What is Organic Agriculture? (from USDA)
Organic agriculture produces products using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics. USDA organic standards describe how farmers grow crops and raise livestock and which materials they may use.
Organic farmers, ranchers, and food processors follow a defined set of standards to produce organic food and fiber. Congress described general organic principles in the Organic Foods Production Act, and the USDA defines specific organic standards. These standards cover the product from farm to table, including soil and water quality, pest control, livestock practices, and rules for food additives. Learn More »
Organic agriculture and grass-fed beef are part of the broader movement toward more holistic or non-chemical intensive forms of agriculture. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, “the demand for organically produced goods has shown double-digit growth for well over a decade.”
National Organic Standards Board
The National Organic Standards Board, a federal advisory panel to the USDA for developing organic legislation, defines organic agriculture as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."
Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.
On October 21, 2002, USDA National Organic Program regulations went into effect governing the labeling of foods produced using organic agriculture. Food products that contain 95 to 100% certified organic ingredients may carry the USDA Organic seal.
