illustration by Brianna Harden (lovely, thanks Brianna)

Organic Confusion is a growing problem. A few months ago, in an article we posted on bambu website, ‘Organic’ – Says Who? we brought to our readers the case of ‘organic confusion’ and the almost fashionable term has been being used, misused, and abused.

If it says “organic” on both a bottle of sunscreen and a box of crackers, what does that even mean?

The good folks at GOOD pick up the conversation with Joe Dickson, who works with the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board and at Whole Foods Market, which recently announced strict new organic guidelines for its body care section, talked with Good Magazine to set the record straight. Below is an excerpt…..

GOOD: What does organic really mean?

Joe Dickson: In a general sense, organic foods are grown in earth-friendly ways without the use of toxic or persistant agricultural chemicals. Thanks to the clear federal definition of “organic,” organic food is made of at least 95 percent organic agricultural materials grown using earth-friendly practices without toxic or persistent pesticides. The remaining 5 percent can only contain carefully vetted substances from a short list of approved additives.

GOOD: Why did Whole Foods decide to come up with their own organic labeling guidelines for personal care?

JD: It was an effort to make it so that our customers don’t have to switch standards and expectations when they cross from grocery into the body care aisle. Now, the word “organic” in our body care departments will signify that same set of ideals. We asked “What would our average shopper expect ‘organic’ to mean?” In this case, it was very clear to us that you wouldn’t expect the definition of “organic” in body care to be very different from the definition used for food.

GOOD: Do you see this leading to a broader change in the cosmetics industry?

JD: If retailers demand accurate labeling, many companies will rise to the challenge and make changes to meet these demands in order to keep their products on the shelf. Ideally, eventually the USDA will regulate organic personal care products just as it does food. We know that the USDA and the FDA are currently working together on the issue.

GOOD: So does this mean Whole Foods will only sell USDA-certified organic body care products?

JD: Not necessarily. But, it means that all personal care products sold in our stores that make an organic claim on the label will be authentic. People tend to hear “organic guidelines for personal care” and assume that we will only carry USDA certified organic products. We want to make sure that when the word “organic” is used, it’s used correctly. There are many, many products that meet our standards that aren’t certified organic. We’ve asked suppliers to make these changes, because we believe very strongly that the meaning of the word “organic” shouldn’t change as you walk around the store.

GOOD: Are you taking on any grassroots efforts to help people press the USDA and FDA to apply the organic standards to personal care items?

JD: We actually testified before the National Organic Standards Board last November, expressing strong support of the Board’s recommendation that the USDA regulate personal care products, commenting that:

We and our shoppers expect a consistent definition of “organic” throughout the store, and the jurisdictional borders between Federal agencies should not ultimately derail this goal. The consistent regulation of the “organic” label across all product categories will increase consumer confidence, improve integrity, curtail deceptive labeling claims, and substantially increase the use of USDA Organic agricultural ingredients in personal care products.

As we state in our post, ‘if a company uses the word ‘organic’ to describe their process or ingredient, they must show evidence.’ Otherwise it is nothing more than false, unsubstantiated marketing speak. There are companies in our industry that are clouding the truth.

bambu is the first, and still the only company that has obtained organic certification for its source of bamboo.

We applaud the actions that Whole Foods is taking. It is more broadly a case of truth and accuracy of labeling. And that’s good for everyone.

There is also a very good report titled, The Six Seven Sins of Greenwashing. which is available upon request. We’re happy to share…..

Keep your eyes open.