“A number of independent farmers have grown disillusioned since Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, in 1990, establishing a uniform national standard for organic crops, livestock, processed products, and wild-harvested plants, to be enforced by the USDA. Farmers must wait three years after first adopting organic techniques to become certified, during which time they don’t benefit from the premium pricing that typically accompanies certification. (The federal government does provide financial assistance for farmers making the transition.) As is often the case when good intentions become codified on a large scale—the tax code, for instance—the letter of the law tends to trump its spirit, which is how, in this case, some foods containing synthetic preservatives are nonetheless certified organic.”
“The Bad News About the Organic Industry”