What is the meaning of organic?

Certified Organic is a legal term and a strict program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In general, it means foods grown and animals raised without synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics or hormones, pesticides, and genetically engineered (GMO) ingredients. There is a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) comprised of representatives of many sectors of the economy, and they decide what ingredients and processes are considered organic and which are not. The program has been in place since the 1990s.

Getting a farm or farm enterprise certified organic is a very long and expensive process requiring meticulous record keeping and regular inspections. There is also such a thing as food and animals grown using organic methods; the methods used and degree to which a given producer adheres to them varies. But generally, producing food using organic methods involves having a well-planned and implemented long term program to maintain soil fertility and mineralization, while avoiding pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, etc. The general approach is to work with nature rather than against it, by understanding and leveraging basic ecological processes.