- Organic farmers will need to return to their roots in
2002 or run the risk of losing their distinction and the pricey premium
that comes from producing organic food reports Richard T. Estrada. That
is when the USDAs organic standards become the law of the land including
the mandate that growers use organic seeds when available which up to now
has been unregulated.
-
- "The rules were just published a few weeks ago,
so I don't think many growers realize that's in there. I doubt more than
1 percent of organic food produced in the U.S. today is being grown from
organic seeds." said Joel Reiten, research and farm manager for
Oregon-based
Territorial Seed Co. which is one of the nation's most prominent organic
seed producers but which sells most of its organic seed to European
growers.
"It will be interesting to see the sort of reactions when growers
realize they need to use organic seeds," he said.
-
- Reactions were mixed at last week's 21st Ecological
Farming
Conference, a four-day event that attracted nearly 800 organic farmers,
buyers and retailers from across the country at Asilomar Conference
Grounds.
While growers are generally pleased to see tighter restrictions on what
is considered organic, they question whether there is enough organic seed
available. That might explain why the USDA standards come with a caveat
that mirrors EU legislation.
-
- The rule says they must use organic seed where it is
available and that grey area could lead some growers to switch to varieties
that don't have a supply of organic seeds - and thus get around the
provision
requiring their use a practice not unknown in Europe. There's a financial
motivation to produce with conventional seeds, since organic seeds can
cost an additional 25 percent or more.
-
- Another variable that growers will watch with interest
is enforcement of the provision. The USDA rules will be enforced by private
groups that already are certifying organic growers, such as California
Certified Organic Farmers and Oregon Tilth. The California group has
announced
that it will vigorously enforce the seed mandate, while Oregon Tilth and
others have yet to announce their positions. US certifiers would be
well-advised
to speak to their European counterparts to prepare for the administrative
burden that regulation of seed supply can bring. One UK certifier estimates
that 20% of its time could be taken up with organic seed supply issues,
particularly the requirement to verify non-availability of organic
seed.
-
- Reiten is the first to admit that it is in his interest
to have the seed provision enforced, but he also pointed out that organic
growers need to support businesses that cater to them.
-
- "If the entire organic industry is going to come
to fruition, and I'm talking about growers, seed companies and everyone
else, this is necessary," Reiten said. "Europe has already taken
this step, and they're building up their organic seed
inventory."
-
- Producing organic seeds is more expensive because the
risk of loss to disease and pests is higher, and seed producers also must
look for varieties that are more resistant to fungi, blight, mildew and
other diseases that can devastate crops.
-
- "I've got to provide something extra if I'm going
to convince a grower to pay extra for organic seed," Reiten said.
"We look for varieties that have a natural resistance. That's a
selling
point to growers who can't just spray to control a disease
problem."
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- _____
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- US Organic Farming Booming
Nando Times
- 1-16-01
-
- Nando Times reported that organic food and fibre sales
are planned to reach $9.35 billion in 2001, according to the Organic Trade
Association, while they were about $1 billion in 1990. Many farmers have
taken their farms organic over the last ten years shifting into the U.S.
agriculture's mainstream. Ecological Farming Association said organic
farming
is the most rapidly increasing U.S. food industry's segment.
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