Should other than soil based crops be designated as organic? VT Congressional delegations says no

[cali]

There’s nothing in federal guidelines for organic certification that excludes hydroponically grown produce.

That policy undermines the fundamental organic tenet of soil stewardship, according to a majority of Vermont’s organic farmers.

That view is shared by the National Organic Program’s independent advisory board (the National Organic Standards Board, or NOSB), which advised against “organic hydroponics” in 2010.

The state’s congressional delegation shares the opinions of the advisory board (and Vermont organic farmers), and all three men say they will pass along their concerns to NOP regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20140216/GREEN01/302160014/Vermont-delegation-roots-soil

[Jesus Malverde]

1. I think organic presupposes your plants were grown in a natural environment

One that supports a wide variety of bugs, bacteria, funguses, and other stuff that lives in healthy soil.

Those things are missing from hydro anything. They can be added but they can't be said to be in a natural balance.

[cali]

3. good observation.

[MattBaggins]

2. Yet another reason the term Organic is so misleading and useless.

[BronxBoy]

12. If you have the USDA organic stamp on your food.....

the standards are clearly defined and in no way misleading. We are transitioning our small farm to organic production and have to adhere to a set of standards that have been developed over close to 30 years.

[HappyMe]

4. I think they got it right.

Organic implies grown outside in the dirt, not in a plastic basin.

[cali]

5. I think so too. I don't know much about hydroponics but

I think soil based crops only makes sense for the 'organic' label

[MicaelS]

6. As long as the Organic Farmers don't start ..

Trying to attack hydroponically grow crops the way some do GMOs. Then they're just engaging in scare tactics.

[Silent3]

7. We need to demand that all food labeled "organic" be primarily composed of hydrocarbons. n/t

[flamingdem]

8. When Fukushima happened and sent some hot particles

to California I was happy to avail myself of hydroponically grown veggies.

Who knows if there was a reason to worry but better safe than sorry, I figured.

I learned that some people have phobias about dirt and bugs and ONLY eat hydro veggies.

Who knew?

[dembotoz]

9. and so we have another group working to redefine a product to their own commercial advantage

[MicaelS]

13. Excellent, I wish I had thought of that.

It's totally true.

[cali]

15. huh? how is food grown not in soil "organic"

I'm not saying that it's not good, but it's not organic. And small time organic farmers are hardly in there for commercial success.

[BronxBoy]

10. Organic specifications

require an integral use of cover cropping and crop rotations to help the soil naturally replenish itself and maintain soil health. Hydroponics is an open system that requires the addition of fertilizer inputs in order to be successful. Be interesting to see how the NOP addresses this

[Recursion]

11. My grandparents did some hydroponics. Tomatoes, I think.

I can see the argument against hydroponics being certified organic, though I'd like some carrot (if you'll pardon the term) for farmers who do hydroponics cleanly...

[BronxBoy]

14. It all comes down to the inputs...

If the inputs are OMRI listed and meet all organic specs, I don't see why the crops cannot be certified. I'm sure there are some issues regarding water quality and reuse that come into play