What exactly determines if a product is grown organically?
In 1990, Congress passed the Organic Food Production Act
(OFPA) requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national
organic standards. The National Organic Program (NOP) and OFPA developed
regulations requiring products labelled “organic” originate from farms, or
handling facilities, that are certified by either State or private agencies
that have been accredited by the USDA.
The regulations further state that farms, or handling
facilities may not use any of the following in production or handling;
•Genetic Engineering
•Ionizing Radiation
•Sewage Sludge
Organic crops must be grown without the use of;
•Most conventional pesticides
•Petroleum-based fertilizers
•Sewage sludge-based fertilizers
How are imported organic products regulated?
•The USDA is required by OFPA to review the certification
programs under which imported organic products are produced.
•Certifying agents in foreign countries must apply for USDA
certification.
•In lieu of USDA certification, foreign governments can
assess and accredit certifying agents, under NOP requirements, with USDA
approval.
•An equivalency agreement negotiated between the US and a
country’s government may also be used in lieu of certification.
What are “organic” labelling standards?
Organic labelling is the simplest part of the certification
process and the aspect that is most confusing for consumers. While many times
“organic” on a label means you pay more, what is the meaning behind the label?
The standards are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product,
and by law must be identified like this;
•Products labelled “100 % organic” must contain only
organically produced ingredients.
•Products labelled “organic” must consist of at least 95% organically
produced ingredients.
•Both may display the USDA Organic Seal.
•Processed products that contain at least 70% organic
ingredients can only use the phrase “made with organic ingredients”.
•Processed products that contain less than 70% organic ingredients
cannot use the term “organic” other than to identify the specific ingredients,
on the ingredients list, that is organically produced.
So, what does all this mean to US tea consumers? Since tea
is grown outside of the US certification is almost always done by foreign
agents. It has become increasingly important for consumers concerned about how
their teas are grown to be comfortable with their tea supplier. Bioterrorism
laws have impacted tea importation by looking more closely overall at what and
who are importing products into this country, particularly food products. While
these laws can sometimes impede the smooth flow of tea to us from overseas it
may be beneficial overall to consumers due to the “closer look” of the FDA.
Converting gardens and estates to organic farming is a
costly and lengthy process and sometimes not even a consideration for small
farmers. In some cases, farmers are already doing a lot right, but lack the
knowledge or funding necessary to become certified. There is an effort by the
US tea industry to educate growers on the benefit both economically and
ecologically for growing teas organically.
Quality, from a taste perspective, has been an issue with
organic teas. Gardens converting to organic farming have challenges, short and
long term, producing teas that taste as good. As processes continue to improve
farmers gain more experience, quality and taste are improving.
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