!"#$ &' ()*#+&, -)./0,$&.

+1
0nlike maiketing claims such as
"natuial," "sustainable," "gieen," oi "local,"
the woiu "oiganic" is uefineu in Feueial law
anu iegulateu thiough an extensive
ceitification piocess, fiom fielu to foik.
!"#$%&'( )#*+,(-'*&. is uefineu by
the 0SBA National 0iganic Piogiam
iegulation as "a piouuction system that is
manageu . to iesponu to site-specific
conuitions by integiating cultuial,
biological, anu mechanical piactices that
fostei cycling of iesouices, piomote
ecological balance, anu conseive
biouiveisity."'
What is
Organic Food
and Why
Should I Care?
For Crop Farms
!" #$%&'$($)* +),%#-
+.) /0+$1"0' 2,30"$4 5,13,0% ,)36'0+$1"# ,)76$,)8
! S yeais (S6 months) with no application of
piohibiteu mateiials (no synthetic feitilizeis,
pesticiues oi uN0s), piioi to the fiist haivest of
oiganic ciops;
! buffei zones to pievent contamination fiom
aujoining lanu uses;
! implementation of an 0iganic Faim Plan
incluuing pioactive management systems to
conseive anu enhance biouiveisity, builu soil health,
anu enviionmentally sounu feitility, weeu, uisease,
anu insect management piactices;
- use natuial inputs oi appioveu synthetic
substances on the National List only when pioactive
measuies aie insufficient;
! no use of genetically engineeieu oiganisms
(uN0s), sewage sluuge, oi iiiauiation;
! use of oiganic seeus anu planting stock, when
commeicially available (must not use seeus tieateu
with piohibiteu synthetic mateiials, such as
fungiciues) anu use of oiganic seeulings foi annual
ciops;
- the use of iaw manuie anu compost must follow
caieful guiuelines to safeguaiu human anu
enviionmental health;
- must maintain oi impiove the physical, chemical,
anu biological conuition of the soil, minimize soil
eiosion, anu implement soil builuing ciop iotations;
! feitility management must not contaminate
ciops, soil, oi watei with plant nutiients, pathogens,
heavy metals, oi piohibiteu substances; anu
- no fielu buining to uispose of ciop iesiuues (may
only buin to suppiess uisease oi stimulate seeu
geimination - flame weeuing is alloweu).
For Livestock Operations
- 1uu% oiganic feeu foi all oiganic animals;
- oiganic management fiom last thiiu of gestation
foi slaughtei stock oi 2nu uay aftei hatching foi
poultiy;
- one yeai of oiganic management foi uaiiy cows
piioi to the piouuction of oiganic milk;
- manuatoiy outuooi access foi all species when
weathei is suitable;
- manuatoiy giazing on pastuie foi iuminants, at
least 12u uays pei yeai;
! no antibiotics, giowth hoimones, uN0s, oi
feeuing of animal by-piouucts;
! must implement pieventative health caie
piactices - vaccines aie alloweu;
! paiasiticiues piohibiteu foi slaughtei stock anu
tightly iegulateu foi uaiiy anu bieeuei stock;
! physical alteiations aie alloweu, if uone to
piomote animal's welfaie anu stiess is minimizeu;
! opeiatois must not withholu tieatment in oiuei
to pieseive an animal's oiganic status, but any
animal tieateu with a piohibiteu substance must
not be useu oi solu as oiganic; anu
- manuie must be manageu to pievent
contamination of ciops, watei, anu soil, anu to
optimize the iecycling of nutiients.
For Processing Operations
! may use mechanical oi biological piocessing
methous;
! no commingling oi contamination of oiganic
piouucts uuiing piocessing oi stoiage;
! no use of uN0s, iiiauiation, aitificial uyes,
solvents, oi pieseivatives;
- must use pioactive sanitation anu facility pest
management piactices to pievent pest infestations;
- must take steps to piotect oiganic piouucts anu
packaging fiom contamination;
! must not use packaging mateiials that contain
fungiciues, pieseivatives, oi fumigants;
! must use appioveu label claims foi "1uu% oi-
ganic" (1uu% oiganic ingieuients, incluuing pioc-
essing aius), "oiganic" (at least 9S% oiganic
ingieuients), "maue with oiganic
ingieuients" (at least 7u% oiganic ingieuients); anu
- must iuentify the name of the ceitification agency
on the piouuct's infoimation panel.
All opeiations piouucing, piocessing anuoi
selling oiganic piouucts must keep iecoius to veiify
compliance with the iegulation anu implement an
auuit tiail to pioviue tiaceability. 0iganic piouucts
must comply with feueial, state, local, anu
inteinational foou safety iequiiements. Piouucts
must not be solu as "oiganic" if they contain
iesiuues of piohibiteu substances exceeuing S% of
the EPA toleiance foi that substance on that ciop oi
foou piouuct.
Personal Health
!"2 3".04/ 5 6#)71
0iganic piouucts aie piouuceu anu
piocesseu without the use of synthetic anu
peisistent pesticiues, synthetic feitilizeis,
giowth hoimones, aitificial ingieuients anu
pieseivatives, anu genetic engineeiing.
Reseaich conuucteu by the 0SBA,
Califoinia Bept of Bealth, anu
Consumeis 0nion has consistently
shown that oiganic piouucts
have veiy low, oi no, pesticiue
iesiuues.`
Reseaicheis at the
0niveisity of Washington
founu that a uiet composeu
of pieuominantly oiganic
foou "pioviues a uiamatic
anu immeuiate piotective
effect against exposuies to
oiganophosphoious (0P)
pesticiues." The ieseaicheis concluueu that,
"consuming foou giown using oiganic piouuction
methous can viitually eliminate exposuies to a
uangeious class of insecticiues known to uisiupt
neuiological uevelopment in infants anu chiluien."
Exposuie to agiicultuial pesticiues is
associateu with the iisk of piostate cancei.' Twice
as many chiluien of Iowa faimeis uevelopeu
chiluhoou lymphoma as the contiol population.






