Response [ The Organic Concept]

Nowadays, the ingredients in something we consume are not always the persuading factor for consumers. It can be heard in sales pitches, found on labels along with signs and even designate whole marketplaces or sections in a grocery store. The term ‘organic’ can be widely described, through varying perspectives that pertain to all kinds of contexts. In the dictionary, it is usually shown as relating to or derived from living matter, yet it seems like there are more layers to this definition. Many people will share opinions about this definition when it comes to things we consume, but do we really understand what ‘organic’ actually refers to?

Eggs are a fantastic example to consider. Are they organic because the Chicken was cage-free? Perhaps this chicken, living cage-free, still ate the same processed food that was fed to those who are in cages; does that change qualifications? Suppose someone keeps their own Chickens, cage-free, but still feeds them processed food that they can pick up at any Farmer’s Supply; would those eggs be considered organic? Think about a Chicken that lives in a cage but is fed only grains, vegetables and fruits. Would we then consider the eggs from that Chicken organic? Would another thought have to be had wondering if the food that the Chicken was eating is organic? Is it what the Chicken eats or how the Chicken lives? Is it a combination of these factors? With these kinds of thoughts, one can only conjure the curiosity of seeking out eggs and hunting Chickens that run wild. Is that organic, if you simply find the egg out in the middle of a forest? Circling back to a more serious thought, are the same standards used in determining if either the egg or the Chicken itself is organic?

Wine is another example, however slightly more complicated than food, being that it is the only product that can sit on your dinner table without a label. There are three distinct discussions around wine lately; natural, organic or biodynamic. Some people would say natural and organic are the same yet there remains varied understandings from person to person. How can consumers determine if a wine is organic other than a sales pitch? Is the wine organic because the grapes were grown without any chemical pesticides? The process of making wine could add chemicals, such as flavorings, food colorings or temperature stabilizers. This could also go back to the eggs, since some filtration methods use egg whites. If wine is made with grapes that are claimed as organic, then would it change how the wine is labeled if you were to use non-organic eggs for the mentioned filtration? Is the term organic used to describe just how the grapes are grown or does it include the process in which the wine is being made? Additionally, what is more important when it comes to organic wine selection; knowing the farming conditions of the grape, the process details of the wine making or simply the consumption of the drink?

Marketplaces that are focused on only selling organic products can be really confusing to consumers sometimes. A shopper can be found comparing two boxes of the like, spending valuable time contrasting, making judgments based on the floating facts of what is actually ‘good’ or simply trying to narrow down which product has less ingredients. Is there a standard of debate to determine which item is more or less organic? If a store with organic class has different brands of the same product while having slightly alternating prices and varied ingredients, how does one choose? Again, is it the content or the process that distinguishes something as organic?

Honey is one that personally confuses me. There are some jars that actually have the whole honeycomb while others just have the gooey liquid. Is inserting a honeycomb a tactic to convince the buyer? Referencing back to the Chicken, is it how one lives that helps determine organic, because the honeycomb is part of where the Bees live. On that note, what if they added actual Bees to the honey, would a discussion begin on whether the Bees themselves were organic or would it support the idea that the honey was? Tying into the examples on wine, consider the process of distributing honey. Does it just meet a standard before being placed in a container or does it have to maintain that standard when it is sold? If something is added to the honey, does that make it non-organic?

Produce seems like an easier example that many can assume. Apples that come from a tree found during a nature walk could be presumed as organic, but how would one name it as such? With so many pollutants in the air and groundwater, could it accurately be called organic? Is there a measure of chemical content that alludes to the idea of organic if under a certain level? Apples that you purchase from a small market-stand on the side of the road could be organic. The person selling them to you could avoid using any chemical pesticides, could pick all of them by hand and bring them straight to a consumer without adding the typical wax coating that can be found on Apples at the grocery store. What if there were no chemical pesticides used when growing the Apples yet there is a wax coating added before they make it to grocery store? Does the wax coating alone affect the labeling of the Apples?

The reality of a meaning can sometimes begin to blur inside so many explanations from multiple understandings or perceptions. From growing conditions to ingredients listed on labels, from environments or production processes to marketing strategies in sales pitches. Organic could also be considered a trend, but that does not create a similar reaction from anyone. Narrowing down a unified explanation of organic can be challenging with so many contexts. Everyone has their own thought on what ‘organic’ might mean, but that does not conclude how everyone feels about the term. It also does not gain a consistent response on what ‘organic’ actually is.

Is this organic?