The Global Village Goes Organic

Since the discovery of plant chemicals causing adverse effects on humans, the world went organic. There has never been a time in the history of human existence that people gave too much attention on where and how food was made. Consumers are now aware of their rights and are now starting to read food labels. Consumerism movements spread like wildfire and were aiming for the protection of the consuming public against inferior and dangerous products, misleading advertising and unfair pricing of consumer goods. This, in turn, brought the manufacturers and producers of foodstuff to rethink their business objectives in favour of the masses. Since governments of all kinds started to give concentrated focus on the adamant public regarding one of the basic needs of man.

The people of the world panic. The global village went organic. Country after country devised ways and means to overhaul their mechanism in food production. Organic became the byword. Every food producing country developed their own yardstick in their organic programs. But clean cattle raised without added chemical inputs remained organic if not exported. Because when the meat is transported to other markets some things are lost in “translation”, meaning that better handling of meat is tempered. But according to the USDA National Organic Program Standards, all cattle should meet certain criteria to be qualified as organic. First the cattle should be born and raised on certified organic pasture; never been injected or made to take antibiotics, fed only on organic grains and grasses, openly pastured and humanely treated. Since food or fresh produce is the leading organic category, it consists of a third of global revenues. Standards all over the globe don’t have much difference. Almost all countries adhere to the same practices of organic treatment of their food produce. In fact, they complement each other. Whenever there are food shortages experienced food imports from the across the globe results. Organic elements like beans, seeds and nuts are coming from China, Turkey and Brazil, while India exports herbs and spices.

As such organic agriculture has built up swiftly around the globe during the last few years. It is now practiced in almost if not all countries globally and is continually growing. But since each country has different food produce the standards followed are inherent to the products being grown. China for one, strictly believes that seeds are sourced from organic seeds and must be planted on at least three years uncultivated soil. China uses the traditional process measures. It does not feed the plant with fertilizers and avoids as much as possible pesticides. During processing products are subjected to test and analysis. It can be also said about UK organic practice. Restriction on the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides is one of the aspects organic farming. It also emphasizes soil health using only organic fertilizers like animal manure, compost and crop- rotation. For animals the use of conventional veterinary medicines is focused on treating sick animals. Furthermore the use of additives is strictly prohibited. According to European Laws all foods sold as organic must be produced accordingly.

Japan, another leading organic food producer, clearly stated that only processing methods of biological and physical functions are used, avoid at all cost the use of chemically synthesized food additives and chemical agents and the preservation of the natural characteristic of the organic agricultural products and organic livestock products as ingredients in food processing of the same. The use of chemical agents shall be in accordance with the prescribed usage. But because of strong adherence of every country to the organic standards they have formulated, problems in selling or exporting organic foods and beverages have been encountered by manufacturers. This difficulty has resulted in the less production in spite of the demand in the markets. Excess bureaucracy also adds to the hardship encountered by manufacturers. The three sets of major organic standards are quite distinct from each other and quite separate. These are the US NOP (National Organic Program), the EU standards and Japan’s JAS (Japan Agricultural Standard).

Growing numbers of countries are starting to manufacture products based on these three major sets of organic standards, the division among the three major trading blocks likewise increased. But all is not lost. Food firms are trying to find ways around the barriers.

About The Author:

Michelle crawley is an independent distributor for Miessence products. These products are the Worlds first extensive range of internationally certified Organic products of hair, body, cosmetic, oral and nutritional products.

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