Not all organic growers practice the same methods. Many Johnny-Come-Lately's
are large scale chemical growers, who see a niche in the market, and want
the higher profit, with minimal output. This type of grower is not
interested in producing healthy food - he's in it for the profit. The small
organic grower that created the organic movement in the first place, doesn't
think this way. He takes great pride in growing healthy crops, and often
makes many self-sacrafices to be an organic farmer. As a consumer, I'd
rather seek out a like-minded ethical organic grower (even if he isn't
certified), and buy his products. The more I see the standards lowered, the
less I want certified organic food. Instead of building trust, the federal
standards are making us not trust. If organic growers aren't allowed to call
themselves organic, when in actuality they are more deserving of this name
than the chemical grower, then perhaps it's time to let the chemical growers
and the government finish ruining this name - the true organic grower can
select any name that represents the methods he uses, and pull out of the
organic movement. After all, it's the growing methods that produce healthy
high quality food, that have drawn millions of consumers to this type of
food, not the name. The name is now worthless.
The way I see it, the new standards are so much lower; they are only a step
above chemical grown crops - that's not saying much. The federal organic
standards will not allow a private certifying agency to certify to a higher
standard than the federal level. This leaves no way to differentiate between
the chemical grower doing the bare minimal to reap the higher profits, and
the true organic grower who bends over backward to produce healthy food.
Jenni
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