What Does Organic Mean?

The term ‘Organic’ can seem confusing with a hugely diverse range of products from skin creams to fruit cakes and drinks to vegetables all claiming organic credentials without always explaining what these are and what they mean.

Part of the challenge is the number of definitions that accompany organic farming; those formally defined; those communicated by the media, retailers and producers; and those understood by consumers, not to mention the 12 different bodies in the UK responsible for organic standards.

The Organic System

The Department for Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Defra) states that organic agriculture is a systems approach to agricultural production that is working towards an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production.

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) defines organic agriculture as, "a whole system approach based upon a set of processes resulting in a sustainable ecosystem, safe food, good nutrition, animal welfare and social justice. Organic production therefore is more than a system of production that includes or excludes certain inputs."

ACOS, The Advisory Committee on Organic Standards, has a 104 page compendium of UK organic standards which defines what Organic means for everyone involved in the production and consumption of organic food from farmers and retailers to consumers.

Which Food is Organic?

DEFRA describes organic food as follows: "In one sense all food is organic, because it has come from plants or animals. However for some fifty years the word organic has been used to describe food grown without most artificial fertilisers or pesticides and in a way that emphasises crop rotation, making the most of natural fertilisers and ensuring that the life of the soil is maintained. Animals are kept in ways which minimise the need for medicines and other chemical treatments." Read more from DEFRA.

It is difficult to establish whether food is organic or not just by looking at it, tasting or testing it. Inspecting the processes and the product during production is therefore, the best way to ensure that strict standards have been adhered to.

It is illegal to sell any food labelled as organic unless it has been produced by registered producers and meets EU organic standards. This aims to ensure that the word organic is used consumers can be confident they are buying a genuine product.