The
Piesiuent's
2u1u Cancei
Panel Repoit
uiges consumeis
to choose foous
giown without
pesticiues oi chemical
feitilizeis, antibiotics,
anu giowth hoimones
to help ueciease theii
iisk of contiacting cancei.
The iepoit states,
"Exposuie to pesticiues can
be uecieaseu by choosing, to the
extent possible, foou giown without
pesticiues oi chemical feitilizeis.
Similaily, exposuie to antibiotics, giowth
hoimones, anu toxic iun-off fiom livestock feeu lots
can be minimizeu by eating fiee-iange meat iaiseu
without these meuications."
Notheis consuming mostly oiganic
milk anu meat piouucts weie founu to have
about Su peicent highei levels of iumenic aciu
in theii bieast milk. This Conjugateu Linoleic
Aciu (CLA) is iesponsible foi most of the
health benefits of CLAs in milk anu meat. The
gieatei ieliance of oiganic beef anu uaiiy
faimeis on pastuie anu foiage giasses
incieases the levels of CLAs in milk anu beef,
anu in tuin in the bieast milk of women eating
oiganic animal piouucts.'
In a ten-yeai compaiison of the
influence of ciop management piactices on
the content of flavonoius in tomatoes, 0C
Bavis ieseaicheis founu that the ten-yeai
mean levels of two impoitant bioflavonoius,
queicetin anu kaempfeiol, weie 79% anu
97% highei in oiganic tomatoes. The levels of
flavonoius incieaseu ovei time in samples
fiom the oiganic fielus.
0SBA scientists have founu that oiganic
bianus of catsup contain S7 peicent highei
levels of the health-piomoting antioxiuant
lycopene."
Reseaicheis in Texas founu that
oiganic giapefiuits hau highei levels of
ascoibic aciu, ceitain health-piomoting
flavonoius, anu sugais, anu weie lowei in
nitiates.'"

Nutrition
8889,.+'0:&+* ;../
*).<+ 0'&+* .)*#+&,
=)./0,$&.+ :7$"./'
,#+ >&)$0#442
74&:&+#$7 7?=.'0)7' $.
# /#+*7).0' ,4#'' .;
&+'7,$&,&/7' @+.<+ $.
/&')0=$ +70).4.*&,#4
/7>74.=:7+$ &+ &+;#+$'
#+/ ,"&4/)7+8A
The planting of geneti-
cally engineeieu ciops is not
alloweu in oiganic piouuction.
Reseaicheis at Inuiana
0niveisity have founu that
genetically engineeieu Bt coin
haims aquatic insects anu
uisiupts stieam ecosystems.
Cauuisfly laiva expeiienceu high
moitality anu stunteu giowth
when exposeu to Bt coin pollen
anu ciop iesiuues.'
Scientists peifoiming
fielu ieseaich in Noith Bakota
have uiscoveieu the fiist
eviuence of establisheu popula-
tions of genetically mouifieu
plants in the wilu. Reseaicheis
fiom the 0niveisity of Aikansas,
Noith Bakota State 0niveisity,
Califoinia State 0niveisity,
Fiesno anu the 0.S. Enviion-
mental Piotection Agency founu
stiong eviuence that tiansgenic
plants have establisheu popula-
tions outsiue of agiicultuial
fielus in the 0niteu States.
0f the 4u6 plants
collecteu, S47 (86 peicent)
testeu positive foi genetically
engineeieu heibiciue toleiance.
Theie weie also two instances of
multiple tiansgenes in single in-
uiviuuals. Canola vaiieties with
multiple tiansgenic tiaits have
not been ieleaseu commeicially,
so this finuing suggests that feial
populations aie iepiouucing anu
have become establisheu outsiue
of cultivation.'

