That's what Kenneth Chang is wondering over at the New York Times' TierneyLab blog. Does organic mean:
a) related to an organ of the body
b) natural, without artificial ingredients, grown without chemical fertilizers
c) the chemistry of carbon-based molecules derived from living things
d) all of the above
The problem is that the answer is d, all of the above. Chang is irked by the word's use in chemistry. By definition, all plastics are organic. Instead, he suggests carbon-based.
But we're more concerned by the 27,000 words of federal legislation around organic food, especially as we've been seeing "organic" applied to home goods, such as towels, rugs... even furniture.
Is there a simple, concise way to define "organic" when it comes to food and furniture? How would you go about the problem?
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Its funny that Chang is irked with its use in chemistry, I mean that terms been around forever in chemistry! Its a discipline all in itself
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This topic irks me too, but mostly because there is so much "noise" in the marketplace with labeling right now that is is hard to know what these things mean.
Organic means to the USDA (and therefore any "organic" label) no use of synthetic inputs, except the ones they approve of! Which is quite a few.Like synthetics in poultry feed.
What organic has meant in agriculture since the early 1900's and in most of Europe today is not inputs into production, but the methods that produce a positive outcome - taking care of the soil, water, animals, and people.
The idea that organic can be applied to furniture is just silly (except the cotton or other natural fabrics used)and just another example of how far the marketing of green/organic products is going.
I totally support organic production, but sadly what the USDA calls "Organic" today is a far cry from what people really think it is.
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