The Debate Over 'natural' Labeling - Where Do You Stand On This Issue? Options

[Craig Minowa]

After launching our recent OCA alert and Organic Bytes (see issue here) highlighting companies that are damaging the organic industry by hyping 'natural' products, we received a number of emails in our office from readers who were concerned about our stance. The following is one of those letters. Please let us know what you think about this topic:

Letter from a reader: I have relied on the Organic Consumers Association to be a significant force for alternatives to an industrial food system. You have had a significant impact on helping all of us interested in choices in the food marketplace. I really take issue with the stance that certified organic is the only legitimate alternative to an industrial/global/impersonal food system. The movement which is connecting more and more consumers to think about where their food comes from, how it is produced and who profits from their food expenditures has grown rapidly as a "big tent" movement. I acknowledge that some abuse of the "natural" label occurs I do not believe we who are interested in alternatives to the industrial/global/impersonal food system are benefited by a position which asserts that the only alternative acceptable is "certified organic"

[Ohiorganic]

It pains me to see how ignorant most Americans are when it comes to Organic and natural. Too many people believe organic is an unregulated scam. They have no clue that in order to sell your crop as certified organic you have to follow a lot of regulations, keep good records, be inspected, etc., etc.. That this rule is enforced.

Too many people do not realize that most natural products are anything but (read the ingredient list on a "natural" product sometime and you will see a lot of unnatural ingredients). That there are zero regulations regarding using the term Natural and yet people seem to think there is.

Personally I prefer local food to anything but I do buy USDA organic when I cannot get something from a local source. I stay away from natural. But than I am an educated food consumer. I make my living growing and selling direct to my customers (most of whom are quite food savvy and know the difference between Organic and natural). I have run a certified organic farm and know just how much regulation there is. I also know that the USDA is allowing a lot of synthetics into processed certified organic foods and fooling with the regulations to allow a lot of non organic ingredients into organic food. Even still because natural is not regulated one bit anything can be called natural, even food with partially hydrogenated GMO soy and cottonseed oils.

[pipe woman]

After launching our recent OCA alert and Organic Bytes (see issue here) highlighting companies that are damaging the organic industry by hyping 'natural' products, we received a number of emails in our office from readers who were concerned about our stance. The following is one of those letters. Please let us know what you think about this topic:

Letter from a reader: I have relied on the Organic Consumers Association to be a significant force for alternatives to an industrial food system. You have had a significant impact on helping all of us interested in choices in the food marketplace. I really take issue with the stance that certified organic is the only legitimate alternative to an industrial/global/impersonal food system. The movement which is connecting more and more consumers to think about where their food comes from, how it is produced and who profits from their food expenditures has grown rapidly as a "big tent" movement. I acknowledge that some abuse of the "natural" label occurs I do not believe we who are interested in alternatives to the industrial/global/impersonal food system are benefited by a position which asserts that the only alternative acceptable is "certified organic"

I tend to agree with the reader. Although I, myself, am an organic gardener and am strongly in favor of the switch to organic, I feel that supporting local family farmers by shopping at Farmers' Markets and the like is also important as a rejection of the corporatization of farming. Many of these small farmers are not yet organic, but can be approached and hopefully swayed. On the other hand, some corporate farms have gone organic as there is strong demand for it and they get away with charging higher prices. Are we to support these agricultural giants who commit many of the same abuses (dairy, chicken farms) as their conventional peers over family farms that have not yet made the switch?

[Bear]

For the person who is reading the labels and has become "aware", kudos! Organic is not an end all be all solution for food. It is a more (not perfect) assured way to eat healthy foods. As an educated consumer, I use organic and non-organic low risk foods (such as locally grown or foods that do not usually require pesticides). I use foods labeled Natural, but carefully read the ingredients. It is sad that so many organic heads have such a holier than thou attitude and think they are so much more educated that the rest of us mere mortals. Being positive and educational with an open mind may be a better approach. Masses of people do not understand the difference between "Healthy", "Natural", "Organic" or other labels. Even common labels such as USDA are rarely understood. Education is one of the best methods to helping others learn when they are ready to learn. The large suppliers have understood for a long time not to fight and belittle, rather to educate, usually through marketing. It pains me to see people who think organic is a way of life or even a pseudo religion. Sadly, OCA sometimes falls into this category and IMHO this turns a lot of people off. Becoming educated without being berated is what I am looking for in a news letter. Save your preaching for Sunday's.