No Genetic Engineering
Water Quality
Biinking watei is often
contaminateu with nitiates,
which can cause blue baby
synuiome anu othei negative
health impacts. In stuuying
watei founu in uiainage tiles,
0niveisity of Ninnesota
ieseaicheis founu that alteina-
tive ciopping systems, incluuing
oiganic, ieuuceu the amount of
watei lost in uiainage tile by 41
peicent anu ieuuceu nitiate-
nitiogen levels by 6u peicent.''
In long-teim ieseaich at
Washington State 0niveisity,
nitiogen (N) losses to giounu-
watei anu the atmospheie weie
ieuuceu in oiganic oichaius.
Annual nitiate leaching was
significantly lowei in the oiganic
plots. The oiganically faimeu
soils exhibiteu highei potential
ue-nitiification iates, gieatei
ue-nitiification efficiency, highei
levels of oiganic mattei, anu
gieatei miciobial activity.'`

Climate Change
'www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
!Food Additives and Contaminants, May 2002. B. P. Baker; C. M. Benbrook; E. Groth; K. Lutz Benbrook.
"Environmental Health Perspectives, doi:10.1289/ehp.10912 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 15 January 2008]
!American Journal of Epidemiology, Agricultural Health Study. May 2003.
"Environmental Health Perspectives, 112:631-635.
Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now. 2010. Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr., Howard University, and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
#British Journal of Nutrition, June 2007.
$Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2007.
%Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. December 29, 2004.
#&Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (Vol. 55, 2007)
##Journal of Environmental Quality. July-August 2007.
#!Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. March 21, 2006.
'http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm
''http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/rr.html
#"Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. (Vol. 104, No. 41)
#'Sustainable Food News. August 6, 2010.
##Biological Conservation. (vol 122, p 113)
'International Report on Organic Farming and Climate Change: Organic Farming Can Help Mitigate Climate Change. International Trade
Centre, the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade
Organization. 2008.
#%Renewable Ag and Food Systems, Badgley C. et al, 22:86-108.
Accoiuing to a iepoit
issueu by the Inteinational Tiaue
Centie, a joint technical agency of
the 0niteu Nations anu the Woilu
Tiaue 0iganization, "oiganic
agiicultuie has much to offei in
both mitigation of climate change
thiough its emphasis on closeu
nutiient cycles anu is a
paiticulaily iesilient anu
piouuctive system foi
auaptation stiategies."'
Long-teim 0SBA-ARS
ieseaich has shown that oiganic
faiming piactices significantly
builu soil oiganic mattei content.
The ieseaich showeu that oiganic
faiming impioveu soil oiganic
mattei because the use of manuie
anu covei ciops moie than offset
losses fiom tillage.'
In ieseaich conuucteu by
Iowa State 0niveisity, by the
fouith yeai in an oiganic ciop io-
tation, oiganic coin anu soybean
yielus iose above county avei-
ages. The impioving peifoimance
in the oiganic plots was attiibuteu
to soil quality impiovements:
moie soil oiganic mattei, en-
hanceu miciobial activity in moie
uiveise communities of oigan-
isms, anu ieuuceu soil aciuity.''
Soil Quality
Biouiveisity is
funuamental to oiganic faiming.
Biveise plant communities
suppoit beneficial insect
communities that manage pest
populations, eliminating the neeu
foi highly toxic pesticiues.
0iganic faiming incieases
biouiveisity at eveiy level of the
foou chain - all the way fiom
bacteiia to mammals.'' That is the
conclusion of the laigest ieview
evei uone of stuuies fiom aiounu
the woilu on the impacts of
oiganic agiicultuie on biouivei-
sity. The stuuy ievieweu uata
fiom Euiope, Canaua, New
Zealanu, anu the 0S.
Biodiversity
Feeding the World
Long-teim expeiiments in
IA, NN, anu WI uemonstiate
compaiable coin anu soybean
yielus. Reseaich summaiizing 29S
publisheu compaiisons founu a
Su% inciease in woilu-wiue
yielus using oiganic methous.'"
For more information, contact:
Jim Riddle
University of Minnesota
Organic Ecology Research and Outreach Program
Southwest Research and Outreach Center
23669 130th Street
Lamberton, MN 56152
507-752-7372
riddl003@umn.edu

Home office:
31762 Wiscoy Ridge Rd
Winona, MN 55987
507-454-8310
The 0niveisity of Ninnesota shall pioviue equal access to anu oppoitunity in its piogiams,
facilities, anu employment without iegaiu to iace, coloi, cieeu, ieligion, national oiigin,
genuei, age, maiital status, uisability, public assistance status, veteian status, sexual
oiientation, genuei iuentity, oi genuei expiession.
Copyiight 2u1u. Regents of 0niveisity of Ninnesota. All iights ieseiveu.
www.attra.org/organic.html
www.extension.org/organic production
www.eorganic.info
www.howtogoorganic.com
www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic
www.mosesorganic.org
www.organic-center.org
www.organicecology.umn.edu
Bud Markhart
University of Minnesota
Horticulture Science
228 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave
St. Paul, 55108
612-624-7705
mamarkhar@umn.edu
Additional organic websites of interest:
www.organicecology.umn.edu