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Michigan Organic News and Listserv
November 20, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving to all and THANK YOU FARMERS for Growing Our Food
Produced and compiled by Vicki Morrone
Center for Regional Food Systems at MSU.
News is not meant to promote business or products, just offer educational information.
Organic Certification Updates and News
U.S.: NOSB votes not to ban hydroponics from organic certification
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2017/11/08/u-s-nosb-votes-not-prohibit-hydroponics-organic-certification/
Report from: November 08 , 2017
A longtime organic tomato farmer believes this could effectively be the beginning of “divorce proceedings” between the organic movement and the USDA’s National Organic Program.
The U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has controversially voted against banning hydroponic and aquaponic crops being eligible for organic certification, in a move that has provoked strong opinions
from the sector’s stakeholders.
The vote took place last week as part of the advisory board’s fall meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, which was open to the public and involved a range of testimonies given to the 15-member board.
The board voted to prohibit aeroponic agriculture – which grows plants suspended in the air with their roots exposed – but did not pass motions to ban hydroponics, a method that cultivates plants in water-based
nutrient solutions, or aquaponics which combines hydroponic systems with farmed fish operations.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spokesperson told
Fresh Fruit Portal the NOSB had heard two days of testimony that were mostly focused on the three production systems.
“The Board did not come to agreement on any recommendations about the certification of hydroponic or aquaponic production systems. Both systems remain eligible for Organic Certification,” she said.
“The Board passed a proposal to recommend prohibition of aeroponics systems in organic production. Certification of aeroponic operations also remains allowed while USDA considers the Board’s work on this topic.”
Organic pioneers have typically argued that including hydroponic crops in the National Organic Program (NOP) undermines the integrity of the label, and that nurturing the fertility of the soil is a fundamental
aspect of the farming method.
Meanwhile, those on the other side of the debate have held that there should be no issue including hydroponics as long as farming inputs are organic.
Maintaining the status quo
Organic Trade Association (OTA) farm policy director Nate Lewis said that this vote essentially maintained the status quo for the vast majority of the industry.
“All these systems have been allowed in organic since 2002, so I think the outcome – with the exception of aeroponics – shouldn’t really change the reality for many producers,” he said, explaining that organic
aeroponics represented a tiny proportion of the sector.
He said the OTA would have supported the motion to ban hydroponics – as it did in 2010 when the NOSB recommended prohibiting the production method – if the definition of the production system had remained
unchanged.
However, he said that as the Crops Subcommittee had revised the definition and coupled it with proposed standards for organic container production – which involves raising plants in containers filled with
a mixture of organic matter, water and nutrients – the association therefore did not support it this time round.
It should be noted that despite the NOSB previously voting to recommend hydroponics be banned from organic certification – albeit at a time when the hydroponic industry was far less developed than today –
the advice was not upheld by regulator the NOP.
Lewis also commented that among the OTA’s members were those who strongly supported organic certifications for hydroponics and those who strongly opposed them, but said there was a “significant segment” of
membership in the middle who thought entirely water-based systems shouldn’t be allowed but container production should be, with appropriate guidelines and standards.
Banning would have been “irresponsible”
United Natural Foods vice president of policy and industry relations, Melody Meyer said it was positive to see so many members of the organic community come out to participate in last week’s event, but believed
the decision left the sector “deeply divided”.
“I was present in Jacksonville to witness one of the most divided NOSB meetings to date. I believe they made the right decision not to prohibit these out-of-soil production methods,” she said.
“It would have put hundreds of growers out of business, taken valuable supply away from organic consumers and squelched innovation in our movement.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Recirculating Farms Coalition, which represents hydroponic and aquaponic growers, also believed the NOSB had made the right decision in not prohibiting the two production methods.
The entity’s executive director Marianne Cufone said that as many products from these farms already carried a USDA Organic label, it would have been “irresponsible and confusing” for consumers and farmers
to withdraw it now.
“By siding with current science and recognizing that existing law purposely leaves the door open for various farming methods, the NOSB is sending a critical message that sustainability and innovation are valuable
in U.S. agriculture,” she said in a statement.
“These goals are at the center of the nationwide local food movement and spur growth of urban and rural farms alike, by a wide range of people. Inclusiveness is important in our food system.
“The Board did vote to prohibit use of aeroponics in USDA Organic production and indicated they would discuss what type of label hydroponic and aquaponic USDA Organic certified products would display.”
The financial factor?
In support of the motions to ban the three production methods, Mark Kastel of farm policy watchdog group the Cornucopia Institute said the industry had effectively created “two organic labels”.
“One label is all about integrity and production and that impacts the nutritional flavor and quality of the food (found at farmers’ markets, CSAs, co-ops and other local retailers). The other is all about
profit,” he said.
“What has made the organic industry financially attractive is the fact that consumers are willing to pay a premium for food produced to a different environmental and animal husbandry model.”
He also believed that part of the “organic story” had been about economic justice for family farmers, and that industrial-scale hydroponic production is a stark disconnect from that.
“The industry, in throwing their weight around the regulatory arena at the USDA, in appealing to Congress when that doesn’t work, is poised to kill the golden goose. A loss of consumer goodwill will impact
all players, large and small – growers, distributors and retailers.”
The Cornucopia Institute is now engaging with its outside legal counsel to investigate filing a federal lawsuit, he said.
Dave Chapman, a longtime organic tomato grower with a farm in Vermont, said he was “dismayed” by the result of the vote and that it was a “great disappointment”.
