Um sorry for the delay. I seem to have gotten caught up in all the small stuff. Like what should I write about? Fifty topics a day swim through my head, but seem to shuttle off before I get to the computer.
Recently, I've been involved in researching organic products. To be specific yoga mat wash. But the same rule applies for every certified organic product in the U. S. from wine to waffles to cleaning products. Which is if you can afford to pay the fees to the powers that be you too can be certified organic. There is no product testing. It is basically an honor system. Which is unfortunate for those smaller businesses that are starting out and are doing everything organically, but cannot claim it on their labels because they cannot afford the fees. Or for companies that are making many different products and have to pay fees to certify each individual product even if the components are all basically the same.
I'm sure there are many products that circumvent this with creative verbiage on their labels, but how many of us buy products because they are certified organic? And how many of us would buy products that we knew were organic even if the label didn't tell us? How would we have any way of knowing?
At the restaurant where I work this conversation came up recently. Many wine makers have been growing grapes organically and using biodynamic processes (literally harvesting grapes by the light of a full moon and such) for years, but still can't claim to be organic until they pay the fees. Many winemakers could care less if the world knows they do what is best for the grapes, but would it effect their sales? Not sure, but certain food products and even cleaning products most likely would increase sales if their earth friendly ways were more well known.
Not that I want to decrease regulations where food or our health is concerned, but perhaps make it easier for companies that are making several organic cleaning supplies to certify their ingredients or perhaps their facilities.
I'm just beginning to learn about this process. And as a consumer to keep an open mind. However, the question comes then if two products where side by side and one said all natural and the other was certified organic (same price) which would you put in your grocery tote?
Keep Thinking and Reading!
XO,
V
