If you sell to grocery or box stores, it’s not easy getting a message through to consumers. Organic labels are arguably the only exception.
Customers put a lot of trust in the USDA Organic Seal. They believe buying an organic head of lettuce allows them to improve the environment in a small way. And growers largely agree the label has heft. It’s not a hollow promise.
That said, there’s a lively debate among growers about how to improve organic labeling.
One option is add-on labeling. Some growers turn to programs like Real Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified because they feel the current national program does not go far enough. Both programs aim to bolster what’s lacking in national organic standards, including standards for soil health and labor protections.
Real Organic has a “To the barricades!” rebellious tone. It makes the case that current national standards are too permissive and favor large farms over smaller farms. Regenerative’s website avoids the rabble rousing and gets straight to its standards — building soil organic matter, no hydroponics, promoting biodiversity, and so on.
The idea of a purer standard has appeal. I’m just not convinced these more stringent certifications are practical. Mind you, the actual standards themselves have weight. What I lack confidence in is those labels meaning anything to the public at large.
There are a couple reasons for my doubt:
Too many similar labels. It’s easy to lose sight of how customers and the public see things when you are embedded in the organic farm world. For your perspective, you can clearly see how important different production methods can be. But, outside a small group of passionate followers, most outsiders just want to hear something is organic.
What is the “most pure” label? These certifications signal to customers and the public what your farm stands for. But which one is best? You see this type of thing happen all the time in politics and religion. The main group drifts a little too far from its standards, and the fundamentalists break away. The overall movement is often weakened, although not always.
To me, the best approach is to take on the national organic certification if it improves the business side of your business.
If your particular customer base would respond positively to the add-on certifications, then sign up for those as well.
If you are a true organic grower, none of these certifications alters how much you protect your soil and your workers. You believe in sustainable agriculture, and that won’t change.
Oh, One More Thing
Our 2021 State of the Vegetable Industry survey picked up on this need to balance the ideal and the practical. We asked a simple question: Why do you grow organic crops?
Sustainability and market demand statically tied as the No. 1 reason.
Why Do You Grow Organic Crops?
26% Sustainability is important to me
25% Market demand
19% It’s the best production method
10% Organic crop prices
10% To diversity my offerings
Organic Growers: What Percentage of Your Operation is Organic?
% of Operation
19% Less than 10% of operation
10% 10% to 25%
7% 25% to 50%
22% 50% to 90%
43% 100%
Adds to 101% due to rounding to whole numbers.