Organic Labeling: The Lowdown

Organic Labeling: The Lowdown

Telluride is oh so health conscious. Here, the word “organic” rhymes with “duh.” Going green goes without saying. But do we really know what the label “organic” means?  Emma Loewe is a senior at Duke University where she studies Environmental Science, English and Visual Media. She loves being outside, taking pictures and finding creative ways to write about sustainability. Emma wrote the following story about organic labeling for EcoWatch.

It’s 2 p.m. in Whole Foods. Organic D’anjou pears from Washington beckon you into the produce section where a variable bounty awaits. Organic white onions sit unblemished despite their recent journey from the California croplands, whole trade Mexican bell peppers bask in their vibrant hues and hefty slices of New York strip steak gather around a “no cages, no crates, no crowding” label.

An array of organic fruits at Whole Foods. Photo credit: Emma Loewe
An array of organic fruits at Whole Foods. Photo credit: Emma Loewe

But what does it all mean?

More people are opting to go green than ever before and grocery stores are shifting to meet demand. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. supermarkets are now stocked with organic products. With humble beginnings rooted in the environmental movement of the 1970s, the organic market has expanded to conjure images of green pastures and smiling cows in the minds of shoppers nationwide. However, this imagined ideal does not always pan out…

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