What is really organic?

Question

Is there a difference between Organic and Certified Organic? How do you know what is really organic? Is there a good website for info like this? Is there a difference between U.S orgnaic and U.K organic? Please only offer info you are sure about and have good resources on. I'm confused enough. Thanks!

Answer 1

U.S. Organic is chemical free this year.

U.S. Certified organic is registered chemical free for a set amount of years, seven I think it is for USDA certified milk.  

Certified would have less chemicals than just organic.

Answer 2

Organic food is produced without using of  inorganic fertilisers& pesticides

Answer 3

Organic is organic is organic. Certification is done by private companies (at least here in the US) with no government affiliations. Though I dislike any government regulations or involvement beyond what is the basic essentials, I like less the idea of paying a private company with regulations that they deem appropriate for a fee that they deem necessary but I consider to be a necessary evil. Organic though is hardly enough. That is basically only a consideration that agricultural products are grown in a proposed organic method. More important is that of sustainability along with "clean". One can be organic but not sustainable which has more to do with environment and proper land management. To do both is a much better option but most people take for granted that it is so, when it is not.

Answer 4

in the USA in order to use the word organic in any form to market food you must be certified by the USDA. The exception is for growers who gross under $5000 per year selling food to the public (this would be a very small part time producer at a farmers market. You will never see such at any retail establishment). For everyone else if the word organic is on the lable that food and it's ingredients (if it is processed) are all certified organic and were produce on certified organic farms.

In the UK the Soil Association is the organic certifier. For most of the rest of the EU it is IFOAM

some places to learn more about organics in the USA, UK and EU

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop

http://www.organicconsumers.org

http://www.localharvest.org

http://www.boulderbeltfarm.com

http://www.soilassociation.org

http://www.IFOAM.org

Answer 5

organic just maens that you don't use chemicals to enhance your crops or livestock. it differs in different countries what classifies as a chemical use and what is not considered  

"organic".

Answer 6

organic gets old quicker than certified organic!!!

Answer 7

It depends where you get it from. There are usually organic grocers that will only sell organic foods. Sometimes with the vegetables you can tell they're organic because they're slightly smaller and some of them have more leaves.