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Within the ever-evolving tale of organics, there are manysub-narratives. Some are topics that prove contentious,some complex and some confounding. But they are al-

ways intriguing, and to those who care deeply about the organicfood industry and its future, they are all highly important storiesto tell. Here are a few of the most pressing matters in the minds ofleading organic groups and voices.

The Benefits of organicWith any nuanced subject, there is perception, and then there is

reality. But at least among consumers, the perception of organic isan increasingly positive one. The Organic Trade Association’s(OTA) 2013 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study revealsthat nearly half (48%) of consumers who purchase organic do sobecause such products are “healthier for me and my children.”Parental desire to avoid toxic and persistent pesticides and fertiliz-ers (30%), antibiotics and growth hormones (29%) and geneticallymodified organisms (GMOs, 22%) were all popular reasons for or-ganic purchasing habits, according to OTA.

So, clearly, a health-based distinction between organic andnon-organic agriculture is a key driver of consumer interest. RyanBlack, CEO and cofounder of Sambazon, San Clemente, CA, says13 years ago, his company was a pioneer in getting açaí productsorganically certified. Now, the company’s research indicates that65% of its customers cite organic as a major reason for purchase.

But what are the actual, concrete advantages that organic pos-sesses? “The main benefits, to put it simply, are that organicallyproduced foods are better for you and better for the planet,” saysAlan Murray, CEO of GoodBelly, Boulder, CO. The specifics, how-ever, are complex and often controversial, according to GeorgeSiemon, CEO of Organic Valley, La Farge, WI. “It’s always a toughissue to talk about the benefits of organic because inevitably youcan get into a bottomless debate about science. And science seemsto be handy. People seem to be able to prove anything they wanton both sides of the fence,” he says.

Studies, like the widely reported Stanford study, for instance,that come to the conclusion that organics are nutritionally equiva-lent to conventional foods make at least one serious oversight, ac-cording to Simcha Weinstein, director of marketing at Albert’s Or-ganics, Bridgeport, NJ: organics see no chemical fertilizer orpesticide use throughout the growing cycle. Weinstein says,“Technically, this is not considered part of the nutritional contentof the food, however, in the minds of consumers, when it is re-ported that organic and conventionally raised foods have thesame nutritional value, what that implies, and what the consumerhears, is that one is no more healthy than the other.” So, he feels,the wrong message ends up getting received.

Indeed, the fundamental distinction that organic supporters

typically make concerns what’s not in organic foods. Ken Whit-man, president of Natural Vitality, Austin, TX, points out that trulyorganic foods do not contain GMOs or pesticide residues. He en-courages people to visit www.whatsonmyfood.org for an eye-open-ing experience, saying, “I think you’ll have a greater appreciationof organics as a result.”

A recent study, cited by Mary Waldner, cofounder and chair-person of Mary’s Gone Crackers, Gridley, CA, found that fruit fliesfed organic produce were more fertile and lived longer than thosefed conventional (1). Other recent reports show higher levels ofantioxidants and better nutrient density in organic foods, accord-ing to Matt McLean, CEO and founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic,Inc., Clermont, FL. “For our educational purposes, we try to high-light this fact via social media, packaging and messaging, as wellas in our grove tours,” he says.

Much of this type of information is just starting to come tolight, explains John Foster, director of compliance, quality, foodsafety and organic integrity at Earthbound Farm, San JuanBautista, CA. “It took many years to get such research funded inthe first place, but the trend is quite clear that there are demonstra-ble benefits in environmental quality, economic viability and con-sumer protection when comparing organic and conventional pro-grams and systems,” Foster says.

It does not take a pile of researchers, says Coach Mark Small-wood, executive director of the Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA, totell us about some of the negatives associated with non-organicagriculture. More than 17,000 pesticide products are currently onthe market, and “exposure to these chemicals has been linked tocentral nervous system disruption, infertility, a multitude of can-cers and even changes to our DNA,” says Smallwood.

