Redefining Organic

Redefining Organic
Lori Dahm, technical editor
The debate and controversy
over which organic-labeled products actually uphold the federal organic standards has begun industry-wide — a sign that the
organic trend has become extremely lucrative.
Within the dairy industry, this manifestation involves
Aurora Dairy in Platteville, Colo. This 5,600-cow factory farm has
successfully negotiated an exemption to the organic requirement that cows
have access to pasture, based upon Colorado’s arid climate.
Compared to traditional organic dairy farmers
producing organic milk who operate with smaller herds such as 70 cows with
full access to pasture, farm factories such as Aurora Dairy seem
antithetical to the organic dairy label.
As an industry insider, I wonder whether such large
dairy cow herds kept inside can truly be raised without the use of
antibiotics, because disease is a problem when a large number of animals
are raised in close proximity.
For the contingent of consumers who buy organic to
support animals being treated better, a farm factory setting is
definitively inconsistent with the organic label.
But many consumers are motivated by the bottom line.
For example, I expect that the increasing availability of organic products
at lower prices — the private label versions — is possible
because of farm factories such as Aurora Dairy. And I must admit that I
enjoy the price of private label organic butter being $2 less per pound
than branded organic counterparts.
I’m an organic advocate, so I would
(reluctantly) dish out more money in order to support the small organic
dairy farmer. But I’m not sure the public at large is ready to revert
to higher prices for organic products.
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