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Organic labeling and its discontents

By Rebecca Tushnet

Washington Post story on the watering down of the USDA label. Money quote (quite literally):

Joe Smillie, a [National Organic Standards] board member, said he thinks that advocates for the most restrictive standards are unrealistic and are inhibiting the growth of organics.

"People are really hung up on regulations," said Smillie, who is also vice president of the certifying firm Quality Assurance International, which is involved in certifying 65 percent of organic products found on supermarket shelves. "I say, 'Let's find a way to bend that one, because it's not important.' . . . What are we selling? Are we selling health food? No. Consumers, they expect organic food to be growing in a greenhouse on Pluto. Hello? We live in a polluted world. It isn't pure. We are doing the best we can."

What consumers are likely to understand is a tough question, especially when the standards are complex. But "they think the food comes from a greenhouse on Pluto, therefore we can put plenty of synthetics in the food because they're misled anyway" has both normative and descriptive weaknesses, it seems to me.

Full post as published by 43(B)log on July 03, 2009 (boomark / email).