Why is Going Beyond Organic So Important?
Food chemistry trumps everything. These four links provide the absolute bottom line.
Food Analysis
J. A. McGee is a Ph.D. student in sociology with a concentration in environmental sociology at University of Oregon. His research explores the development and environmental impacts of sustainable markets. He recently posted an intriguing study at https://www.academia.edu/. It concludes that the increase in certified organic farmland from 2000 to 2008 “is not correlated with declines in greenhouse gas emissions derived specifically from agricultural production and, on the contrary, is associated positively overall with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.”
The crops with greater fuel consumption are grain, vegetables, fruit, broilers, egg layers, and pork. Additionally greenhouse gas emissions from organic production are estimated to be “on average 10.6 % higher.”
McGee's report provides several reasons. Leading the list is the USDA rules for organic certification. Analysts say the rules set maximum and minimum standards that bracket the industry “prohibiting stricter standards and making them irrelevant in specific market contexts.” This move to standardized the industry and define the term “organic” was necessary in order to set the stage for mass production.