Likewise, Smallwood feels common sense tells us that design-ing farms so crops can better resist pest and disease naturally is agood thing. “Rather than killing a mosquito with an atom bomb,organic farmers start with good design, crop rotation, trap crops,pheromone lures, barriers and other low-impact methods of pest-control,” he says.

organic and GmosThe dovetailing of standards and principles between the or-

ganic community and the movement against GMOs is not surpris-ing, since many of the same people and organizations are leadersin both areas. Thoughts on the subject, therefore, are not hard toelicit. “In my mind, the biggest issue with GMO seeds is that weare in the process of watching a few companies (mostly one) takecontrol of our food supply, and that is incredibly dangerous,” saysWeinstein.

Positioning genetic modification and organic as philosophicalopposites, Siemon says, “A little thing makes a big difference

Organic in FocusThe issues that define organic today, and will tomorrow.

By Tim Person

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sometimes. The idea that you’re going to splice in a gene, or theidea that you can use Roundup [herbicide] endlessly, and not seesome effect, is just contrary to what organics believes.”

Pointing also to the proliferation of GMO crops that are actu-ally engineered to produce pesticides within their own cells,Smallwood says, “Through the magic of genetic engineering, wenow grow food crops (broccoli, potatoes, corn, rice and more) thatdon’t just have pesticides on them, but pesticides actually inthem.”

The organic community has developed various stances on theissue. OTA, for starters, has officially called for a moratorium onall GMO use in agriculture, citing the need for more independentresearch and regulation before GMOs should be allowed in thefood system. OTA refers to increasing scientific evidence thatGMO crops can cause both environmental and health issues.

Until that goal of a moratorium pending further study isreached, OTA is officially supporting mandatory labeling of allagricultural GMOs and their products. Like many in the industry,McLean points to his company’s support of the various GMO la-beling movements, from the national Just Label It campaign tostate petitions. With the introduction of federal GMO labeling leg-islation to the current Congress, this is the issue on which most ac-tivism and debate is now focused.

In the meantime, a burgeoning market for Non-GMO Projectverified products has sprung up. These products are indepen-dently tested to ensure they meet the Non-GMO Project standardfor the absence of GMOs. The other way consumers are often en-couraged to seek GMO-free food is through U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) certified organic products. Certified organicproducts, as many know, cannot be produced with geneticallymodified inputs under National Organic Program (NOP) regula-tions. But USDA-certified products are not required to undergothe same testing procedures that Non-GMO Project verified prod-ucts are.

This may lead some to wonder whether certified organic’s as-surance, that no GMOs were intentionally used in production, willbe enough for some consumers seeking to avoid GMOs. Gwen-dolyn Wyard, OTA’s regulatory director of organic standards andfood safety, steps up to clarify the situation. She starts by notingthat the certification process used to evaluate organic operations isquite rigorous when it comes to GMOs. “Furthermore,” she says,“testing is part of the process.”

In November 2012, NOP published a final rule clarifying theOrganic Foods Production Act requirement for periodic residuetesting of organic products by accredited certifiers. It explicitlystates that testing may target excluded methods such as geneticengineering. “Further, in January 2012, NOP conducted a trainingon GM presence in organic products at its annual certifier trainingfollowed by another training in January 2013 on responding topositive residues (including GM presence),” Wyard says.

She goes on to say, “While the standards largely focus on theverification of procedures, testing is a tool used regularly to vali-date contamination prevention measures and/or to address com-plaints and reported contamination. However, when one consid-ers the proliferation and widespread use of genetically modifiedcrops in agriculture, we recognize that improvements can bemade.” This is why OTA is currently focusing its attention on aseed purity standard, as the National Organic Standards Board(NOSB) is requesting feedback from stakeholders on this issue.

The national organic ProgramFoster, a current member of the NOSB, calls the National List of

Allowed and Prohibited Substances in organic the most thor-oughly reviewed and vetted list of agricultural inputs in existence.“Bear in mind each one must be allowed by the U.S. Food andDrug Administration (FDA), then on top of that, they are closelyscrutinized by a very conservative group of people—the NOSB.

The vast majority of petitioned materials have failed to be listed inrecent years,” he says.

