In May, the Washington Post published an article bringing to the light information regarding a large amount of imported conventional corn and soy entering the US market mislabeled as organic. The Post found that at some point during the shipping process conventional crops imported from Turkey and Ukraine were labeled as organic despite coming from companies that are not certified as organic. The article highlights that although most USDA organic produce is grown in the US certain commodities, including corn, soybeans, and coffee are more likely to be imported from overseas. The USDA organic program, like any government program, does have its weaknesses, which are only amplified when handling imports. So some skepticism around the USDA organic standard is valid, but you shouldn’t give up on the program altogether. Organic foods, particularly those produced in the US, are still the best options available for consumers who want to promote a sustainable food system, and reduce their own exposure to pesticides.
Over the last few years there has been continued growth in the organics industry. This speaks to the growing consumer demand for more sustainably grown food. But there is also a significant challenge in meeting this growing demand. The US does not produce nearly enough organic food to meet the demand. Transitioning to USDA organic certification is both costly and time consuming, resulting in an increase in imports from overseas to try and keep up. As The Post article highlights, USDA is falling short in its ability to regulate imports. With demand from organics only increasing it is essential that USDA not only increase its capacity to regulate organic product being imported, but also that grown in the US. It is also essential that the agency continually reexamine the standards’ inegrity so that consumers can trust products with the USDA organic logo on them.
Here at Green America we still believe that when purchasing food at mainstream grocery stores organic is…
