Organic Labeling...Not What You Think It Means!!!

By Marcia Lewis, RN

Clinical Director, In Harmony Wellness Center

Recently published by Joseph Mercola is a mind boggling revelation of the corporate takeover of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) by chemical industry giant BASF and CAFO giant Cargill.  The OTA mission is stated to promote and protect organic, and there is a seeming discrepancy between their mission and acceptance of members like BASF and Cargill.
I know when you go to the grocery, looking for organic on the label, and the USDA seal of organic, you think you have a clean, superior product.  However, this is rapidly declining in its meaning for consumers.  The OTA seems to be "increasingly succumbing to corporate control and has supported measures against GMO labeling" and has supported hydroponically grown produce to carry the organic label.
Many of our organic companies are now owned by multinational conglomerates whose bottom line is anything but following the rules of organic. However, one organic company, Nature's Path, has departed the OTA after 20 years of association.  These discrepancies are serious business.
For example, OTA supported the DARK Act, which denied the consumers' right to know about GMO's on food labels.  On top of this, OTA member BASF continues to devastate our farmland with Dicamba and its damaging drift. BASF now wants to market "organic" mulch made with GMO's that are supposedly "destroyed" during processing.
And now let's address Cargill that is synonymous with CAFO's and GMO's. Organic factory farms are becoming the norm.  Large industrialized giants are passing off their milk, eggs, and meat as organic, squeaking by under the flaccid rules of the federal government, selling us inferior products and making it hard on the small family-owned operations that follow the guidelines strictly.
So what's the answer?  Let's try biodynamic farming.  Biodynamic farming is organic, regenerative farming that uses crop rotations and cover crops, following planetary cycles and moon phases for planting and harvesting.  The biodynamic farming certification requires the entire farm to be biodynamic to receive the certification.  And 10% of the farm must have sustainable biodiversity...woodlands, wetlands, and insectary.
Dr. Mercola encourages us to look for the AGA (American Grassfed Association) logo that certifies high quality grassfed standards for meat and dairy.  Humanely treated animals, 100% forage, no confinement, hormones or antibiotics are the rule here.  If you can't find the label in your grocery, the safest bet is to find a local small business farmer you can trust.
GE foods and the chemicals used with them are posing a SERIOUS threat to our environment and our health. The industry giants involved in this process use highly skilled efforts to dupe the government and the public, feeding false "third party" research to push their agenda.  It's up to you to be proactive in your choices of high quality, clean food to feed yourself and your family.  Stay informed!!!