This is insanity at it's American Best. Hydroponics are not Organic and never can be. How do you control the contents of water? You can't, so protect the Organic Label by certifying only crops grown in soil and managed organically. Otherwise we need to start consider moving to Europe where we can trust the Organic Label again. Shame on this greedy country!
G
Gary Schaefer
7 years ago
Follow the intent of organic
D
Don McKelvey
7 years ago
This is a no-brainer !
M
Margie Willis
7 years ago
We pay too much money for true organic products only to be misled by agencies that are supposed to be truthful and on the side of us consumers, not big corporations. We choose to pay more in return for good health. Shame on all those who compromise their integrity and for what? The answer always comes back to greed!
J
John Lyons
7 years ago
Keep organic organic.
H
H Peters
7 years ago
Another government agency which has been debased by this administration.
C
Charles Phillips
7 years ago
Please do not include hydroponics as organic and reinstate the true definition of organic as soil based.
A
Allen Fitz-Gerald
7 years ago
Integrity! Honesty!
C
Carla Shafer
7 years ago
I have been involved in small scale vegetable and animal production for the past 40 years, and have watched shaping of the organic certification program over the long haul with great concern and apprehension. Present directions, including the certification of hydroponic production, and reduced waiting periods for certification, will most certainly add a final nail to the coffin of what was once a great public service to thoughtful consumers. As a consumer, myself, I no longer shop on the basis of the Organic label. I expect more of the USDA and support the demands of this petition.
W
william raap
7 years ago
Healthy soil is the foundation of organic food and should be the foundation of organic certification as established in legislation (OFPA). That the USDA wants to loosen this essential healthy soil standard to accommodate large scale commercial hydroponic and CAFO production is simply wrong.
C
Cathy Joly
7 years ago
Organic agriculture needs to be safe for the planet and all its inhabitants. We need to move towards organic agriculture regenerating the soil. CAFOs and Hydroponics have no place here.
M
Madeline Loder
7 years ago
Soil!
A
Anonymous
7 years ago
We need integrity in our certifications!
V
Vincent Cirasole
7 years ago
" Organic" could be ( and was created to be) a source of clean, unpoisoned food. It's wrong - and probably illegal - to deviate from that objective by allowing contaminated foods to be called "organic". Try honesty for a change!
Vincent Cirasole
T
Terry G
7 years ago
Healthy soil = healthy food. Keep organics unadulterated. Hydroponics is NOT organic.
A
Anonymous
7 years ago
Hydroponic is NOT organic!! Hydroponic should NOT be labeled organic!! If it is not grown in soil is it not organic!!! Keep hydroponics out of organic classification!!!
A
Anonymous
7 years ago
Please require a 3 year transition time for organic food certification.
Thank you.
N
nelle johansen
7 years ago
I do not want to lose faith in the term "Organic", but that time is fast approaching. The practice of Hydroponics does not belong here. My money is going to small-scale soil-based farmers, whenever possible, because the odds are better that they are acting responsibly and reliably in favor of the soil, big-picture health, and the web of life.
M
Mara Beldavs
7 years ago
No shortcuts; organics need to be organic in soil grown produce without chemicals!
P
Paul Eusey
7 years ago
Hydroponic is not organic, it is synthetic agricultural no matter how you slice it. And while some growers may try to use non chemically derived fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, they are growing plants in plastic containers, fed from plastic tubes, with roots in an surrogate medium that is anything but natural. The liquid solutions that grow plants do not support healthy mictobiomes that feed nutrients to roots and grow organic plants that are healthier and more nutritious and exactly as nature designed. Let them develop thier own certifications, rules, regulations, but not under the organic umbrella because what the do is not organic farming, and the standards, safety testing of soils and the accountability that fosters is not there for hydroponic, therefore hydroponic cannot be regulated as organic. Let them
Invent thier own term, but that term cannot be organic nor similar enough to be confused as organic because it’s not. It’s not natural, it’s synthetic, some may decide to not use chemicals if a faux organic fashion, but it’s still not organic and it needs to be called something else, and not hydro-organic, or hydroponic organic, or anything that resembles the word organic by itself or compounded. Yes, they can bitch, but they cannot deny that they don’t fall under the 3 year clean rule and continual soil testing that helps insure the integrity of the organic certification because they are not organic.
