Organic Food Industry Makes Progress in 2006

According to the OCA (Organic Consumers Association), significant progress was made in 2006 towards keeping organic labels meaningful -- and clear to the consumer.

Working on several fronts (dairy farming, genetically modified foods, and factory farms), the OCA says "All of Aurora's, and much of Horizon's, "organic" milk is coming from industrial dairy feedlots, where the cows routinely have been imported from conventional dairies and have little or no access to pasture. Since April, thousands of consumers and a growing number of co-ops and natural food stores have joined the boycott. Horizon is apparently feeling the heat."

I know that once I heard about Horizon's decision to include cows that clearly are not producing milk in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Organic Standards Board, I stopped buying any Horizon products -- including milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, the whole works. I felt that Horizon had deceived me, and I can no longer trust them.

This is a serious issue for anyone who thinks they can "bend the rules" and it won't affect the bottom line; it will!

Gone are the days when food producers can get away with shady practices in hopes that no one will notice. They may have the big bucks, but we have the Internet -- and news travels faster than the speed of light -- certainly faster than you can say "boycott."

Consumers detest being tricked. THAT is the real bottom line. Food producers planning to hoodwink today's consumer have a hard row to hoe (if you will pardon the pun. . . )

Now, we learn that WalMart, who gleefully jumped on the organic bandwagon this year by introducing organic food to their grocery aisle, has already been caught trying to palm off mislabeled food products as organic -- that aren't. Shame shame! Guess how much credibility they have now?

Most of us "real" organic food lovers have been suspicious of WalMart's move from the minute they announced it. You'd think they could at least wait until it became popular in their stores before trying something THAT stupid!

As for those Frankenfoods (genetically modified), the OCA says "Although the US government has approved the cultivation of GE wheat, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, fish, and rice, pressure from the OCA and allied consumer and farm groups around the world has convinced the biotech industry to hold off indefinitely on releasing these varieties commercially."

Keeping it out of the marketplace is a good thing. But here's the real problem. Once a genetically modified crop is planted, even in a research plot, Nature can distribute the DNA easily (think wind, insects, and birds, for starters) and contaminate nearby fields with GMO crops. Everyone knew that woule be a serious hazard. Monsanto, the primary manufacturer of GMO food crops, denies that such things are a problem. Meanwhile, GMO rice has turned up in paddies across Southeast Asia, and no one (???) seems to know how.

Right. Who do they think they're fooling?

So, while we consumers have been able to find out the truth about some of the nastier shenanigans going on, thanks to our friends at OCA (and other watchdog groups) and the convenience of the internet, where our REAL strength showed up loud and clear was in our purchasing power.

Money talks, and if it's not speaking to the folks who are trying to bully their way into the organic business, it's because we the people aren't speaking to them any more.

I hope they finally get the message!

Yours for extraordinary dining -- for everyone,

Nancy
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