Myths and realities of organic production

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.

Following is part 1 of a 2-part article on some of the myths and realities of organic production provided by Hugh Martin, OMAFRA Organic Crop Production Program Lead.
1. Organic is a fad.
Organic has grown steadily over the years from retail sales of less than $1B in 1990, to nearly $25B in 2009 in the USA. In Canada the retail organic food sales for 2009 are estimated to be $2B and globally over $50B. While growth slowed in 2009 and 2010 due to the recession, indications are that organic grew by over 5% in 2009 and continues to grow in 2010. In 2008, 680 farmers had 114,000 acres of certified organic crops in Ontario. The farm gate value of organic production in Ontario was estimated to be $126 million in 2009. However this is only about 1.3% of the total production in Ontario, while organic food sales are about 2% of the total.
2. Organic fresh fruits and vegetables are the main organic food products.
Fresh fruits and vegetables comprise approximately 35% of organic food sales. They are also one of the first organic products that consumers will purchase. Milk and soy drinks are also big categories for organic. Processed foods (cereals, sauces, beverages, baby food, canned and frozen products, etc) make up a large part of the organic food basket. Organic grains are used in both processed foods as well as for livestock feed for dairy, egg and meat products.
3. Organic competes with conventional commodities.
Consumers want to buy organic products and the stores will supply it. If Ontario does not produce it, it will be imported. Currently it is estimated that over 70% of the organic fresh fruits and vegetables and 90% of the processed organic foods are imported. Approximately 75% of these imports come from the U.S.A.
4. There is no nutritional difference between organic and conventional food.
There have been several research studies published recently and some have said there is no difference and others refute this, especially for antioxidants, and Vitamin C. Organic foods were found to have higher phosphorous levels and lower nitrate levels, both favourable to organic foods. Studies however have not been done to link positive health aspects to these claims. Nutrition however is not the major reason that consumers buy organic.
5. There are no pesticides used in organic.
One of the primary reasons consumers buy organic is the perception that organic farmers do not use pesticides and organic products do not contain residues of pesticides. The answer here is complex. Organic farmers choose not to use most synthetic pesticides (not allowed by their standards) which includes most of the pesticides that over the years have gained headlines for various negative aspects. The potential for pesticide residues of these products tend to be of the most concern. The organic standards do allow many natural pesticides to be used in organic production. These include some derived from plant extracts and plant oils (some of which are food ingredients), some derived from beneficial microorganisms, and some other products such as sulphur, copper, kaolin clay, potassium bicarbonate, etc. In summary some organic farmers do use low risk pesticides when there are no alternatives, however many small organic vegetable farms and most organic grain and livestock farms do not use any pesticides.
Dates to Remember
March 23, 24 – Growing Your Farm Profits workshop. 9:30 – 3:00 each day. To register call Dick at 274-2930.