[SunshineWmn]

Just because something is natural, I may not want it in my food. Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals are naturally-occuring elements, but I don't want them in my food. Even with organic naturals, there isn't any regulation. Where did that natural item come from, how was it grown, what happened during its processing, how does it react in combination with the other ingredients? Too many unanswered questions.

[Pilmedium]

I agree that the "natural" foods industry is unregulated and untrustworthy, but it deeply disturbs me to see all the criticism and blame for this directed at Whole Foods Market. That is so last year! WFM has done more than anyone to make a wider variety of high-quality, organic foods available and we should be thankful for their efforts. With organic foods still expensive and in short supply, selling exclusively organic foods is unfortunately not a viable business model for a company as large as WFM. Hopefully one day that will change, but until then, let's appreciate what we have instead of complaining about how it is less than perfect. It should be noted that most small natural food stores also support the "natural" myth, and at least here, they are actually more expensive than WFM. I am fortunate enough to live in an affluent suburb with many places to buy good food, and even here, all stores, big or small, cheap or expensive, support the "natural" foods industry. It is, for now, a necessary evil until more farmers can be convinced that organic certification is truly worth while.

[radicalmom]

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2...nd-Organic.aspx

New ideas, especially those that directly challenge an established orthodoxy, follow a familiar path. First, the orthodoxy says the new idea is rubbish. Then the orthodoxy attempts to minimize the new idea's increasing appeal. Finally, when the new idea proves unstoppable, the orthodoxy tries to claim the idea as its own. This is precisely the path organic food production has followed.

First, organic pioneers were ridiculed. Then, as evidence of the benefits of organic farming became more obvious to more people, mainstream chemical agriculture actively condemned organic ideas as not feasible. Now that the food-buying public has become enthusiastic about organically grown foods, the food industry wants to take over. Toward that end the U.S. Department of Agriculture-controlled national definition of "organic" is tailored to meet the marketing needs of organizations that have no connection to the agricultural integrity organic once represented. We now need to ask whether we want to be content with an "organic" food option that places the marketing concerns of corporate America ahead of nutrition, flavor and social benefits to consumers.

When I started as an organic grower 35 years ago, organic was a way of thinking rather than a "profit center." The decision to farm organically was a statement of faith in the wisdom of the natural world, to the quality of the crops and livestock, and to the nutritional benefits of properly cultivated food. It was obvious that good farming and exceptional food only resulted from the care and nurturing practiced by the good farmer.

The initial development of organic farming during the first half of the 20th century arose from the gut feelings of farmers who were trying to reconcile the biological truths they saw in their own fields with the chemical dogma the agricultural science-of-the-moment was teaching. The farmers came to very different conclusions from those of the academic agronomists. The farmers worked on developing agricultural practices that harmonized with the direction in which their "unscientific" conclusions were leading them. Their goals were to grow the most nutritious food possible, while protecting the soil for future generations.

The development and refinement of those biologically based agricultural practices continues today. It's what makes this farming adventure so compelling. Each year I hope to do things better than I did last year because I will know Nature's systems better. But my delight in the intricacies of the natural world - my adventure into an ever deeper appreciation of the soil-plant-animal nutrition cycle and how to optimize it - is not acceptable to the homogenized mentality of mass marketing. The food giants that are taking over "organic" want a simplistic list of ingredients so they can do organic-by-the numbers. They are derisive about what they label "belief systems," and they are loath to acknowledge that more farmer commitment is involved in producing real food than any number of approved inputs can encompass.
The transition of "organic" from small farm to big time is now upon us. Although getting toxic chemicals out of agriculture is an improvement we can all applaud, it only removes the negatives. The positive focus, enhancing the biological quality of the food produced, is nowhere to be seen. The new standards are based on what not to do rather than what to do. They will be administered through the USDA, whose director said recently, "Organic food does not mean it is superior, safer or more healthy than conventional food." Well, I still agree with the old-time organic pioneers. I believe that properly grown food is superior, safer and healthier. I also believe national certification bureaucracies are only necessary when food is grown by strangers in far away places rather than by neighbors you know. I further believe good, fresh food, grown locally by committed growers, is the very best to be found.
In my opinion, "organic" is now dead as a meaningful synonym for the highest quality food. Responsible growers need to identify not only that our food is grown to higher, more considered standards, but also that it is much fresher because it is grown right where it is sold. Therefore, we have come up with a new term, one we define to mean locally grown and unprocessed, in addition to exceptional quality. ( See below .) It's a term we hope will be used, as "organic" was used when we began, by those local grow ers who accept that if you care first about the quality of what you produce, a market will always be there. We now sell our produce as "Authentic Food." We invite other serious growers to join us.