This is insanity at it's American Best. Hydroponics are not Organic and never can be. How do you control the contents of water? You can't, so protect the Organic Label by certifying only crops grown in soil and managed organically. Otherwise we need to start consider moving to Europe where we can trust the Organic Label again. Shame on this greedy country!
Follow the intent of organic
This is a no-brainer !
We pay too much money for true organic products only to be misled by agencies that are supposed to be truthful and on the side of us consumers, not big corporations. We choose to pay more in return for good health. Shame on all those who compromise their integrity and for what? The answer always comes back to greed!
Keep organic organic.
Another government agency which has been debased by this administration.
Please do not include hydroponics as organic and reinstate the true definition of organic as soil based.
Integrity! Honesty!
I have been involved in small scale vegetable and animal production for the past 40 years, and have watched shaping of the organic certification program over the long haul with great concern and apprehension. Present directions, including the certification of hydroponic production, and reduced waiting periods for certification, will most certainly add a final nail to the coffin of what was once a great public service to thoughtful consumers. As a consumer, myself, I no longer shop on the basis of the Organic label. I expect more of the USDA and support the demands of this petition.
Healthy soil is the foundation of organic food and should be the foundation of organic certification as established in legislation (OFPA). That the USDA wants to loosen this essential healthy soil standard to accommodate large scale commercial hydroponic and CAFO production is simply wrong.
Organic agriculture needs to be safe for the planet and all its inhabitants. We need to move towards organic agriculture regenerating the soil. CAFOs and Hydroponics have no place here.
Soil!
We need integrity in our certifications!
" Organic" could be ( and was created to be) a source of clean, unpoisoned food. It's wrong - and probably illegal - to deviate from that objective by allowing contaminated foods to be called "organic". Try honesty for a change! Vincent Cirasole
Healthy soil = healthy food. Keep organics unadulterated. Hydroponics is NOT organic.
Hydroponic is NOT organic!! Hydroponic should NOT be labeled organic!! If it is not grown in soil is it not organic!!! Keep hydroponics out of organic classification!!!
Please require a 3 year transition time for organic food certification. Thank you.
I do not want to lose faith in the term "Organic", but that time is fast approaching. The practice of Hydroponics does not belong here. My money is going to small-scale soil-based farmers, whenever possible, because the odds are better that they are acting responsibly and reliably in favor of the soil, big-picture health, and the web of life.
No shortcuts; organics need to be organic in soil grown produce without chemicals!
Hydroponic is not organic, it is synthetic agricultural no matter how you slice it. And while some growers may try to use non chemically derived fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, they are growing plants in plastic containers, fed from plastic tubes, with roots in an surrogate medium that is anything but natural. The liquid solutions that grow plants do not support healthy mictobiomes that feed nutrients to roots and grow organic plants that are healthier and more nutritious and exactly as nature designed. Let them develop thier own certifications, rules, regulations, but not under the organic umbrella because what the do is not organic farming, and the standards, safety testing of soils and the accountability that fosters is not there for hydroponic, therefore hydroponic cannot be regulated as organic. Let them Invent thier own term, but that term cannot be organic nor similar enough to be confused as organic because it’s not. It’s not natural, it’s synthetic, some may decide to not use chemicals if a faux organic fashion, but it’s still not organic and it needs to be called something else, and not hydro-organic, or hydroponic organic, or anything that resembles the word organic by itself or compounded. Yes, they can bitch, but they cannot deny that they don’t fall under the 3 year clean rule and continual soil testing that helps insure the integrity of the organic certification because they are not organic.