Bob Harrison wrote:

> All packers want is to be able to use the word "organic". Did members of the
> "organic honey" movement really believe packers were going to sit by and
> watch you steal their market and spread the word that their honey is
> inferior?

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. From Ari's post the 
EU standards are more realistic than the proposed US standards. Until US 
standards are in place, the field is wide open for abuse since the base 
USDA organic standards are simple and, from what has been posted so far 
on those using the label, fairly easy to meet. The proposed US standards 
are, in my opinion, draconian and so strict that they will not be easy 
to meet.

As an aside, the USDA base standards are considered too loose by the 
organic movement. The base standards are what the USDA defines as 
organic for all produce and products. They are market driven which tends 
to drive the purists in the movement over the edge. They start from a 
simple set of rules and then allow varying degrees of "organic" in the 
label as the rules are relaxed. That,for them, makes matters even worse 
since there is only one "organic". From there, there are standards that 
are in greater detail to fit specific produce and products, like honey, 
mushrooms and skin care. So there are a host of different standards, 
some strict and some loose, depending on who has the loudest voice.

Which is also the state of the Organic movement, it is not monolithic 
but comprised of the rational and irrational. Who is rational is left to 
where you are in the movement. I have many friends in the movement and 
they are as monolithic in their opinions as those of us here on the BeeL 
:). Some actually allow the use of sludge on their farms, but they have 
farms, not gardens. The few who practiced real organic beekeeping are no 
longer beekeepers. The one who sells "organic" honey used (and still may 
do so) Apistan and Cumaphose!

If the tight standards are agreed on, then there will be few USDA 
organic labels that actually meet the standards, but that is not to say 
there will not be many USDA approved labels.

So, anticipate an interesting fight over the standards between purists 
and producers.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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