I read over on TreeHugger that the USDA did indeed lower organic standards. I had really, really been hoping that this would not happen. Calling something organic isn’t supposed to just be about the money, even if that is the advantage the corporations get out of it. It’s about how it’s produced.

So products that are not fully organically produced now having an easier time being labeled USDA Organic is really annoying to me. It means it is now harder to figure out if something is really organic.

There is just a tiny bit of hope. Due to the outcry, the comment period has been reopened for 60 days. Here’s a link with information on how you can comment. Just take a few minutes and participate.

Technorati Tags: usda organic, organic standards, organic food

I like the idea of buying organic products. They don’t always fit into my budget, but when they do it’s an easy choice to make. Better for me, better for the planet. What could be better?

The trouble is that “organic” is not as definite a term as it would appear in some ways. The USDA standards for organic have loopholes that allow things that are not organically produced to be included in products labeled as “organic”.

The loophole is quite simple and wide. An organic version of the product must simply not be “commercially available”.

Frankly, if that’s the case I don’t want them to produce a supposed organic version of that item. I can cope with things not being organic if they aren’t available. Claiming organic when something clearly is not is merely USDA-allowed (encouraged?) false advertising. The USDA has been working on changing the standards, but this has been a highly controversial process, in large part due to the products they want to allow and the short comment period they attempted.

I do find this frustrating. As I said, if it can’t be produced organically I don’t want it labeled that way. Use an intermediate lableling, such as “produced with organic materials” or something similar for those things that by their very nature cannot be 100% organic.

I know that much of this really has to do with the companies wanting the freedom to reach the organic market, no matter what it is they are really selling. I don’t care what they want. I care what my goals are when I choose organic.

Technorati Tags: organic, usda, usda standards, organic foods

I had an interesting conversation with my mother the other day about if low wages in other countries could actually be a good thing in some ways. She noted that many of the places that used to have cheap labor now have higher standards of living and earn more money than they used to.

I haven’t done any research to see how true this is, but it’s an interesting thought. I know, though, that a lot of places known for cheap labor and poor protections for their labor still have cheap labor and poor protections. So while it’s an interesting theory, I don’t know how true it is.

It’s not a comfortable idea to me. I don’t like when people are barely earning a living even by their country’s standards, and working under essentially abusive situations. I don’t like it even with the thought that it could, in the long run, improve matters. It’s hard to not want improvement NOW!

Then again, you hear about countries like India, where workers are getting into technology jobs and earning very good money for their area. They’re still cheaper labor for many employers, but now they’re earning good money for where they live. Is it due to a progression that started with poor conditions? Continue reading →

I love seeing the Pope sticking with his belief that we should be conserving the Earth’s resources. Acting on that statement by getting solar panels installed is a great step.

They’re starting with the roof of the Paul VI auditorium next year. Other Vatican buildings may also get photovoltaic cells, although this will not happen in cases where historic buildings would be damaged.

Technorati Tags: pope, vatican, solar power