Wow, so BJ's is selling
half-gallons of USDA organic milk for 2.99 - great deal, right?
You might want to think
again. 'Organic' isn't what it used to be, not since the USDA
took over the job of defining what the term means - in such a way as to
allow the giants of industrial agriculture into the game without
compromising their profits. For instance, a few years ago, the
USDA tried to modify the organic regulations to allow toxic sewage
sludge, which has horrifying and documented ill health effects when
used as fertilizer, to be used as just that - in USDA certified
"organic" cultivation!
"'To satisfy the agribusiness
lobby, the new USDA in 2000 went out of its way to equate organic with
conventional. Then USDA Secretary Dan Glickman called the organic
label a mere marketing tool. 'It is not a statement about food
safety,' he said...'Nor is 'organic' a value judgment about nutrition
or quality.' Incidentally, Mr Glickman is now president of the
Motion Picture Academy of America; one wonders if he declares that a
movie is a movie is a movie. Doubtful.'" - Lorraine Dusky,
writing for YogaPlus, March/April '07.
Clearly, the USDA has lost
sight of the core values of organic cultivation and of the attributes
of the foods produced by farmers who are committed to those
values. So how meaningful is the 'USDA Organic" seal? And
do those cheap 'organics' at Wal-Mart and other big-box stores, as well
as other large grocery chains, actually measure up? As organics
go, the products look inexpensive, but are you getting what you think
you're paying for? Look again:
The Cornucopia
Institute
Organic Consumers Association
Big box stores want you to
think that they're your friends; they want you to believe that the
reason their prices are lower is that they're cutting their margins so
you can have the same quality for less. They're not your friends,
and you can't. A half gallon of truly organically produced milk
costs at least 3.99, and should. (At that price your local independent
natural foods store is likely clearing just .39 from the sale.)
No one's getting rich at that price and no producer can meet the true
standard of what 'organic' used to mean pre-USDA - sustainable, humane
production - for less.
Don't be duped by the clever
marketing tactics of industrial agriculture and the big chains.
It is important to buy organic as much as you can, but when
you're making your selections, look for the seals of organic certifying
organizations that have stayed true to the founding principles of
organic agriculture, to produce wholesome, optimally nutritious food
while treating workers ethically and animals humanely, in harmony with
the natural environment, avoiding synthetic inputs, and improving the
soil on which our lives depend.
More later...