Interested growers can contact Eliot at Four Seasons Farm, 587 Weir Cove Road, Harborside, Maine 04642.-Mother
Authentic Food - Beyond Organic

A seal of quality from a farm near you

The label "organic" has lost the fluidity it used to hold for the growers more concerned with quality than the bottom line, and consumers more concerned with nutrition than a static set of standards for labeling. "Authentic" is meant to be the flexible term "organic" once was. It identifies fresh foods produced by local growers who want to focus on what they are doing, in stead of what they aren't doing. (The word authentic derives from the Greek authentes: one who does things for him or herself.) The standards for a term like this shouldn't be set in stone, but here is what I would like for growers to focus on:

• All foods are produced by the growers who sell them.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and meat products are produced within a 50-mile radius of their place of their final sale.
• The seed and storage crops (grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, etc.) are produced within a 300-mile radius of their final sale.
• Only traditional processed foods such as cheese, wine, bread and lactofermented products may claim, "Made with authentic ingredients."
• The growers' fields, barns and greenhouses are open for inspection at any time, so customers, themselves, can be the certifiers of their food.
• All agricultural practices used on farms selling under the "authentic" label are chosen to produce foods of the highest nutritional quality.
• Soils are nourished, as in the natural world, with farm-derived organic matter and mineral particles from ground rock.
• Green manures and cover crops are included within broadly based crop rotations to maintain biological diversity.
• A "plant positive" rather than "pest negative" philosophy is followed, focusing on correcting the cause of problems rather than treating symptoms.
• Livestock are raised outdoors on grass-based pasture systems to the fullest extent possible.
• The goal is vigorous, healthy crops and livestock endowed with their inherent powers of vitality and resistance.
"Authentic" growers are committed to supplying food that is fresh, ripe, clean, safe and nourishing. "Authentic" farms are genetically modified organism-free zones. I encourage all small growers who believe in exceptional food and use local markets to use the word "authentic" to mean "beyond organic."
With a definition that stresses local, seller-grown and fresh, there is little likelihood that large-scale marketers can appropriate this concept.- Eliot Coleman

[Craig Minowa]

Here is an email from one of our readers on this topic:

"I'm sorry I do not have time to register on your forum but I would like to answer your question about your position on the industry giants hyping "natural" food. I understood your issue as being not whether "natural" or organic is better, but how UNFI and WF are exploiting their consumers by marketing "natural" products as "almost as good as " organics. I did not think that was very clearly stated but that was the point I got, and the one I acted on when I contacted my own coordinator of the UNFI club I am part of, in order to state my concern about UNFI's position.

Personally, I feel it's up to me to be responsible to read the labels and see what the ingredients are. If I want to buy natural, I can. If I want to buy organic, I can.

However, as far as marketing, UNFI and WF do indeed have a captive audience, one that is very price-conscious and is gravitating toward their megastores because a dollar will go further there. You clearly gave examples of dangerous chemicals in natural brands. The problem is that people want to buy as much good food as they can, and buying "natural" allows them to do more of that. I do not buy "natural" over conventional. I do not even buy some organic brands over conventional. I know there's no guarantee that they are organic. I know I always have to read ingredients, no matter the label.

I believe organic consumers would be served best by drawing attention to small retailers who are still supporting the model of sustainable, ethical food practices, whether marketing local, natural produce or national truly organic brands. Frankferd Farms in Pennsylvania is a perfect example. I'd rather hear a positive message pointing me in a different direction than a negative one about my current situation, with no real alternative.

Thanks for your efforts in informing about UNFI.
"

[lyonxvi]

The definition of the word Natural:

nat•u•ral |ˈna ch ərəl|

adjective

1. existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind

Lets get something straight. There is NOTHING "Natural" about these "Natural" ingredients in "Natural" foods. Wake up people!!

[Patrickmartinjr....]

[quote name='Craig Minowa' date='Jul 14 2009, 10:40 AM' post='10802']
After launching our recent OCA alert and Organic Bytes (see issue here) highlighting companies that are damaging the organic industry by hyping 'natural' products, we received a number of emails in our office from readers who were concerned about our stance. The following is one of those letters. Please let us know what you think about this topic:

This is what I call de-evolution, a term commonly used in the holistic health counseling industry where a person begins to give into cravings that steer the individual from their established health goals. Only in this case, its the actions of large companies that are attempting to change the course for the consumer body. The truth is, many people aren't as knowledgeable as we (OCA guru's) are about the certifications and or standards.

