Should other than soil based crops be designated as organic? VT Congressional delegations says no [View all]

[cali]

There’s nothing in federal guidelines for organic certification that excludes hydroponically grown produce.

That policy undermines the fundamental organic tenet of soil stewardship, according to a majority of Vermont’s organic farmers.

That view is shared by the National Organic Program’s independent advisory board (the National Organic Standards Board, or NOSB), which advised against “organic hydroponics” in 2010.

The state’s congressional delegation shares the opinions of the advisory board (and Vermont organic farmers), and all three men say they will pass along their concerns to NOP regulators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20140216/GREEN01/302160014/Vermont-delegation-roots-soil