In clarifying the relevance of the National List to organic label-ing regulations, Wyard starts by saying that “a product labeled as100% organic is just that—100% organic.” A product labeled sim-ply as “organic” can, however, contain up to 5% non-organic in-gredients by weight or volume. Every ingredient classified in that5%, for any product, must be on the National List, which means itwas petitioned to the NOSB, underwent a review process that in-cludes two public comment periods and was found to meet thecriteria specified in the organic regulations. “The National Listprocess allows for some minor ingredients to be used providedthey are essential, unavailable in natural or organic form and arenot toxic to the environment or human health,” Wyard says.

Siemon, who was also involved directly in these efforts as a for-mer NOSB member, refers to the fact that every ingredient is givena Sunset review every five years to try to illustrate the integrity ofthe process. An example of this process at work is the recent denialby NOSB of an extension to the use of tetracycline (an antibiotic) inorganic apple and pear cultivation past October 21, 2014 (2). Theantibiotic has been used to treat a condition called fire blight thatcan ravage orchards, but by a 9–6 vote the board chose not to ex-tend its use in organic for another two years.

“When I was on the board, I voted on things that my co-op didn’t agree with because it was the right decision for the nation asa whole,” Siemon says. He notes that he did not feel he was thereto vote in the interests of his company, and that individuals on theboard are elected due to their expertise. One of his coworkers cur-rently sits on the board, and he likewise advises her to vote as a cit-izen would.

Waldner says the dilemma over which synthetic ingredientsshould be allowed in organic can be largely avoided by stickingwith real, whole ingredients. “We have been in a position of usingnon-organic ingredients because no organic crops yet existed(such as chia seeds when we first used them years ago), so I appre-ciate that caveat to the rules. Of course, as soon as organic chiaseeds became available to us, we used them, regardless of the ac-cepted list,” she says.

Some companies choose to be active in the decision-makingprocess. “We have commented on issues such as oxytetracycline inapple and pear production, hexane and nanotechnology to theNOSB over the last few years, and have our own internal policiesregarding the avoidance of such ingredients,” says ArjanStephens, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Na-ture’s Path.

sourcing and Future GrowthThough most everyone involved with the organic industry

would like to see it grow, there is the pesky law of supply and de-mand to contend with. There’s also the question of what kind ofgrowth is ideal in the context of organic principles.

“Organic growers have less access to government supports,can often take on a larger percentage of the financial burden whena crop fails and have a limited amount of research to inform prac-tices, seed varieties, nutrition, pest and weed management andmore,” says Smallwood. In contrast, conventional agriculture re-ceives an incredibly large piece of the subsidies pie, which is whychampioning the cause of farmers considering a switch to organicis crucial, he argues.

Siemon says his company has talked about supporting atransition fund, and already has a program in place for transi-tion to organic dairy farming that involves paying farmersprice premiums for 12 months, where no such incentive existsfor conventional dairy farmers. They are also working to set upa program that would help create a market for products fromnewly transitioned farms, in order to make the decision to goorganic more worthwhile.

Organic Foods

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SPOTLIGHT ON PRODUCTS 2013PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT INDUSTRY COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO MISS.

Organic FoodsThe industrialization of the food industry at large is an obstacle

for the prospects of organic, according to Black. He describes an al-liance between agribusiness and chemical conglomerates, whichin his view have a shared interest in maintaining a status quo oflimited transparency, and a goal of further implementing GMO-based food. “Left unchecked, these powerful forces could cut offaccess to water, land and other resources needed for organic pro-duction to flourish,” Black says.

The increasing consumer interest in organic has indeed made itdifficult to maintain adequate supply, according to McLean. “Forexample, in the 14 years that Uncle Matt’s has been growing or-ganic citrus in Florida, we have rarely had more supply than de-mand,” he says.

Waldner cites periodic supply issues as well, saying, “Some-times it’s been because of a bad crop year, sometimes it has beenbecause we are growing quickly and couldn’t anticipate ourneeds.” Waldner believes that ultimately, supply from farmers willrise to meet the demand for organic crops.