Educating the public about the difference and importance of buying "Certified Organic" is certainly the best answer to this issue. We all know that the only "Natural" designation that may be acceptable would be from local small farm operations, verified by years of dedication to sustainable, ecologically sound, and clearly ethical farming or raising practices, and who also refuse to pay the costs of certification for financial, political, or philosophical reasons; Ma ans Pa, poly-farming, etc.

It is only a matter of time until the media giants get their hands on the names of the companies that are leading the world astray with this "Natural" designation. Until then, the best we can do is create public awareness campaigns and workshops to educate people about Certification standards and why they are all important.

There is an old saying that goes something like. "All pull together and its done!" In order to get past this, each person dedicated to the Organic movement must grab a section of the community, however or wherever they have access, and pull together in order to get the community past the deception of the "natural"designation.


Warmly,

Patrick Martin Jr.
www.patrickmartinjr.com

[Everything Green]

I see a lot of items that are labeled Natural, no antibiotics etc but there is no standard industry for natural and I don't trust it. I do know that certified organic is standardized and I trust that what I am buying is safe. I have been concerned for a long time about the growth hormones in our meats as well as antibiotics and also the genetically modified vegetables. I only buy organic cucumbers, the others all smell like a potato to me and I imagine they are blending them for a longer shelf life.
My new food philosophy is to purchase less food and make it organic whenever I have the choice. We eat a lot of produce and 90% is organic. We have been doing this for about 6 months and feel healthier all around.When will we realize that the food we eat is one of the most important things we can do for our health and stop buying for price rather than quality.
thanks for the opportunity to vent,
Pamela
wwweverythinggreensite.com

[RaNae]

Just because something is natural, I may not want it in my food. Mercury, lead, and other heavy metals are naturally-occuring elements, but I don't want them in my food. Even with organic naturals, there isn't any regulation. Where did that natural item come from, how was it grown, what happened during its processing, how does it react in combination with the other ingredients? Too many unanswered questions.

Good comments Sunshine Woman! I concur wholeheartedly!!

[OrganicMan]

I agree that the "natural" foods industry is unregulated and untrustworthy, but it deeply disturbs me to see all the criticism and blame for this directed at Whole Foods Market. That is so last year! WFM has done more than anyone to make a wider variety of high-quality, organic foods available and we should be thankful for their efforts. With organic foods still expensive and in short supply, selling exclusively organic foods is unfortunately not a viable business model for a company as large as WFM. Hopefully one day that will change, but until then, let's appreciate what we have instead of complaining about how it is less than perfect. It should be noted that most small natural food stores also support the "natural" myth, and at least here, they are actually more expensive than WFM. I am fortunate enough to live in an affluent suburb with many places to buy good food, and even here, all stores, big or small, cheap or expensive, support the "natural" foods industry. It is, for now, a necessary evil until more farmers can be convinced that organic certification is truly worth while.

I imagine you also support their anti-labor position wholeheartedly as well.

http://www.labornet.org/news/0105/ufcwhol.htm

[slverkriss]

[quote name='Craig Minowa' date='Jul 14 2009, 10:40 AM' post='10802']
After launching our recent OCA alert and Organic Bytes (see issue here) highlighting companies that are damaging the organic industry by hyping 'natural' products, we received a number of emails in our office from readers who were concerned about our stance. The following is one of those letters. Please let us know what you think about this topic:

I'm constantly showing my friends to look for the green USDA Organic label on products. I also show them that products like popsicles that are nothing more than sugar syrup are sometimes labeled "all natural". Many hyper-sugar children's cereals are also labeled as "all natural".

I also show friends to read labels. Some products labeled as organic, without the green seal, have only some organic ingredients.

slverkriss

[danjo]

It is interesting to me how many people are uninformed about "natural" and "organic" labeling of the food they eat. Opinions are from one side to the other on the subject of "where my food comes from?" or "whats in my food?". Yet, I am sadened by the fact that most people do not know "a" local farmer in their community. What do they do to grow your food on their farm? What practices do they use? Can you visit and see for yourself? Who can we trust if not our nieghbor!

