OCR Text |
Show Laws vary from srare to srare Check where organic foods are grown If you decide to buy some hing "organic," the first question you should ask is "Where was it grown? ' Organic growing and labeling laws are sort of like liquor laws-there laws-there is a lot of variation from state to state. The price per pound of organically organi-cally grown foods can be twice that of other food. Still, national polls find that consumers want organically organi-cally grown foods, or at least want to have the choice. Consequently, the market is wide open for fraud. Twenty-two states have lawr, or regulations that define organic or natural food products. Oregon, Colorado, Texas and Washington conduct on-farm certification of organic growing conditions. The 1990 Farm Bill set minimum standards stan-dards for farms claiming "organic" status, but allows state governments to pass stricter regulations. Utah has no organic growing certification cer-tification laws of its own, but we do import organic produce and olher products from surrounding Slates that do. The following are highlights of regional organic food legislation published by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. These are the organic growing laws from the three states Utahns are most likely to buy produce from labeled "organically grown." California: The "State Orgaiic Food Act" was passed in 1979 and has a legal definition that must be met before farmers can label their produce as "organic." The slate does not actively certify organic growers. If consumers have a cc n-plaint, n-plaint, they report it to the St ite Department of Health for investigation. investiga-tion. The California Certified Organic Farmer Association (CCOF) dt es offer certification for organic growers. This non-profit organisation organisa-tion does soil, water and residue tests and reviews growers' records before issuing its seal of approval. Washington: Simitar to other states, Washington has an organic food products law which stipulates the definition of "organic." The Washington law adds a specific list of substances mat cannot oe applied to land within one year of seed planting plan-ting of crops or before the flower bud appears on perennial crops such as fruit trees. The State Department of Agriculture makes announced and unannounced farm visits to ensure en-sure compliance. Oregon; Oregon has the grandfather grand-father of organic food laws, having passed the nation's first in 1973. The state recently passed a new law that includes a specific list of more than 100 substances that can be used on organic products. Oregon recently added the list of allowable substances to the law because lawmakers had difficulty defining the word "synthetic" used in Oregon ' s and other states ' organic food legislation. The State Department of Agriculture enforces the new law and can issue penalties of up to $15,000 per violation. Rules governing organic farming are still new and untested The differences dif-ferences in definitions of "organic" between states make it hard for consumers to assess the value of organic products. |