ORGANIC LABELS

Since the Glorious Thirties, industrial agricultural production has intensified. From planting to harvesting, the whole process has become mechanized. To have a positive yield, farmers began to use very harmful products. Certainly, the production has become abundant, but the quality of the products has decreased. Several Canadian, American and British studies show that our food has lost nutrients since 1950. In "Still No Free Lunch", Brian Halweil, researcher at the Worldwatch Institute even speaks of " empty calorie " to express the intense loss of nutrients in our food . An apple from 1950 would have the same energy properties as 100 apples today.

The environment has therefore become a global priority since the 1970s and organic labels have begun to flourish. But what does the organic label correspond to exactly?

The organic label means that the farmer behind the product has followed the organic farming method, that is to say a production method that excludes chemicals used in particular by industrial agriculture.

The organic label is therefore a certification issued by private or public bodies which all have a different requirement charter. The applicant must necessarily respect the charter of requirements of the organization and submit to a control in order to obtain the Organic Label.

Thanks to the labels, no more pesticides or GMOs in our products and cosmetics! In addition, they make it possible to trace the labeled product, top not? But suddenly, what are these organic labels?

There are so many organic labels these days that confusion reigns on supermarket shelves. So how can you tell them apart? We have listed for you the organic labels issued by private and public organizations.

European organic labels have one thing in common, that of meeting the requirements of European regulations in terms of respect:

• of the environment
• biodiversity
• and animal welfare.

It's already a good thing ! But then what differentiates them?

First of all, we can distinguish organic labels certifying food products (AB-Eurofeuille) from organic labels specializing in other areas, cosmetics for example.

These two organic labels guarantee:

• 95% or more of the ingredients come from organic farming respecting European regulations.
• no use of synthetic chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, weedkillers, etc.)
• no use of GMOs
• animal welfare (transport, breeding conditions, slaughter, etc.)
• for processed organic products, the quantity of GMOs must not exceed 0.9% (a product can obtain during processing up to 5% of GMOs)

Namely: this rule also applies to food products intended for animals or seeds.

All the organic labels and organic certifications mentioned above are recognized in France, in Europe and in certain foreign countries. However, there are organic labels specific to each country. Organic labels in the United States do not have the same specifications as ours, such as USDA Organic , for example. For this label, American products are classified under three distinctions:

• 100% organic label: 100% from organic farming
• Use of the term “Organic”: 95% of the ingredients are organic
• Use of the term “made with organic ingredients” ( products with organic ingredients ): 70% of the ingredients are organic

This applies to the food industry as well as to cosmetics. So be very careful: it is not because a brand announces that its product is “organic” and that it really comes from 100% organic farming.