What You Need to Know About Organic Foods

Organic food is grown and handled under USDA rules that ban most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, GMOs and irradiation.^[1] Organic produce carries fewer pesticide residues, but research hasn’t shown it to be clearly more nutritious than conventional food.^[2] Below: what organic farming does and doesn’t do, how to read organic labels, and why organic costs more.

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Organic farming has real environmental upsides, along with a few trade-offs.

• Promotes Ecological Balance – Organic farms rely on crop rotation, cover crops, compost and natural pest control instead of most synthetic inputs. The trade-off is yield: organic yields are typically lower, from about 5% to 34% depending on the crop and conditions, so organic farming can need more land to grow the same amount of food.^[5]
• Increases Biodiversity – The decreased usage of chemicals for weed removal, insect and pest removal, and enhanced crop growth through fertilizer leaves the soil less polluted. This supports the growth of wildlife in the surrounding areas, whether it is plants or animals, as there is more food to consume for both.
• Different crops take different nutrients from the soil, and crop rotation ensures that the soil is not completely leeched off due to the continuous growth of one crop. The break period allows the soil to refurbish itself with the lacking nutrients before the next cycle.
• Reduces Pollution – Using fewer synthetic pesticides and fertilizers can cut runoff into soil and water. Organic farms aren’t spray-free, though; they may use a short list of approved substances.^[1]
• Uses Renewable Resources – Practices such as using manure and compost, crop rotation, etc., are all renewable resources, as well as using the natural wildlife in the surrounding to control the insect population, and planting filler crops in the offseason to keep the soil fresh and nutrient-dense, are all part of renewable resources.

Now that you have some idea about the importance of consuming and growing as much of the crop organically as possible let’s take a look at how to find out if your product is really Organic. The first and most important step is to check the label of the product you are buying and read through it carefully.

• PLU Label – Loose fruits and vegetables sometimes carry a PLU (price look-up) sticker. A 5-digit code starting with 9 means organic, but the system is voluntary, so a 4-digit code doesn’t prove produce isn’t organic. Check the sign or the seal too.^[6]
• 100% Organic Label – Only foods labeled ‘100% organic’ must be entirely organic (excluding salt and water). A plain ‘organic’ label means at least 95%, as below.^[1]
• USDA Organic Label – Products with this label are made with at least 95% organic ingredients, excluding water and salts.^[1] USDA Organic’s green and white seal label can only be used on products certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.^[1]
• Made with Organic Ingredients Label – ‘Made with organic…’ means at least 70% organic ingredients. These products can’t use the USDA seal.^[1]
• Transitional Label – Land must go 3 years without prohibited substances before its crops can be sold as organic.^[7] ‘Transitional’ isn’t a USDA organic label; some private certifiers use it for crops grown during those 3 years.

• Shape – Uniform shape mostly reflects the variety and how the store sorts its produce. Organic and conventional produce are both graded, so odd shapes don’t signal organic. Growing your own? See our organic fertilizer picks.
• Size – Size depends on variety, weather and harvest time. Organic produce can be smaller, but plenty of conventional produce is small too.
• Smell – A strong smell usually means ripeness or spoilage, not organic status. The only reliable signs are the USDA Organic seal, an organic label or sign, or the certifier’s name.^[1]

Organic food often costs more. These are the main reasons.

• Low Production, High Demand – Organic farms produce less per acre and supply is smaller, while demand keeps growing, which pushes prices up.^[5]
• High Production Cost – Due to limited space, crop rotation, and other such practices, organic crops are not grown in a big batch like conventionally grown crops. The high production cost is also influenced by the higher input rate given by farmers for organic crops, like weeding and tiling by hands.
• Cost-Ineffective Manufacturing and Marketing – Regardless of the small batches of fresh produce produced, the post-harvest processing and transportation costs remain high, making it difficult for farmers to make a profit with a low-cost margin. The small volumes of products ensure that the marketing and distribution chain costs remain ineffective in terms of profit.