Whole Foods Market Organic fruits and vegetables set the standard for top quality freshness, texture, flavor, and variety. These foods are produced without the usual measure of risk factored into conventional produce: no toxic chemicals are utilized during growth, harvest, storage or shipping. Yet organic farming isn't primitive, it's actually farming with our future at heart. What is organic? Technically, the term organic refers to any chemical compound containing carbon. In the 1940s, J. R. Rodale, founder and publisher of Organic Gardening magazine, began using "organic" to describe fruits and vegetables grown in cooperation with the earth, using composted materials and mineral supplements to amend the soil rather than the synthetically formulated fertilizers that were fast becoming the standard. Today, organic has come to mean food grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, or growth regulators. Using ingenuity and creativity rather than chemical force organic farmers provide approximately 2% of our food supply. Organic production grows at a rate of more than 25% each year. We are proud of the support we are able to offer this industry, and of the vast array of delectable organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and grains available to our customers. Look for the red organic tag to obtain the best produce available. Why buy organic? Pesticides are everywhere. As stated in the Environmental Working Group's 1993 report "Pesticides in Children's Food", if you eat in this country, you eat pesticides. Food and Drug Administration testing discovered residues from 108 different pesticides in only 22 fruits and vegetables. The Environmental Working Group's study found the combined cancer risk from eating just 8 of these pesticides exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime level of acceptable risk by the average child's first birthday. This risk assessment was based on existing tolerance levels, which do not take into account the possible compound effects of the presence of more than one pesticide in our bodies at a time, or the more serious effects these chemicals may have on the less developed organs and immunities of children. The effects on the environment are also profound. Twenty five to 50% of air sprayed pesticide doesn't hit the field. Less than one percent hits the targeted pest. This leaves over 99% of the application to contaminate land, air, and surface and ground waters. An additional and potentially more destructive problem are the imbalances created by conventional agricultural practices. Excess fertilizer seeps into waterways, creating algae blooms; organisms which decompose the overabundant algae consume all the available oxygen, causing suffocation among other aquatic life and degrading overall water quality. Synthetic fertilizers also exhaust the soil of humus. Without humus, water tends to run off rather than seep downward. Topsoil is carried away, decreasing productivity of the land, and thereby encouraging the use of more fertilizer. As the soil looses its ability to absorb and retain moisture, unreplentished aquifers gradually collapse, permanently losing their ability to hold water and irrevocably changing the carrying capacity of the land. Rather than continuing in this destructive vein, we need to address the changes necessary in our government, our educational system, and our market system to generate momentum for the move toward safe food and sane environmental conduct. At this time, the National Organic Standards Board, established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, is working with members of the organic industry to design minimum national standards for organic growing and processing. The board's reccommendations will go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for implementation after a period of public comment. The organic industry welcomes these standards, as they will alleviate discrepancies between certification organizations, provide standards for states currently lacking legal definitions and create a platform from which the organic industry can expand. Upon completion of these standards, we will encourage all our suppliers to pursue verification. Is all our produce organically grown? Our buyers examine produce for taste, appearance, and the sustainability of growing methods as criteria for quality. When high quality organic produce is unattainable we rely on the best conventional produce available. We continually encourage and challenge the conventional market to adapt their growing methods. Look for the following tags to ascertain growing procedures. Before we tag a product as Organically Grown, we require proof that it has been grown under an organically certifiable system that promotes regeneration of the land. Growers who meet these standards but have not been certified due to the unavailability of certification groups in their area or the expense involved in becoming certified may also be included. In instances where a verification group has not been involved, we require signed affidavits from the grower, and visit the farms to verify growing procedures. In most cases we have worked with the growers for many years. Transitional produce is our preferred choice in non-organic fruits and vegetables. This produce has been grown under conditions that meet organic growing standards but lack either the required length of time for the land to have been free of chemical usage (thirty six months), or the process for proper certification has not yet been completed. The commitment to switching from conventional farming to organic methods is a difficult one. Organic farmers are not eligible for many federal agricultural subsidy programs that support conventional farmers. Furthermore, production is often limited until the soil can rebuild the organic matter needed to compensate for the lack of synthetic fertilizers. While not certified organic, tagging a product "transitional organic" encourages farmers to take the next step. Conventionally Grown produce, although closely scrutinized for taste, freshness and appearance, is grown with standard agricultural practices, and is liable to be exposed to chemicals during growth, storage, and shipping. Country of Origin Because strict pesticide regulations and proper training for farmers are lacking in some food exporting nations, imported produce from these countries is much more likely to contain harmful agrochemical residues. Therefore, we choose to sell domestically grown produce or produce from exporting nations whose pesticide regulations are at least as strong as ours whenever possible. All produce is displayed with a "country of origin" or "state of origin" flag to enable you to make informed purchasing decisions. Ask department team members which countries currently provide the safest produce. Can pesticides be removed by the consumer? Although washing produce may eliminate some surface pesticides, most cannot be removed with water. Pesticides are often formulated not to be water soluble to prevent them from washing off plants in the fields during rains. The practice of waxing produce after harvest complicates matters even more. Fungicides, bactericides, growth regulators, coloring agents, and substances which inhibit natural aging or ripening may be mixed in with the wax. Wax helps retain moisture, but it also seals pesticide residues into the food. Peeling produce may be an option, but residues are not always limited to the food's surface. The best way to avoid exposure to chemical residue is to buy certified organically grown produce. What can you do to help? You and future generations have the right to safe, nutritious food. Write your elected officials to encourage support for farmers who want to switch from conventional to organic, sustainable agriculture. Support can exist in many forms. such as more funding for organic research, better availability of information from extension services, and alternative agriculture programs at state funded universities. Follow the efforts of the National Organic Standards Board, and watch closely to ensure that the USDA acts on their recommendations. Monitor the progress of the 1995 Farm Bill to ensure further support for organic and sustainable agriculture. Write to your children's schools and urge them to buy organic whenever possible. And most importantly, buy organically grown foods whenever you can. As the market for organic products grows, so will the number of farmers willing to risk change. Our commitment Through our Produce Quality Standards, we guarantee you the highest quality produce, organically grown whenever possible. Our commitment reflects our concern for the health and quality of our lives, the improvement of our environment on Earth, and the sustainability of our food system. Organically grown--it's farming with the future at heart. Quality Standards * Highest quality organically grown produce will be stocked whenever possible. * Product labeled as organically grown must have the proper documentation verifying its authenticity. * All produce must display a country of origin flag. All domestic produce must display a U.S. or state of origin flag. * All produce sold shall be free of irradiation. Irradiation Our commitment of quality also includes the guarantee that none of your produce has been irradiated. Irradiation is a method of food preservation in which foods are treated with low doses of gamma radiation from Cobalt 60 or the radioactive isotope Cesium 137, a by-product of nuclear weapon production and nuclear power generation. We actively oppose food irradiation. When food is irradiated, nutrients are destroyed and untested compounds, coined as URPs (unique radiolytic products) are created, many of which are feared to be powerful carcinogens. The long term effects on human beings is unknown. We believe produce can and should be packaged, transported and stored to retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial means or irradiation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Whole Foods Market web pages (http://www.wholefoods.com/wf.html) are maintained by The Whole Foods Market Communications Team Copyright Whole Foods Market, 1995, wfm@wholefoods.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reprinted (October 1995) with permission from Whole Foods Market