http://www.scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/ The Shortest Distance Between You and Science Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:01:23 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/comment-page-1/#comment-966 Megan Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:24:00 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/#comment-966 One of the wineries I visiting in Sonoma (Benzinger) is one a few dozen farms North America who practices (and is certified in) Biodynamic farming which is a higher level than organic farming, an association out of Switzerland certifies farmers using pretty stringent standards: http://www.demeter-usa.org/ One of the wineries I visiting in Sonoma (Benzinger) is one a few dozen farms North America who practices (and is certified in) Biodynamic farming which is a higher level than organic farming, an association out of Switzerland certifies farmers using pretty stringent standards: http://www.demeter-usa.org/

]]> http://www.scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/comment-page-1/#comment-953 Magic Bean Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:18:10 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/#comment-953 USDA organic standards are extremely watered down, and continue to get more and more like conventional practices every year. Alternative labels are springing up. You may think the organic label guarantees that you are getting sustainably grown, small-production produce and you aren't. The best thing to do is buy from farmer's markets, get to know your farmer, so you can trust that what she does to grow her produce is safe and sustainable. The USDA standard will mean nothing in a few years. USDA organic standards are extremely watered down, and continue to get more and more like conventional practices every year. Alternative labels are springing up. You may think the organic label guarantees that you are getting sustainably grown, small-production produce and you aren’t. The best thing to do is buy from farmer’s markets, get to know your farmer, so you can trust that what she does to grow her produce is safe and sustainable. The USDA standard will mean nothing in a few years.

]]> http://www.scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/comment-page-1/#comment-877 Alan Dove Tue, 15 May 2007 20:13:35 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2007/05/15/ask-cooper-organiclabels/#comment-877 The bigger question is why you're buying "organic" in the first place. Trying to lower your intake of pesticides this way may be <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070514104811.htm" rel="nofollow">straining at gnats</a>, and hoping that organic will lower your overall ecological impact may be wishful thinking. For example, air-freighting organic apples from the West Coast to your local Whole Foods market burns obscene amounts of fuel, negating any ecological benefits they might have had. The bigger question is why you’re buying “organic” in the first place. Trying to lower your intake of pesticides this way may be straining at gnats, and hoping that organic will lower your overall ecological impact may be wishful thinking. For example, air-freighting organic apples from the West Coast to your local Whole Foods market burns obscene amounts of fuel, negating any ecological benefits they might have had.

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