the trouble with organics?

[sarahmaru]

I recently got a job in a natural food store, and there is a posted list of the requirements for products to be certified as organic. One of them is that livestock must have access to crops. (Of course, they also can't be treated with chemicals, hormones, etc.) But I was wondering, would purchasing organic food/products be indirectly supporting livestock industries? And because of that, would it not be vegan to purchase those products?

This really perplexes me, so if anyone has additional info that would clear things up, please let me know. Thanks!

[flutterby]

Hello sarahmaru, welcome to the forum. Maybe the manure thread will be on interest, http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437

[veg_eric]

I recently got a job in a natural food store, and there is a posted list of the requirements for products to be certified as organic. One of them is that livestock must have access to crops. (Of course, they also can't be treated with chemicals, hormones, etc.) But I was wondering, would purchasing organic food/products be indirectly supporting livestock industries? And because of that, would it not be vegan to purchase those products?

This really perplexes me, so if anyone has additional info that would clear things up, please let me know. Thanks!


As a long time vegan, I feel that being "really vegan" will also mean that you buy (certified) organic products.

Simply for the following reasons :

- in certified organic agriculture/livestock, animals are generaly treated better then in the regular food industry

- organic agriculture is better, certainly less harming to the environment and the animals that live on the fields.

- organic agriculture often also embraces other values, "the money" is not their main goal.

Organic produce is "more vegan" then regular stuff.

[harpy]

Hello - Conventional farming also uses manure so unfortunately you don't have much choice in this area (unless you grow your own using vegan organic methods - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan_organic_gardening)

I go for organic stuff where possible because of the hope that the animals are treated better and that it does less harm to the environment.

[Robert]

Some farmers have switched from manure to compost (decayed vegetable matter) quite successfully, however it has not yet become commonplace to do so.

I do make a point of supporting smaller organic growers who use compost and who do not use insecticides (even the types approved by the 'organic' label).

I can't afford to be fussy about buying 100% organic though - it just isn't possible at this point in Dublin - both from a cost point of view and from an availability point of view. I do buy all my salad greens organic, and some other veggies (tomatoes, samphire, etc).

However, as I am also a supporter of the slow food movement, I will not buy an organic product if it has been imported from say, Chile. I support local growers first, then national, then regional and only at a stretch, international (exceptions being fair trade products and products that cannot be produced in Europe).

[sarahmaru]

Thanks for all the speedy replies. I know it's pretty much impossible to be 100% vegan, and I've just got to make the most responsible decisions that i can.

I actually misunderstood the guidelines. Livestock do not have to have access to crops; but I hadn't considered the manure issue. I guess it will just be a matter of doing my homework and figuring out who and what I'm supporting when I make a purchase.

Thanks again!

[DancingWillow]

i think that what harpy was referring to was veganic agriculture...there's a sub-forum on VF on organic and veganic issues if you're interested:
http://veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=58

i agree with all of veg_eric's reasons, and of course there are many other pros to eating organic foods. i think that one of the reasons that is the most relevant to your question is that the pesticides used in conventional agriculture pollute the water and thus not only factory animals are harmed, but wildlife as well...so, in that respect, organic food is more animal friendly for factory animals (as veg_eric pointed out) and for wild animals.