the green apron

Early this week, NPR came out with a great article that discussed a growing dilemma many in the food industry are beginning to question whether some organic food can really be defined and labeled ‘organic’.

While this whole debate dates back much earlier than this year, it has intensified after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowed American farmers to plant and sell genetically engineered alfalfa.

This decision sparked huge controversy, as alfalfa, commonly known as hay, is a frequent staple in farmer’s livestock feed.  Organic farmers in particular were outraged that this genetically engineered food essentially tainted their livestock (typically cows and horses), and thus tarnished the animal’s products. As such, their food could no longer really be defined as ‘organic’.

And although alfalfa is much less likely than corn to cross-pollinate, some organic farmers and the Organic Trade Association, in particular, are concerned that if genetically engineered alfalfa seed spread to other crops it would render those crops un-organic.

All of this has led to the scrutinizing of organic regulations to decipher whether a product can really be considered organic or not.

USDA regulations state that in order to be qualified as “organic,” the product contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients. If you want further clarification on organic regulations, this is a great site that succinctly sums up the USDA’s current regulations and the current labeling system.

Nonetheless, many organic farmers contend, as discussed above, that allowing animals to eat GMO feed automatically ruins their ability to produce true organic food.

“If you’re not willing to sue the person who pollutes the organic crop and really undermines organic integrity, then we’re not going to stand up for you,” Ronnie Cummins, from the Organic Trade Association, in the article. “You’ve got to do the right thing.”

Still, not all organic farmers and experts agree with the dangers of GMO alfalfa. Charles Benbrook, chief scientist for the Organic Center, argues that the contamination is a mere 1 percent and is not significant enough to compromise its organic labeling.

But at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what Benbrook and Cummins think. In my opinion, it comes down to the American consumers who will dictate the ultimate definition of organic food and whether or not a small amount of GMO contamination makes it lose its classification.

That being said, there is reason to believe that many American want organic food to be truly organic, or at the very least be aware that their food contains GMO products.

For instance, 77 percent of organic food purchasers said they would stop buying organic food if it contained GMOs according to George Siemon, CEO of Organic Valley.

In addition, an overwhelming 96 percent in an MSNBC poll, albeit it’s possibly a bit of a left-leaning crowd participating in the poll, indicated that they believe GMO food should be labeled in order for consumers to make an informed choice.