Does Organic Also Mean Sustainable or Just Non-Toxic?

In the picture you see a family farm versus corporate farm. (Chumlee10 on Flickr.com)

"Did you know quite a few, if not most, of organic food companies these days are actually owned by major labels that you stopped supporting years ago? Is that really a problem, since it means that organic is available just about everywhere these days, or does it mean the movement has lost part of its soul?"

Michael Potter, owner of Eden Foods Inc, in a recent interview with Reading Eagle, said that he gets offers several times a week these days to sell his company. While he has stuck to his guns thus far, many people mock him for not cashing out in what is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

The big guys are smart these days- even though they buy an organic company, no where on the new product will you see the corporate logo or label. If they were proud of their organic branch, wouldn't they want to market themselves as a feel good company?

Or do they not want consumers to know that their favorite brand sold out (sometimes years ago). Dean Foods, Kraft, Conagra, General Mills and even Coca-Cola are now on the organic bandwagon. When corporations are asked about their organic label and how they can justify using ingredients from halfway around the world, or using a larger portion of non-organic ingredients in the mix, oftentimes the answer is "No Comment."

So why doesn't Potter sell off his business and retire in Fiji or paradise? According to him, organic is more than just not using pesticides. Organic to him is about sustainability, keeping things "small, alternative and individualistic" and keeping a tight reign on product quality. Selling the company would mean allowing customers to think they are still getting the same quality product with no control of what happens. If large corporations put boxes of their organic foods on every shelf in every grocery store, is that still sustainable?


Last passage:
"But, if a consumer objects to the social and ethical practices of said larger label, then they might want to know when they are still supporting them, despite the lack of labeling."





Read the label and know the company behind it.
Below a list of big companies that jumped into the organic wagon, which does not necessarily mean their products are bad.
When you purchase a product you are supporting these companies and sometimes ethics are challenged.
You can make a difference to the environment by being conscious of your choices.


Quoting from http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=154630 :
"For Potter, selling to a big corporation or joining forces with venture capitalists would mean selling out the very essence of organic: small, alternative and individualistic."




The essence of an Organic thinking is right there.


Join Organic:
http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/