“The fact that it was a close vote is a sign of how much the whole process of the National Organic Program has been compromised. It should have been consensus that hydroponics should not be certified as organic,”
he said.
“That was the last vote of the same body seven years earlier when there was just one descending vote. What happened in seven years that suddenly reversed the definition of organic? I would say what happened
was a lot of money.
“There was no new scientific evidence. I think the market was invaded by some large companies that were making hundreds of millions of dollars and that is what changed the conversation.”
Chapman also emphasized that the organic movement and the NOP were two different things, and believed last week’s vote may result in some profound changes in the future.
“I think that this vote was basically the beginning of divorce proceedings. The NOP is of course going to continue, and the organic movement is going to continue, but I think they’re not going to continue
together.
“If consumers become aware that most of the tomatoes – and soon I suspect most of the berries, cucumbers, pepper, lettuce and basil – they’re buying in the store that’s certified organic is in fact hydroponic,
they’re going to become further disheartened and stop using organic certification for the basis of how they find good food to buy.
“I think that most likely we will see the creation of one or many alternative labels to the USDA, because the USDA is failing. Of course, this is going to be a lot of work and very confusing, but I really
don’t know what other choice there is.”
What’s on offer for organic production at the Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo?
Can you believe it?? The Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo is upon us already. This year’s program looks better than ever, really. In addition to a packed
Thursday of educational sessions that focus on organic certification, organic production and building markets. Throughout the 3-day event, there are many additional sessions that are very relevant to organic production, such as Soil Health offered on Wednesday
afternoon, after the Large-Scale Organic Transition session. To see the full agenda and register visit
www.GLEXPO.org. Good news! There is a reduced price if you attend only on Thursday of $55 (vs $105 for all 3 days). In this article, I’m sharing about sessions that are specifically aimed at organic production and organic
markets. Please join us for these and others that are of interest
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Wednesday Morning Dec 6 9:00 am |
Why You Should Consider Organic Certification
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9:30 am |
Managing Nutrients in Organics: What Changes?
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10:00 am |
Mechanical Cultivation Tools
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10:30 am |
Success in Large-Scale Organic Farming
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11:00 am |
Session Ends |
If you are considering to expand your organic acreage or transitioning your current large scale (a farm that is dependent on mechanical cultivation) you definitely should plan to attend this session, Wednesday
morning at the GLEXPO! You you will not want to miss a new Sessions called, Large-Scale Organic Transition.
This session will provide information and experiences from the practiconers; organic certification, managing crop nutrients and a session on weed management using smart cultivation offered. The final presentation is on building soil to meet organic crop
needs through good soil management.
Thursday Morning- Dec 7
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9:00 am |
Spirit of Walloon Market Garden Start-Up and Growth over First Four Years
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10:00 am 11 am |
Zilke Vegetable Farm: Diverse Production and Marketing for the Local Market
Session Ends |
The first session on Thursday morning is called Organic Opportunities and Markets. This session offers accounts from Organic farm families of how they have built their business and future plans, very innovative
approaches as they seek ways to maximize the farm and environment sustainability.
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Organic Production - Where to Start?
Thursday morning 9:00 am
MI Recertification credits: 2 (1B, 1C, COMM CORE, PRIV CORE)
CCA Credits: CM(2.5)
Moderator: Vicki Morrone, Outreach Specialist for Organic Fruit and Vegetable Growers, MSU
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9:20 am Organic Transplants - Growing Your Own and Even for Others
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10:00 am Transitioning Apple Orchards: A Round Table Discussion
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11:30 Session Ends |
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Another Thursday Morning session is on the basics of organic and getting certified.
This session offers guidance to grow healthy organic
transplants for you and even to sell and then what steps to take to transition land
for fruit or vegetables as well as experiences from transitioning an older orchard to organic. Farmers who have recently been certified organic will share their experiences and describe the process they went through to transition and establish organic
orchards. A Q&A session will be held at the end of the session so you can ask farmers about their approaches.
Thursday Afternoon
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1:00 pm |
Update on Organic Pest Management Tactics for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
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1:40 pm |
Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck: Optimizing Air-blast Sprayers for Organic Pest Management Products
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2:20 pm |
Session Ends |
All organic fruit growers, this is a must to attend. The latest on the Brown Marmorated Stink bug and smart ways to manage the pest using an Air Blast Sprayer will be presented in the Fruit Production Session
on Thursday afternoon.
Organic Market Vegetable Production
Thursday afternoon 1:00 pm
MI Recertification credits:
1 (1B, COMM CORE, PRIV CORE)
CCA Credits: PM(1.0) CM(2.0)
Moderator: Vicki Morrone, Outreach Specialist for Organic Fruit and Vegetable Growers, MSU
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1:00 pm |
Vegetable Grafting: What Small-Midscale Organic Growers May Want to Know
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1:45 pm |
Organic Management of Cucurbit Crops: MSU Research Update
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2:30 pm |
Swede Midge: What Organic Brassica Growers Should Know
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3:15 pm |
Postharvest Handling and Storage Solutions for Smaller Farms
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4:00 pm |
Session Ends |
Vegetable growers with experience and seeking guidance on top organic production issues, this session is for you! On Thursday afternoon, you can learn about a wide ranted of critical issues; from grafting
of vegetables, to management of key pests on cucurbits and brassicas including the Swede Midge. Then to help you extend the crops shelf life you will be offered appropriate ways to design a post-harvest storage facility.
Hope to see each of you there. Safe Travels!!
Vicki Morrone-Organic Farming Specialist
Center for Regional Food Systems
480 Wilson Rd
Rm 303
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-282-3557
www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu