USDA’s arbitrary rules about what is permitted for the “organic” designation prohibit important advances in agriculture and food production, and they unnecessarily restrict consumer choice. That could be remedied by expanding what is permitted under the federal National Organic Standards, and this would be an opportune time.

The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 required USDA to develop national standards for the production of “organic foods” because of consumer demand for food that was supposedly more healthful and produced with more sustainable farming methods than traditional farming. However, the standards actually adopted do not improve food safety, quality, or nutrition – nor were they intended to. When the final National Organic Standards were issued in 2000, Secretary Dan Glickman said, “Let me be clear about one thing: the organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety, nor is ‘organic’ a value judgment about nutrition or quality.”