“Organic” Vs. “Certified Organic”: What’s It All About, Anyway?

You may have read yesterday’s review of Climb On! Products Creme. Hopefully you also read the comments, which have turned into quite a lively little debate. One comment from Amy Reynolds, one of the two sisters who founded the company, stuck out in particular. In the comment, she says (among other things): “All of Climb On! Products are 100% organic, meaning there are no synthetic chemicals in the formulation. Every ingredient is carbon based, natural and organic making them all organic ingredients.” In addition to this claim, she also says that I’m using the term “organic” when I should be saying “certified organic”. In response to this confusion, I’d like to clarify exactly what I, and the USDA, mean by the term “organic”.

First of all, the main definition of “organic” adopted by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in April 1995 is as follows: “Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.” With this basic understanding of “organic”, the USDA has developed a system of standards for use in the United States in what they call the National Organic Program. Basically, there are four levels of organic labeling. Let me break it down:

100% Organic
In order to use this term on a label, the product must contain 100% organically-produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). The product must have the phrase “certified organic by [certifying agent]“, or something similar. Though the certifier’s seal may be applied to the label, it doesn’t fulfill this requirement on its own. Also, if there is more than one ingredient in the product, there must be a full ingredient list on the label, as well as information to let the consumer know where it was packaged. This is certainly the most stringent of the organic certification standards. Products with this label are allowed to use the USDA Organic seal.

Organic
The use of this term on a label requires that the product contains at least 95% organically-produced ingredients (excluding water and salt), and the product cannot contain any added sulfites. There must be an ingredient list in which organic ingredients are labeled as “organic”, so the consumer will know which ingredients are the organic ones. The label must also contain the information about the certifying agent and packaging location mentioned in the above standard. Products with this label are allowed to use the USDA Organic seal.

Made With/Contains Organic Ingredients
Products using this label must contain at least 70% organically-produced ingredients (excluding water and salt), and it may not contain any added sulfites (excluding the addition of sulfur dioxide to wines). This standard has the same ingredient list, certifying agent, and packaging location disclosure requirements as the first two standards. Products with this label cannot use the USDA Organic seal.

Product has some organic ingredients
These products may contain less than 70% organically-produced ingredients. The label may display the percentage of organic ingredients and it must identify the organic ingredients in the mandatory ingredient list, however these products may not use the term “organic” in any other way on the label, and they cannot display any certifying agent information, including the certifier’s seal. They also cannot display the USDA organic seal.

Whew! That’s a lot of standards, but they’re very comprehensive, and they make it simpler for consumers to walk into a grocery store and know exactly what they’re looking at. Also, since the organic discussion has become so prevalent in our society, whether you’re pro- or anti-organic at least the USDA has provided these basic standards to ensure the word “organic” can’t be misused on a product’s label.

The USDA standards mention Certifying Agents, and I want to briefly explain this aspect of organic certification. There are many certifiers out there, all of which must follow the USDA guidelines. However, each agency has slight differences in the way they certify a company and its products. For example, Quality Assurance International (QAI), one of the largest agencies, requires that a company certify each product individually, meaning that the company has to pay the hefty certification fee for each and every item they sell. In contrast, another certifier, Oregon Tilth, will allow a company to pay the fee once for all of its products, saving that they don’t go beyond the maximum number of products in their requirement. Another difference between the two is that QAI’s certification will extend to many other countries, while Oregon Tilth’s will not. Mind you, these are just two certification agencies among many, and each one is slightly different. But the one thing they all have in common is that they must follow the USDA guidelines. The many certification agencies do complicate the issue, but for now you should remember that certifiers will put a company through a rigorous process during which documents are read and facilities are inspected, ensuring that certified products that consumers buy from stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats are the real deal.

For the future, when I use the term “organic”, I’m always referring to products that are certified organic. To assert that my doing so is confusing to my readers is an insult to their intelligence. It’s been shown that consumers who are interested in and choose organic products are some of the most educated in the marketplace, and I am certain that my readers are some of the brightest people I’ve talked to. In fact, I get many comments and emails showing this to be true. You guys are great, and you’re obviously intelligent. While I think it’s understood that my use of the word “organic” refers to the certified version, I’m just saying it now to clear up any confusion, not that there was any to begin with.

I also want to make it clear that I’m not saying that just because something is organic means it’s automatically better for you. I can personally describe plenty of sugar-laden, preservative-heavy products that are certified organic. Our country is capitalist, after all, which means there will always be a place in the market for those companies who are looking to exploit the organic certification system to make an extra buck while keeping their costs as low as possible. I believe these companies are completely unethical, and their existence is EXACTLY why I started this blog. Consumers need places to turn when they need help deciphering what’s what in the world of organics, and I’m doing my best to be just one of many good sources of information.

Organic certification isn’t the ending point; I believe it’s just the starting point. Right now in the world of organics, there is a push toward what many people are calling “beyond organic”. There is now a large body of research confirming the fact that organically-produced food is more nutritious. Opinions differ throughout the scientific world on what these findings mean, so it’s really up to us to decide what’s best for our own bodies. Personally, I choose organic. I only buy organic produce, and at any time I’d estimate that both our pantry and our fridge contain about 90% organic products. This has also reached into our shower and medicine cabinet, though I’d say those places contain more like 50% to 75% organic products. Or course, if someone were to make organic Band-aids I’d buy them, but as far as I know they don’t exist.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, I’m willing to bet you’re at least interested in the world of organics, if not a full-blown organic-phile. You may have even been fully aware of the USDA organic certification standards before reading this post, and for that I commend you. Still, plenty of people are just now coming to understand the world of organic products, and I thought this post might be beneficial to help alleviate some of their confusion.

Speaking of confusion, I’d like to go back for a moment to Amy Reynolds’ comments. In her comment, she stated that since the ingredients in all of her products are carbon-based, they’re technically organic. Well, if we’re operating from the world of Merriam-Webster, then she’d be right. But today’s marketplace is complicated, and statements like Amy’s only add to the organic confusion. The USDA standards, while legalistic, exist for one reason: to make claims like Amy’s obsolete, and in some cases, illegal. Sure, it would be great if all companies followed ethical practices and were totally transparent about where their products come from, all on their own. But we don’t live in that kind of world. You can wish all you want that our modern world and marketplace were simpler, but just wishing doesn’t make it so.

The USDA standards are definitely a step in the right direction; now it’s up to us, consumers, to flesh out the companies following ethical practices, and to support them with our dollars. The U.S. is a capitalist society, after all, so let’s continue to demand ethical practices, and we’ll be rewarded by a diversifying supply of great, organic, sustainable products and services.

If you’d like to read more about organic certification but you’re intimidated by all the various sources on the internet, this Wikipedia entry is a good place to start. Obviously, Wikipedia in no authority on the matter, but it can provide you with links to the agencies that are. Happy reading!