In today's era of greenwashing*, more and more questions arise regarding what items are or are not organic. The biggest issue facing the organic community now is the fact that green is the newest and hottest business trend around, allowing the industry to slide by with items that contain only 5-10% organic material labeled as fully organic or even some items that violate organic labeling standards. When I walk into a store (grocery or retail) it is very hard to sometimes distinguish what items are truly organic. It is a growing concern of mine, spurring me to buy local. Every Sunday there is a local farmers market in Goleta (the Camino Real Market Place) and I have to say this allows me to get my organic fix without worrying that what I am buying may not be truly organic.

Staying true to all shades of green requires companies AND consumers to take part of demanding change in the industry. Demanding the industry to strive and maintain high organic standards is what our goal as consumers who are concerned with the environment should strive for. Until then, we must learn to balance our take of what is organic and what is not organic within stores. I have been researching the definition of organic and have listed my findings below to help in clarifying what being organic is all about:
--Organic refers to methods of growing and processing foods that rely on the earth's natural resources. Pests and weeds are managed using earth-friendly methods. Organic farmers work to build natural nutrients in the soil. Organic processors and handlers package food that is natural from beginning to end. The use of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are absolutely prohibited by the USDA National Organic Standard.
--Products labeled as "certified organic" have been grown and processed according to strict standards governed by a third-party certifier. All products grown, must be grown on farms/facilities that have had no harmful chemicals used in the past three years. Products must include the name of the certifier when using "certified organic" labeling. "No spray", "pesticide free", and "residue free" does not necessarily ensure that your food is organic.
--The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a new set of global guidelines that govern organic fiber products from farming to finished product--a stricter mandate than USDA regulations that cover only farming. This will begin to set the new standard for organic products on the market.
--The USDA Organic Seal: Government standards for food can be applied to body products as well. But products must be 95% organic. If the seal is not there, read the ingredients.
*'Greenwash' is a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.(Wikipedia, 3/25/08)**See www.ccof.org for more information on organic food