The Failed Promise of 'Organic Foods'

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture starting to implement its organic food rules. They allow companies to feature a “USDA Organic” seal on their packaging. This seal of approval has helped the U.S. organic food market expand from less than $8 billion in sales in 2000 to more than $50 billion in 2019. But as the market has grown, so have the falsehoods about organic food.

It’s useful to remember what the “organic” designation was – and was not – meant to be. The goal was simply to fortify trust in the fast-growing but fragmented organic food market. “Let me be clear about one thing,” said Dan Glickman, the Clinton Administration’s Secretary of Agriculture who oversaw the organics designation. “It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is ‘organic’ a value judgment about nutrition or quality.”