I can relate to the disparity of trying to source your food with all the hype and corporate mega-marketing. I am knowledgeable of the fact that we do not have enough local farmers to source all the food we need. Yet, we have came along way in the past thirty years to regain our local food security by supporting local farmers and allowing them to survive.

I am a local, sustainable "Certified Naturally Grown" farmer. Local meaning that I distribute all my vegetables, nuts, herbs, berries, meats and fruit to consumers within 50 miles from my farm. I am sustainable 6 - 8 months of the year meaning a maintain all my needs for my family, farm and animals from the proceeds we make from the farm. I am "Certified Naturally Grown" meaning I belong to a certification program that maintains a set of standards which include:

-we use absolutely no synthetic chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers on our crops or fields. We use minimal and careful use of even organically approved soil amendments and sprays.
-we care for our soil, water, and air quality with crop rotations, cover crops, protective buffer strips and ecologically sustainable farming practices.
-we use no chemically treated or genetically modified seeds - only heirloom and untreated seed.
-we follow sanitary post-harvest practices including proper transport, storage and the use of only potable water for the washing of produce.
-we strive in every way to pass on the land and surrounding environment in an even better condition than it was passed on to us.
(for a more detailed overview please visit www.naturallygrown.org)

So, their is a certified approach to naturally growing on a farm in the USA. Wow! Over 500 farmers are in this program. Do not be so hasity in your opinion until you have all the facts, friends.

As it has been said, we all support some type of food source with our fork. And as I believe that life is not lived on a "one size fits all" lifestyle, yet no one can survive without the farmer. For me, I will support and maintain the local network in my community by buying from the farmer accross the fence. Liberty is everyones choice to choose for themselves. Yet, who can we trust? What is your choice? Mega store? Who is your farmer? Dan Nelson

[pvukovic]

Thanks for making this an issue. This looks like a pretty clear cut attempt to undermine consumer choice, and make something (organic) which is already troubled by misunderstandings and government meddling even more difficult for consumers. Instead of making them better educated it appears some retailers continue to be desperate to make them dumber and less able to intelligently participate in a 'free' market. Capitalizing on a desire to be healthier in order to fool one to ingest things that make them sicker is despicable and sick itself. When Former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz called food a 'weapon' a few decades ago, I doubt he would have forseen it would be used domestically, but this duplicitous behavior is pretty darn close. Whole foods really needs to explain the irresponsible breech of trust this represents as does UNFI. I suspect underneath it that organic distribution models and large commercial distributors are fundamentally incompatible.

[skupe59]

Organic and natural are two very different things. So are local and local organic two different categories. MSG is natural. So are a lot of the flavor enhancers that are put into natural products. My local farmer's market, although they have delicious stuff, most of it is sprayed. Their home grown offerings are sprayed minimally so I do buy them -- they are still sprayed a lot less than the regular markets do. Usually I just go to Whole Foods and only buy the organic products.

Amy's Foods realized that when people complained about the flavor enhancers they were putting their foods. They bent over backwards to remove them. Eden Foods realizes that and they don't make cans that are lined with BPA. We make our wants and needs known by what we purchase. When we stop buying what "they" want us to buy, they will have to change their offerings. The farmers are willing to do this. It's the food companies (most of them) who don't get it. Still our government reimburses for mainstream products. There is something wrong with this picture.

[Shodo]

After launching our recent OCA alert and Organic Bytes (see issue here) highlighting companies that are damaging the organic industry by hyping 'natural' products, we received a number of emails in our office from readers who were concerned about our stance. The following is one of those letters. Please let us know what you think about this topic:

Letter from a reader: I have relied on the Organic Consumers Association to be a significant force for alternatives to an industrial food system. You have had a significant impact on helping all of us interested in choices in the food marketplace. I really take issue with the stance that certified organic is the only legitimate alternative to an industrial/global/impersonal food system. The movement which is connecting more and more consumers to think about where their food comes from, how it is produced and who profits from their food expenditures has grown rapidly as a "big tent" movement. I acknowledge that some abuse of the "natural" label occurs I do not believe we who are interested in alternatives to the industrial/global/impersonal food system are benefited by a position which asserts that the only alternative acceptable is "certified organic"

I still remember shopping at the Duluth Farmer's Market. The coop carried lots of certified organic food from California. The Farmer's Market carried lots of GIA - "grown in accordance" by local farmers who couldn't afford the certification process. I just had to trust them.

