Is Organic “really organic”?

Much before Patanjali became a phenomenon to reckon with, organic foods were hardwired into the Indian DNA right at the turn of the millennium. While the fervent advocates fight tirelessly to legitimise its Indian pedigree, the very idea of what makes organic organic is a grail quest in itself, if their arbitrarily-defined standards and partial-exceptions (towards certain pesticides like copper sulphate, borates etc. which are hazardous to human health) is anything to go by. The decisions, it is rumored, are made in a murky process that combines agronomy, lobbying, and fundamentalism. Nevertheless, subscribing to organics is like “back-to-nature’s way” no matter how penny-pinching it might seem. J

Ø  Definition

USDA Study Team on Organic Farming defines organic farming as “a system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc.) and to the maximum extent feasibly relies upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection.”

But, "organic" does not automatically mean "pesticide-free" or "chemical-free". It means that these pesticides, if used, must be derived from natural sources, not synthetically manufactured. Also, these pesticides must be applied using equipment that has not been used to apply any synthetic materials for the past three years, and the land being planted cannot have been treated with synthetic materials for that period either.

Ø  USP of Organic foods

There are two key aspects at the heart of food industry– safe & hygienic production and sanitary methods of processing & holding till consumption. Organics focus answering more of the former and less of the latter. Their USP is bred on the fear psychosis in the minds of the consumers over the ever-increasing number of synthetic pesticide residues finding their way into the highly-structured food chain, in seemingly unavoidable levels, with the potential of unleashing a lethal cocktail of carcinogenic and teratogenic health hazards to mention a few.

Ø  How healthy are they?

• With regards to pesticides, the evidence is pretty conclusive - chances of getting pesticide residues are much less with organic food
• In the most comprehensive to-date meta-data analysis on organic foods organized by researchers at Stanford University’s Center for Health Policy found little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods. No consistent differences were seen in the vitamin content of organic products, and only one nutrient — phosphorus — was significantly higher in organic versus conventionally grown produce.
• Some studies have shown higher levels of certain anti-oxidants, but the significance of that, if any, is unknown. It may even be undesirable; recent medical research has shown that the administration of anti-oxidants blunts the strength-enhancing effects of exercise. 
• Studies show no significant flavour difference between organically grown and conventionally grown foods. Instead, taste differences appear to come from the food variety, its growing conditions, and its maturity and harvest time. 

Ø  Indian Scenario

v Presently, India ranks 10th among the top ten countries in terms of cultivable land under organic certification.

v The certified area includes 15% cultivable area with 0.72 million Hectare and rest 85% (3.99 million Hectare) is forest and wild area for collection of minor forest produces. The total area under organic certification is 4.72 million hectares (2013-14).

v While Sikkim achieved the unique distinction of being 100% land under organic cultivation (certification questionable?), Madhya Pradesh leads the list with the largest area under organic certification.

v In India, organic foods are certified by National Programme for Organic Produce (NPOP), comes under APEDA, and has been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards.

v Present categories

·          Cultivated Crops  

·          Wild Collection

·          Processed food products (single/multi ingredients) 

·          Chain of custody (traders, storage, transport, export)

v New categories (standards are in the process for notification under NPOP)

·         Aquaculture

·         Livestock

·         Textiles

Ø  Conclusion

The overzealous attitude of some in promoting organic foods without informing its pseudo-health benefits is as hollow an argument as promoting smoking without informing its adverse effects. One thing is for sure- while the cost of organic food production is high due to the capital and labour intensive system of its cultivation, even in the most developed of the economies like USA where yields of organic cultivation haven’t been comparable to conventional practices, farmers have started realizing that organic agriculture isn’t improving their bottom line.  While suggesting a time-line until when organics will no longer be in the vogue in India would be difficult, endorsing the efficacy of the production systems and establishing standards for organic produce seems to be a far cry.

Until then, the best approach is to STAY INFORMED about WHAT IS ORGANIC? Here’s a quick guide to labelling that dichotomizes between what is organic and what isn’t:

1.  "100% organic": No synthetic ingredients are allowed by law
2. "Organic": At least 95% of ingredients are organically produced
3. "Made with organic ingredients": At least 70% of ingredients are organic; the other 30% are from a list approved by the USDA
4. "Natural" or "All Natural": Doesn't mean organic. No standard definition, except for meat or poultry products, which may not contain any artificial flavoring, colors, chemical preservatives, or synthetic ingredients. Claims aren't checked