With growing consumer concerns about the quality of their food in the 1990s, organic agriculture became a multi-billion dollar industry. While the organic movement originally started as an effort by small farmers to return to a more natural way of growing food, without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics, a growing number of large food producers are participating in organic agriculture as well. Increasing levels of awareness about the hidden costs of food are leading some consumers to wonder about whether buying organic is always best, or if there is a rubric of issues to consider when purchasing food. The truth is that while organic food is often superior to food which is not labeled organic, this is not always the case, and consumers need to educate themselves and use their judgment.

In order to be labeled organic, food must meet a rigorous set of requirements. Chemicals and hormones cannot be involved, the food needs to be harvested and raised sustainably, irradiation and sewage sludge are not permitted, and farmers cannot raise genetically modified organisms under the organic standards. The full list is quite lengthy, and the certification itself is unfortunately being weakened due to pressure from big agriculture, which wants to make it easier to grow and sell organic food, now that it has become aware that consumers will pay a premium for it. However, for consumers concerned about their health and the health of the environment, buying organic is a good choice when they have no other information about the food.

Organic certification does not mean that a food was raised humanely, without the use of illegal labor, or in safe working conditions. It also does not mean that the food was raised locally, which is an issue of growing concern to consumers who are worried about fossil fuel consumption. It often takes more calories to ship a piece of produce to someone than that produce will provide nutritionally. Several retailers in the early twenty first century, including the giant British chain Tescos, made a move to get more local produce in the store, rather than focusing purely on organic produce for concerned consumers. Some food activists would like to see a reshaping of the organic label to reflect changing values about food production.

The certification also does not always imply higher quality. A conventionally raised apple grown and raised within 100 miles of your home will probably taste better than an organic apple which has been picked, chilled, and shipped 5,000 miles. Organic produce may also not always be in season, because it can be shipped from all over the world to demanding consumers. In addition, many small farmers cannot afford organic certification, and instead offer their foods as “all natural,” a label which does not have the same clout as the organic label does. Feedlot pork can be labeled all natural, as long as it contains no artificial ingredients or colors, and was minimally processed. A tomato raised on a family farm using compost fertilizer and grown without chemicals can also be natural, which makes it difficult for consumers to make an informed choice.

Some food producers are moving on to a new idea: beyond organic. Food which is raised by farmers who embrace this concept is organic, but it is also humane, more environmentally responsible, ethical, and local. These food producers believe that local agriculture is of paramount importance, and would like to see more consumers supporting locally based farmers. The development of Community Support Agriculture, a cooperative effort between farmers and consumers, is a step in the beyond organic direction, offering consumers a chance to learn about where their food comes from, meet their farmers, tour the farm, and eat healthy, ethically raised produce year round.