In some places, the limited availability of organic food is a fac-tor in the prices consumers pay. “Many shoppers are going tofarmers markets to buy local. This brings up the question as towhether an organic tomato picked early and trucked across thecountry is actually superior to a locally grown fresh tomato grownwithout pesticides which may or may not be certified organic,”Whitman says.

This gap, between the values of sustainability and the shippingpractices often required to meet demand for organic, is familiar tothose in the industry. “We are looking to add more Fair Trade in-gredients to our products, because we believe in helping commu-nities, as well as getting closer to the farm level and purchasing as

locally as possible,” says Stephens.The increase in demand for organic is not a phenomenon exclu-

sive to the United States or the Western world. “We are seeing thisin China and other emerging markets in Asia, for example,” saysFoster, who adds that expertise in organic agriculture may be alimiting factor globally.

With organic hitting these sorts of walls in the last few years,Siemon wonders whether the industry is pulling out of it yet. Italso raises for him the question of imported seed, and whether thisis the route the organic industry in this country wants to continueto take. Similarly, Weinstein questions whether the organic indus-try will become a glutton for fossil fuels, due in part to the neces-sity of importing food year round. He says, “Our challenge will ul-timately become far greater than simply having enough organicfood to sell; our challenge will be to increase organic food produc-tion and still remain true to the values that reignited this food rev-olution decades ago.” WF

references1. R. Chhabra, et al., “Organically Grown Food Provides Health Benefits toDrosophila melanogaster,” PLoS ONE 8(1), Epub Jan. 9 (2013).2. M. Shipman, “Organics Board Denies Tetracycline Extension,”http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/marketing-profiles/organic/Organ-ics-board-denies-tetracycline-extension-205990851.html, accessed May 5, 2013.

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Organic Online

There is always more to the story of organics. To read expandedversions of these discussions led by WholeFoods, along with newtopics like how to distinguish organic from “natural” for consumers,please visit the online version of this story at www.wholefoods-magazine.com

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of Drug Addiction recently indicated that overeating is directlyconnected to the brain’s reward center. Lack of dopamine, or a poorability to sense and respond to dopamine, causes feelings of stress,anxiety, discomfort, etc.,” says Avila.

On the flip side, sufficient biochemical rewards result in feelingsof fullness and satisfaction after a meal. “People with poordopamine function often satisfy their excessive cravings with un-healthy fat and sugar-rich foods. Essentially, with poor dopaminefunction, you need more and more food in order to feel satisfied,”he says. A healthier way to gain satisfaction is by increasing sensi-tivity to dopamine. A patented blend of amino acids and herbscalled Synaptose, Avila says, has been shown to measurably in-crease dopamine and dopamine sensitivity. It also is associatedwith an increase in serotonin and endorphins, both important neu-rotransmitters for the brain’s reward center.

The effects of this “neuro-adaptagen,” beyond normalized crav-ings, include improved energy regulation, enhanced vitality, focus,reduced stress and anxiety and increased feelings of happiness, ac-cording to Avila. “This not only helps the individual lose theweight but keep it off once and for all,” he says.

Stress, Kravitz says, can indeed impact one’s weight in multipleways, but luckily it can be addressed directly through supplemen-tation. The herb ashwagandha can help to reduce levels of thestress hormone cortisol. This can in turn increase energy, as well as

cut carb cravings and overeating, thus helping to avoid stress-related weight gain, he says.

Overeating due to chronic stress can be remedied throughlifestyle techniques, Levin says, in combination with dietary sup-plements that support the adrenal glands’ management of cortisol.He lists rhodiola, phosphatidyl serine, reishi mushroom, vitaminC and vitamin B5 for helping to control cortisol. A patented combi-nation of extracts from Magnolia officinalis bark and Phellodendronamurense bark, Levin says, helps to quiet the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which responds to stress.

Spell also directs our attention toward the oxidative type ofstress. “When not compensated for, the oxidative process can leadto a degenerative cascade,” she says, explaining that neutralizingreactive oxygen species can help fight aging and weight gain, whileimproving sport performance. WF

referencesThe complete references for this article are available online atwww.wholefoodsmagazine.com

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