Organic foods slip into mainstream
Organic foods slip into mainstream. Click link to read today’s story on Yahoo.
There’s no slipping about it! They are in the mainstream!
Only problem is everybody wants a piece of the pie. I think that non-traditional companies, that is companies that are not normally associated with organic foods, e.g. Sara Lee, PepsiCo, Kraft, etc. will start or continue to offer organic products but just squeak by with the USDA requirements to MAKE their products organic. The USDA requirements are LESS than the other authorizing agencies but without the USDA notoriety!
Also mainstream companies will be powerhouses in the marketing of their new brands because of their conventional food stability. Most likely these products WILL NOT be segregated but found next to your regular Macaroni & Cheese and you will be just as likely to purchase from that same company without knowing the difference! I assume that these products will also be pretty economical because these companies can afford to buy massive quantities of ingredients to mass produce a new brand. This doesn’t mean that their products will be 100% pure as most small organic food companies are. YOU STILL NEED TO READ THE LABEL! But I doubt they would go through the “trouble” of including organic ingredients and then taint the recipe with artificial flavors and colors, fillers, etc!
Hopefully this will keep small farmers working, and less pesticide use, keeping harmful chemicals out of our ground water! I hope that small farmers make wise decisions when choosing to supply to large companies. I hope that if the large companies decide to farm their own supply of grains, vegetables, etc that they are truly dedicated to bio-diversity and don’t exhaust the soil by mono-cropping!
BOTTOM LINE: You still want to buy as much local and organic produce and products as possible. Supporting your local farmer not only connects you to the community but builds your better understanding with the earth, i.e. you understand the impact of the seasons and realize that your foods are more vibrant and filled with the vitamins and minerals they should be filled with and build a better body for you.
Here are a few resources you can check out:
Oregon Tilth
Oregon Tilth is a nonprofit research and education membership organization dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. Tilth’s history begins in 1974, as an agricultural organization with a unique urban-rural outlook. Primarily an organization of organic farmers, gardeners and consumers, Tilth offers educational events throughout the state of Oregon, and provides organic certification services to organic growers, processors, and handlers internationally.
Northeast Organic Farming Association
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit organization of nearly 4,000 farmers, gardeners and consumers working to promote healthy food, organic farming practices and a cleaner environment. NOFA has chapters in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Islans and Vermont.
The California Department of Food and Agricultures State Organic Program