Feed the Soil, Not the Plant

At the Certified Organic Association of BC annual general meeting in Abbotsford this week, BC's Certified Organic Growers voted to uphold their strict standards for organic food production.

The right to trade in the international marketplace and the need to have equivalency agreements with Europe, Japan and the US for the ongoing export and import of grains, vegetables, herbs and processed foods is a major concern for the organic industry which is the fastest growing segment of agriculture in BC.

The right to trade in their own local (BC) marketplace and maintain customer confidence in the Checkmark logo are also serious issues today, and the farmers agreed to take immediate action to ensure that the BC Certified Organic Standard is not lost or eroded.

To this end, greenhouse production standards were re-affirmed as part of the organic principle of growing food in a living soil. This means that the production of crops grown by liquid hydroponics is excluded from certification under the BC Certified Organic Program. Liquid hydroponics is a technique in which greenhouse plants are planted in a sterile medium and fed nutrients dissolved in water. Living soil, on the other hand, is a complex web of organisms, from earthworms down to microscopic creatures which break down organic matter and provide plant nutrients in a dynamic interaction with the plants.

Organic is not a list of prohibited substances, explained Mary Forstbauer, COABC Secretary and a vegetable grower from Chilliwack. It's a way of providing food for people by working together with the natural elements, with plants and animals - including the tiny ones in the soil.

This is what makes Certified Organic food different from conventional foods. All foods, including livestock for meat, milk, cheese and egg production must meet rigorous guidelines. Animals in the BC Certified Organic Program are inspected not only for their diet, health and sanitation but also their socialization, access to natural pasture, shelter, and freedom from artificial stimulation. Certified Organic eggs, for example, are laid by chickens who live a life-style that their particular species has evolved over centuries: they have a sheltered place to nest, places to roost, and the opportunity to run around outdoors and peck at grubs and grass as much as they like.

The result is an egg which is very different from the one produced by a chicken which is confined to a cage the size of a piece of writing paper in a climate and light-controlled building and dosed with antibiotics to keep her from getting sick.

The BC Egg Marketing Board does not agree, and is attempting to force BC's Certified Organic egg producers to join their system and pay a levy to support it. This would add about $1 to the cost of a dozen Certified Organic eggs in the marketplace. Many consumers are outraged by this action and are demanding that the Egg Board allow Certified Organic eggs to be sold to them without restrictions.

COABC egg producers have developed standards and markets for their unique product with no assistance or interference from the BC Egg Marketing Board and the COABC delegates affirmed strongly that this status must continue.

Consumers know that the price of Certified Organic eggs is higher than conventional eggs because they cost more to produce: the Certified Organic feed (which is strictly vegetarian - no mad chicken disease danger) is more expensive, and the chickens lay fewer eggs than those which are confined and medicated.

About The Author:

Lou Moes is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-wellness.com. Obtaining and keeping good health through healthy living, natural healing, great mental health and healthy finances.