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History of Organic Farming in the U.S.
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At Purple Haze Farm in Washington
’s Dungeness Valley, visitors can pick their own lavender bouquets
from 50 varieties raised organically. Lavender thrives here
because of low rainfall and mild winters.
– Photo by Rosemary Gray |
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J.I Rodale, founder of the Rodale Research Institute and Organic
Farming and Gardening magazine, is commonly regarded as the
father of the modern organic farming movement. Beginning in the
1940s, Rodale provided the main source of information about "non-chemical"
farming methods and was heavily influential in the development of
organic production methods. Rodale drew many of his ideas from Sir
Albert Howard, a British scientist who spent years observing traditional
systems in India. Howard advocated agricultural systems reliant
upon returning crop residues, green manures and wastes to soil,
and promoted the idea of working with nature by using deep-rooted
crops to draw nutrients from the soil.
By the 1970s, increased environmental awareness and consumer demand fueled
the growth of the organic industry. However, the new organic industry suffered
growing pains. Although there was general agreement on philosophical approaches,
no standards or regulations existed defining organic agriculture. The first
certification programs were decentralized, meaning that each state or certifying
agent could determine standards based on production practices and constraints
in their region. An apple farmer in New York has very different challenges than
an apple farmer in California, for example.
The downside of this decentralized approach was a lack of clarity about what
"organic" meant from state to state. A movement grew to develop a
national organic standard to help facilitate interstate marketing. In response,
Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) in 1990 to develop a
national standard for organic food and fiber production. OFPA mandated that
USDA develop and write regulations to explain the law to producers, handlers
and certifiers. OFPA also called for an advisory National Organic Standards
Board to make recommendations regarding the substances that could be used in
organic production and handling, and to help USDA write the regulations. After
years of work, final rules were written and implemented in fall 2002.
Although the actual production techniques of organic food have not changed
dramatically since the implementation of the national standards, "organic"
now is a labeling term that indicates that food has been grown following the
federal guidelines of the Organic Foods Production Act. The national standards
also specify that any producers who sell over $5,000 annually in agricultural
products and want to label their product "organic" must be certified
by a USDA-accredited agency. Companies that process organic food must be certified,
too.
Any farms or handling operations with less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural
products are exempt from certification. Those producers may label
their products organic if they follow the standards, but they are
prohibited from displaying the USDA Organic Seal.
The
National Organic Standards
The national organic standards
address the methods, practices and substances used in producing
and handling crops, livestock and processed agricultural products.
The standards specify that, in general, all natural (non-synthetic)
substances are allowed in organic production and all synthetic
substances are prohibited. The National List of Allowed Synthetic
and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances contains specific
exceptions to the rule. This summary is from the USDA National
Organic Program (NOP).
Organic crop production standards specify:
Land
will have no prohibited substances applied to it for at
least 3 years before the harvest of an organic crop. Use
of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation and sewage sludge
is prohibited. Soil fertility and crop nutrients will be
managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop
rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and
crop waste materials and allowed synthetic materials.
Preference
will be given to the use of organic seeds and other planting
stock.
Crop
pests, weeds, and diseases will be controlled primarily
through management practices including physical, mechanical,
and biological controls. When these practices are not sufficient,
a biological, botanical, or synthetic substance approved
for use on the National List may be used.
The organic livestock standards, which
apply to animals used for meat, milk, eggs, and other animal
products, specify:
Animals
for slaughter must be raised under organic management from
the last third of gestation, or no later than the second
day of life for poultry.
Producers
are required to give livestock agricultural feed products
that are 100 percent organic, but may also provide allowed
vitamin and mineral supplements.
Organically
raised animals may not be given hormones to promote growth,
or antibiotics for any reason. Preventive management practices,
including the use of vaccines, will be used to keep animals
healthy.
Producers
are prohibited from withholding treatment from a sick or
injured animal; however, animals treated with a prohibited
medication may not be sold as organic.
All
organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors,
including access to pasture for ruminants.
A civil penalty of up to $10,000 can be levied
on any person who knowingly sells or labels as organic a product
that is not produced and handled in accordance with the National
Organic Program regulations.
For more information go to http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/
or call the USDA NOP, (202) 720-3252. Organic Farm Certification
and the National Organic Program is available for free from
ATTRA, (800) 346-9140 or http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/organcert.html
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