Moving Beyond the Industrial Organic Food Movement: Rethinking Organic Food Regulations

Abstract

One of the fastest growing sectors of the food economy, the sale of organic and non-genetically modified foods has burgeoned from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010. Over the past two decades, as the demand for organic foods has grown, the industry has evolved significantly, from a group of small-scale farmers who sold their goods at local farmers markets to large-scale, modern industrial farming operations. As consumers have grown more knowledgeable about the ecological and health effects of pesticide use and chemical fertilizers, they have also begun demanding more information in the marketplace. In a recent decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the court struck down an Ohio law that kept dairy farmers who were compliant with federal organic standards from labeling their goods as free of antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones. The decision was celebrated as a victory for both consumers and the organic industry, since both parties will benefit from consumers having more information to inform their purchases. Ohio’s now-voided law illustrates an underlying tension: despite the boom of the industry and the growing demand for organic foods, current standards regulating the production and distribution of organic and non-genetically modified foods may be falling short of protecting the environment and supporting sustainability. The current framework allows for large-scale farming operations to easily adapt their techniques to meet organic production requirements. While this benefits consumers by making organic goods more accessible and affordable, the federal standards do not provide for adequate transparency or consistency. Gaps in the current regulations prevent consumers from accessing information that can more fully inform their purchases, and this calls into question whether Congress has achieved its intent in creating a meaningful national organics program.