Organic Foods vs. Organic Branding

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July 10, 2012
2 Comments

When I purchase certified organic energy bars, I have certain expectations - one of which is that it contains products that were grown organically (another of which is that they will require a bit more of my paycheck). Turns out that is not always the case - a growing number of non-organic products are being added to what is known as the "accepted organic list" which is a compendium of ingredients allowed in certified organic products. 

Disturbed? Yea, so was I. And this is just one of many trends towards big business in organics. Small organic companies dedicated to sustainability have been outgrown by food giants who's goal is neither conservation nor health, but profit. Founder of Eden Foods, Michael J. Potter, is one of the last big names concerned with the genuine meaning of organics. He grew his company from a hippie cafe into one of the largest truly organic companies in the country. He calls the certification a fraud, and refuses to label his products as such. 

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Potter says that as soon as organic became profitable, and as soon as companies realized that consumers were willing to spend a little bit more money on an organic product, they began selling at a significant markup. The difference between organic and conventional mac and cheese is marginal, but the prices of the organic are gouged. It is this sort of misuse of organic branding that has Potter miffed. So what can you do as a consumer to ensure that organic keeps its meaning? Potter recommends thinking more about the companies you buy food from - are they a subsidiary of pepsi? Then they probably aren't doing all that much to advance sustainability and low-impact farming. 

Organic Food Purists Worry About Big Comapnies' Influence from The New York Times


 

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I love nothing more than a summer tomato (maybe add some balsamic, basil, and home-made mozz). In my free-time, I cook, read about cooking, farm, read about farming, and eat. Food is a basic necessity, but good food ought to be a fundamental right.

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2 Comments

JanaVee
JanaVee July 11, 2012
My husband works in an organic food market--everything in it is ostensibly organic, but some of it is just a shame. The employees are allowed to take home the products on which the date has expired, and often I have to tell him not to bother. Food 'kits' (WTF?) with sugars and sodium off the charts? No thanks. Although he has to toe the company line, he read the article and agreed it is disheartening.
 
susan G.
susan G. July 10, 2012
As a natural product retailer for 29 years (and a dip into manufacturing before that), I saw the mantle pass from the dedicated people like Michael Potter to corporate divisions that saw a profit in natural and organic products. Eden Foods has some good company still -- I hope articles like this will help people realize that there's more going on behind the scenes than the heart warming ads let you know.
In 2002 my business reorganized so that we were no longer selling the full range of food, just a selection of basics which I thought were important. At that point I was already disillusioned, seeing the organic Cocoa Puffs on the supermarket shelf, with ingredients like organic cane sugar and organic white flour... It has become a shameless parody.