Organic certification started because sellers would call things organic when they weren't. That's important. But I'll always go with the small local grower who's treating their soil, animals, and hired workers all with respect. Which is something you can only find out when it's local.

Since the battles over organic certification (when we stopped them from allowing sewage sludge among other things), I've felt uneasy about the government's involvement in organic. Is there an alternative?

The only alternative I can think of - and it would be a hassle - is a private certification system that would identify products in terms of organic, fair trade or union made, and where it is sustainable/local (for example, within 200 miles from the farm, or something). Big producers would have to prove it, little ones wouldn't. And the labels would be big enough to see. (unlike fair trade chocolate bars, for instance, which sometimes have no markings at all!) Unfortunately it gets to be a money thing again. How about giving the little growers a free ride, just pay for the labels?

The flaws in this are obvious; it's is just to start a conversation. How could we improve things for our small organic growers without opening the door to scams like Horizon? Surely others are asking this question too; do you think the best option is continuing to pressure the USDA to play fair, or might there be another way? (I feel like my proposal is asking folks to re-do the last 30 years of work creating the system we have...)

[Shodo]

It is interesting to me how many people are uninformed about "natural" and "organic" labeling of the food they eat. Opinions are from one side to the other on the subject of "where my food comes from?" or "whats in my food?". Yet, I am sadened by the fact that most people do not know "a" local farmer in their community. What do they do to grow your food on their farm? What practices do they use? Can you visit and see for yourself? Who can we trust if not our nieghbor!

I can relate to the disparity of trying to source your food with all the hype and corporate mega-marketing. I am knowledgeable of the fact that we do not have enough local farmers to source all the food we need. Yet, we have came along way in the past thirty years to regain our local food security by supporting local farmers and allowing them to survive.

I am a local, sustainable "Certified Naturally Grown" farmer. Local meaning that I distribute all my vegetables, nuts, herbs, berries, meats and fruit to consumers within 50 miles from my farm. I am sustainable 6 - 8 months of the year meaning a maintain all my needs for my family, farm and animals from the proceeds we make from the farm. I am "Certified Naturally Grown" meaning I belong to a certification program that maintains a set of standards which include:

-we use absolutely no synthetic chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers on our crops or fields. We use minimal and careful use of even organically approved soil amendments and sprays.
-we care for our soil, water, and air quality with crop rotations, cover crops, protective buffer strips and ecologically sustainable farming practices.
-we use no chemically treated or genetically modified seeds - only heirloom and untreated seed.
-we follow sanitary post-harvest practices including proper transport, storage and the use of only potable water for the washing of produce.
-we strive in every way to pass on the land and surrounding environment in an even better condition than it was passed on to us.
(for a more detailed overview please visit www.naturallygrown.org)

So, their is a certified approach to naturally growing on a farm in the USA. Wow! Over 500 farmers are in this program. Do not be so hasity in your opinion until you have all the facts, friends.

As it has been said, we all support some type of food source with our fork. And as I believe that life is not lived on a "one size fits all" lifestyle, yet no one can survive without the farmer. For me, I will support and maintain the local network in my community by buying from the farmer accross the fence. Liberty is everyones choice to choose for themselves. Yet, who can we trust? What is your choice? Mega store? Who is your farmer? Dan Nelson

This is very interesting, and news to me. I just looked at the website and it looks as if you all have done what I proposed doing in my previous post - let the big guys have "organic" and do another term ourselves. However, there is this important question: is it true that the term "natural" is also being used without any certification process? If so, then we need an education project about the term "certified natural." I look forward to more information.

[Vampyra]

I have my own poultry and while I do not feed organic feed I do pick them fresh plants around the farm daily that haven't been sprayed with any type of chemicals to feed them. I do my best to care for them and feed them as natural as possible. I do not use any chemicals on my birds unless absolutely necessary for illness, mites or visible worms.

I belong to a poultry group and many people do like I do but found out some people are selling their eggs as 100% organic at farmer's markets. I tried to educate them that this is not what organic is and is also illegal. It takes hard work to sell organic eggs and there is lots of paper work involved. There is a difference between free range and organic. Mine are a closer quality to what is considered free range.

You would not believe how many people thought I was wrong and argued with me. There needs to be better education in all aspects of organic including small growers. Though I believe small growers do have better products overall.

I was wondering who is in charge of these matters and what are the fines for selling organic that isn't really organic. I keep reading about all these companies lying about it but I don't see much for penalties. What happens to them if they are caught ?