Organic Foods has become a national craze in the past decade. Whole Foods markets and Trader Joe’s can be found all around America. These stores offer organic products, cage-free egg, grass-fed cattle, and a range of natural cosmetics. Many people choose organic products to improve their health and have a more ethical view of conventional agriculture. Whole Foods is a food market that feels more welcoming once you enter. You are greeted with earth-toned walls and floors, rather than fluorescent lights, in comparison to the majority of food and drugstores. The meat area is decorated in a pastoral style, with cows grazing freely on vast, open fields of grass and chickens roaming free. All produce is labeled “USDA Organic Certified”. In such a setting, the consumers are led to believe that they can eat healthy, since there are no GMOs nor pesticides. Unfortunately, it is not always true. The farms that produce these foods are organically certified, but they may not be as tightly regulated as you might think. Michael Pollan says, “They are organic by letter, but not organic in spirit.” If most organic consumers were to visit these places, they’d feel ripped-off. We are easily fooled.

We import more foods than ever. Spices were once a valuable commodity. Now, we can go to our local grocery store and find everything you need. This may sound like a wonderful thing compared to old times, but it has serious consequences. The result is higher food prices, the spraying of chemicals in large quantities, from preservatives to synthetic hormones, as well as an increase in carbon emissions due to fossil fuels being used to transport the food from all over the world. This isn’t sustainable.

Many believe that organic farming can be a solution to this problem. Organic farming isn’t as different from regular agriculture as you might first think. On closer examination, organic farming is not as rigid as it seems. It leaves plenty of room to spray harmful pesticides. The National Organic Standards Board requires that pesticides and chemicals must be derived from “natural sources”. Take Rotenone as an example. Rotenone had been used as a spray for organic produce in the past. Christie Wilcox wrote that because it is a natural chemical, found in the stems, roots, and leaves of some subtropical species, it has been considered both organic and safe. Research has shown rotenone to be dangerous, as it attacks mitochondria, which are the powerhouses for all living cells. Rotenone can cause death in humans and is linked with Parkinson’s Disease. It was permitted because it came from a “natural source”, however, natural doesn’t always mean healthy. These chemicals are only lightly or not at all processed after they come from natural sources. NOSB votes on new pesticides for organic agriculture.

The government does not monitor the amount of chemicals sprayed. This is a very troubling fact. These chemicals are often sprayed heavily, which is a health risk for people and the surrounding environment. Because these chemicals can be weaker than conventional pesticides and require more to produce the same effects, they are applied in higher quantities. What is the purpose of organic food? Organic food has generated $52 billion worldwide in the past two years, which is a clear indication that it’s a profitable market. Is the availability of certified organic food increasing to give people a healthier, more ethical option, or is it a way for corporations such as Whole Foods to make a profit? Both could be true. Organic foods can be healthier than conventional food, despite their reputation. The “supermarket sermon” is a way for these companies to mask what goes on behind the scene. Michael Pollan says that “Supermarket pastoral is a very seductive literary style, beguiling in spite of many uncomfortable facts.”

To create a healthier market for organic foods with better access to information, organic food markets need different standards from the USDA. USDA allows GMOs for organic farming but their use is not monitored. National Organic Programs (NOP) are USDA organizations that set regulations for organic foods, issue certificates and investigate certified organic farmers suspected of breaking code. Regulations are extremely lenient. Organic labels are misleading when they include substances that do not meet organic standards. A certified organic farmer must follow a plan of production once they have been certified. A certifying agent must approve the plan. After the certification, farmers cannot be penalized for unintentional GMO use or the accidental application of inorganic pesticides to plants. Farmers can then use inorganic substances if they are “unintentional”. They can label their products organic, even if the statement is false and they are not tarnished.

USDA may intervene in the event that there are suspicions of an organic farmer abusing his/her production plan by using pesticides. The USDA mandates that “certifying agencies test five percent of certified operations every year.” These certifying officers determine which farms will be tested. These testing policies have the support of organic communities, federations and NGOs. The USDA responded that if they increased the testing, it would increase costs to organic farmers. This is in addition to their high operating and production expenses. In turn, this would result in higher food prices. It is a fact that organic food costs more than chain stores, making it unaffordable for people with lower incomes. Do people want to pay more for testing? While it may be better for the wealthy, it doesn’t make economic sense. The consumer is supposed to be able to understand an obscure food chain with the help of a point-of purchase brochure, certification scheme, and wordy labels (Pollan, 136). While organic labeling does reduce some confusion, it could do more. The truth behind “free range chicken” could be very different. Tyler Cowen addresses this issue in his article entitled Can You Really Save the Planet with Dinner? According to an article on Slate.com: “Although we are happy to eat “free-range” poultry and willing to pay a higher price for it, many of these birds do not fare better than their counterparts. They receive only a small amount of extra space in factory farming, then a couple of weeks to go outside through a tiny window–and the majority of chickens remain inside because they have learned to fear the unknown.”

Organic milk is no different. Factory farms produce large amounts of organic milk. The Cornucopia Institute exposed Horizon, the biggest organic dairy label for using 4,000 to 10,000 cows at factory farms in order to produce milk. The company gave the impression that its cows were grazing on lush green pastures. Truthfully, many of the cows that were not kept in farms or factories in southern Idaho were kept in conditions where there was no grass. The USDA sent the same agent who had approved the operation to investigate the complaints. Due to legal suits filed by Cornucopia Institute against Horizon beginning in 2004, Horizon’s certification was revoked.

Organic farming does not always benefit the environment. This is another myth that consumers fail to recognize. Rain and erosion wash away pollutants, such as pesticides, nutrients, and fertilizer from unturned farm soil. These pollutants then seep to the surrounding waterways. Nonpoint source pollution is what causes this damage. This is also true of organic farms. It seems less sensible to completely switch to organic farming, even if you are concerned about ecological preservation. This is because more land will have to be cleared to cultivate these farms.

This dilemma can be solved by supporting local organic farms that are less prone to spray pesticides. In turn, this would promote the local economy. Also, it would reduce the use of fossil fuels and emissions due to the transportation of large quantities food from all over. The switch to a more sustainable system would have consequences. This would reduce the amount of food that is available all year, for example, no bananas during the winter. Fruits that are not in season, such as berries, can still be preserved. The sacrifices we make are minimal compared with the benefits of eating organically – it’s more ethical, economical, and safer for the environment. The USDA could tighten its regulations to include large-scale organic farmers. Incentives and tax breaks from the government could be used to encourage organic farmers to adopt better methods of pest management. It is possible to save money by only growing seasonal crops, as they require less pesticides. It may seem like a good idea to use the “supermarket pastoraal” to hide our true interests on labels, but this is not the best way to do it. Pollan states that we need to be able weigh the pros against the cons of our food.

Organic farming has made a great step forward but could still be refined. It’s a difficult issue, especially because large corporations such Monsanto don’t want to give up. By following these guidelines, both for our own health and that of the planet, we will be on the road to better health.