Term+Organic

=What does the term 'Organic' refer to? =


 * The million-dollar question that many people are asking these days is,"What is organic?" Organic foods are just like conventional foods just without all the pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. Conventional farms use those types of fertilizers and chemical treatments to grow bigger crops and animals. Organic agriculture is a production and process regulating what farmers use on their crops. Organic does not allow any GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms). Organic is healthier than natural and conventional foods, because it doesn't have anything unnatural into it.**

Organic Farming and its Regulations

 * The Organic production has been in the United States since the late 1940’s. They have more than 40 private organizations and also state agencies. Many food manufacturers have developed organic processed products and many retail-marketing chains in the sale of organic products. Also the organic certification industry are also involved.

There are more than 40 private organizations and state agencies that are certifiers that certify organic food. Also their standards for growing and labeling organic food can be different. For some agencies they can permit or prohibit different kinds of pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food. But in the late 1980’s, after an attempt to develop a consensus of production and certification standards, the organic industry petitioned congress to draft the Organic Foods Production Act.

The National Organic Program is a marketing program housed within the United States Department of Agriculture Marketing Service, the agency that sets marketing standards. Their mission is to develop and implement national standards that govern the marketing of agriculture products as organically produced. The [|OFPA] requires the secretary of agriculture to establish a National list allowed and prohibited substances, which identifies synthetic substances that may be used. The no synthetic substances that cannot be used, in organic production and handling operations.

The background of the NOP is that they develop national organic standards and establish an organic certify caution program based on recommendations of the 15-member National Organic Standards Board. The NOP regulations are flexible enough to accommodate the wide range of operations and productions and products grown and raised in every region of the United States.

Some of the organic productions that farmers use are that they use crop rotations and other techniques to manage weeds, insects and diseases. Using rotation grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing. A focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance. Use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotation to fertilize the soil, maximize biological activity and maintain long-term soil health. Reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics.**