Organic vs. Sustainable

(To those of you receiving this via RSS, I apologize. You are seeing this post twice because of some weird glitch; it wasn't showing up in the Daily Digest so I had to repost under a different date)

In the previous post, I mentioned that Hardin Gardens in Sonoma is a sustainable farm. Sustainable farming can actually be healthier and more environmentally friendly than certified organic farming. The increased demand for organic has attracted large agribusiness corporations to create "organic" brands. These corporations have found loopholes in the organic rules that allow them to make more money, sacrifice the integrity of the products and raise the carbon footprint of their operation. For example, many large corporate-run dairies raise cows in confinement, use massively large acreages to plant crops (monoculture), and ship food thousands of miles (think: Chilean peaches in winter) to sell.

This is a wide topic, but in this post I'd like to examine the difference between "sustainable" and "organic". You can create a checklist from the comparison below when you're at a farm stand or store and want to ask the right questions to fully understand the quality and impact of you're eating.

O= Organic
S= Sustainable

O:  An organic farm must be certified every year by and approved by the USDA.
S: There is no certification process for a "sustainable" farm. Sustainable farming is more a philosophy or way of life and doesn't have independent certification. You generally need to ask the farmer questions about their production methods and then decide which food you think is best for you and your family.

O:  Can confine animals. Only need to give animals "access" to outdoors; don't actually have to let them out.
S: Animals must be permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, i.e. rooting, pecking or grazing. A sustainable farmer might keep his animals indoors in bad weather, but the health and well-being of the animal comes first.

O:  No antibiotics are used.
S:  No legal restrictions, though sustainable farmers either will not give any antibiotics at all or only when animals are sick and need to be treated. And then, they are not put back into the herd until they are better and all medication has left their system. But, antibiotics are not routinely put in feed or water to promote growth or ward off potential disease.

O:  No hormones allowed.
S:  No hormones used.

O:  Large and small operations raise food organically.
S:  Sustainable food production is often carried out by families who live and work on the land.

O:  There is no limitation on how many acres can be used to grow crops.
S: Sustainable farmers use variously placements of crops and plants as a form of pest control and to build soil fertility. Crops are generally not raised on massive amounts of acreage.

O:  Food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate. Certified organic does not necessarily consider the use of fossil fuels or extended amounts of time that can result between harvesting/processing and eating.
S: Food is raised and sold as close to the farm as possible. Buying locally and eating as seasonally as possible are sustainable practices.

Gang, don't get me wrong, there are many, many organic farmers that are raising food in the most humane, ethical and sustainable ways. You'll most likely find these types of farmers at farmers markets. I am suggesting here that you ask the tough questions to fully understand how your food is being raised and processed.

If you're in a store and all you see is organic but you have no idea where it's from or who produced it, don't freak out. It's still going to be better than conventional factory-farmed food. We don't always have the time to ask all the questions - just do the best you can and try to transition to full knowledge of the provenance of your food over time.

(BTW, this is your prep for my future post on the Alemany Farmer's market. Many of the farmers I'll identify aren't certified organic but they use sustainable methods.)

A Closer Look: Check out this 7/07 Organic Industry Chart from Michigan State University to see what organic brands are owned by large multinational corporations.

Menacing red tractor photo by Andrew Stawarz

Comments

[Amanda Louden]

thank you for posting this. I have been meaning to write about this very topic but instead will just link this post to my blog!

[Natasha Loeffler-Little]

Thank you for this posting! I will definitely be sharing this with others. Great info and right to the point.

[Alex Steed [of Make Something Happen]]

I am increasingly interested in the possibility/benefit of a vertical farm. Last night we blogged about campaigns that are getting behind and trying to leverage them into action. I'd like to see sustainable, local, and organic, all rolled into one, especially in urban areas where possible.

[Alex Steed [of Make Something Happen]]

I am increasingly interested in the possibility/benefit of a vertical farm. Last night we blogged about campaigns that are getting behind and trying to leverage them into action. I'd like to see sustainable, local, and organic, all rolled into one, especially in urban areas where possible.

[Alex Steed [of Make Something Happen]]

I am increasingly interested in the possibility/benefit of a vertical farm. Last night we blogged about campaigns that are getting behind and trying to leverage them into action. I'd like to see sustainable, local, and organic, all rolled into one, especially in urban areas where possible.

[Rick Warren]

This article was quite helpful. Although I feel we (in the Bay Area) have an abundance of sustainable farmers, it helps to know what questions to ask. Looking forward to the Alemany article.