Whole Foods Market

Organic fruits and vegetables set the standard for top quality
freshness, texture, flavor, and variety. These foods are produced
without the usual measure of risk factored into conventional produce: no
toxic chemicals are utilized during growth, harvest, storage or
shipping. Yet organic farming isn't primitive, it's actually farming
with our future at heart.



What is organic?

Technically, the term organic refers to any chemical compound containing
carbon. In the 1940s, J. R. Rodale, founder and publisher of Organic
Gardening magazine, began using "organic" to describe fruits and
vegetables grown in cooperation with the earth, using composted
materials and mineral supplements to amend the soil rather than the
synthetically formulated fertilizers that were fast becoming the
standard. Today, organic has come to mean food grown without the use of
synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, or growth regulators.
Using ingenuity and creativity rather than chemical force organic
farmers provide approximately 2% of our food supply. Organic production
grows at a rate of more than 25% each year.

We are proud of the support we are able to offer this industry, and of
the vast array of delectable organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries
and grains available to our customers. Look for the red organic tag to
obtain the best produce available.



Why buy organic?

Pesticides are everywhere. As stated in the Environmental Working
Group's 1993 report "Pesticides in Children's Food", if you eat in this
country, you eat pesticides. Food and Drug Administration testing
discovered residues from 108 different pesticides in only 22 fruits and
vegetables. The Environmental Working Group's study found the combined
cancer risk from eating just 8 of these pesticides exceeds the
Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime level of acceptable risk by
the average child's first birthday. This risk assessment was based on
existing tolerance levels, which do not take into account the possible
compound effects of the presence of more than one pesticide in our
bodies at a time, or the more serious effects these chemicals may have
on the less developed organs and immunities of children.

The effects on the environment are also profound. Twenty five to 50% of
air sprayed pesticide doesn't hit the field. Less than one percent hits
the targeted pest. This leaves over 99% of the application to
contaminate land, air, and surface and ground waters. An additional and
potentially more destructive problem are the imbalances created by
conventional agricultural practices. Excess fertilizer seeps into
waterways, creating algae blooms; organisms which decompose the
overabundant algae consume all the available oxygen, causing suffocation
among other aquatic life and degrading overall water quality. Synthetic
fertilizers also exhaust the soil of humus. Without humus, water tends
to run off rather than seep downward. Topsoil is carried away,
decreasing productivity of the land, and thereby encouraging the use of
more fertilizer. As the soil looses its ability to absorb and retain
moisture, unreplentished aquifers gradually collapse, permanently losing
their ability to hold water and irrevocably changing the carrying
capacity of the land.

Rather than continuing in this destructive vein, we need to address the
changes necessary in our government, our educational system, and our
market system to generate momentum for the move toward safe food and
sane environmental conduct.

At this time, the National Organic Standards Board, established under
the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, is working with members of the
organic industry to design minimum national standards for organic
growing and processing. The board's reccommendations will go to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture for implementation after a period of public
comment. The organic industry welcomes these standards, as they will
alleviate discrepancies between certification organizations, provide
standards for states currently lacking legal definitions and create a
platform from which the organic industry can expand. Upon completion of
these standards, we will encourage all our suppliers to pursue
verification.



Is all our produce organically grown?

Our buyers examine produce for taste, appearance, and the sustainability
of growing methods as criteria for quality. When high quality organic
produce is unattainable we rely on the best conventional produce
available. We continually encourage and challenge the conventional
market to adapt their growing methods. Look for the following tags to
ascertain growing procedures.

Before we tag a product as Organically Grown, we require proof that it
has been grown under an organically certifiable system that promotes
regeneration of the land. Growers who meet these standards but have not
been certified due to the unavailability of certification groups in
their area or the expense involved in becoming certified may also be
included. In instances where a verification group has not been involved,
we require signed affidavits from the grower, and visit the farms to
verify growing procedures. In most cases we have worked with the growers
for many years.

Transitional produce is our preferred choice in non-organic fruits and
vegetables. This produce has been grown under conditions that meet
organic growing standards but lack either the required length of time
for the land to have been free of chemical usage (thirty six months), or
the process for proper certification has not yet been completed. The
commitment to switching from conventional farming to organic methods is
a difficult one. Organic farmers are not eligible for many federal
agricultural subsidy programs that support conventional farmers.
Furthermore, production is often limited until the soil can rebuild the
organic matter needed to compensate for the lack of synthetic
fertilizers. While not certified organic, tagging a product
"transitional organic" encourages farmers to take the next step. 

Conventionally Grown produce, although closely scrutinized for taste,
freshness and appearance, is grown with standard agricultural practices,
and is liable to be exposed to chemicals during growth, storage, and
shipping.



Country of Origin

Because strict pesticide regulations and proper training for farmers are
lacking in some food exporting nations, imported produce from these
countries is much more likely to contain harmful agrochemical residues.
Therefore, we choose to sell domestically grown produce or produce from
exporting nations whose pesticide regulations are at least as strong as
ours whenever possible. All produce is displayed with a "country of
origin" or "state of origin" flag to enable you to make informed
purchasing decisions. Ask department team members which countries
currently provide the safest produce.



Can pesticides be removed by the consumer?

Although washing produce may eliminate some surface pesticides, most
cannot be removed with water. Pesticides are often formulated not to be
water soluble to prevent them from washing off plants in the fields
during rains.

The practice of waxing produce after harvest complicates matters even
more. Fungicides, bactericides, growth regulators, coloring agents, and
substances which inhibit natural aging or ripening may be mixed in with
the wax. Wax helps retain moisture, but it also seals pesticide residues
into the food. Peeling produce may be an option, but residues are not
always limited to the food's surface.

The best way to avoid exposure to chemical residue is to buy certified
organically grown produce.



What can you do to help?

You and future generations have the right to safe, nutritious food.
Write your elected officials to encourage support for farmers who want
to switch from conventional to organic, sustainable agriculture. Support
can exist in many forms. such as more funding for organic research,
better availability of information from extension services, and
alternative agriculture programs at state funded universities. Follow
the efforts of the National Organic Standards Board, and watch closely
to ensure that the USDA acts on their recommendations. Monitor the
progress of the 1995 Farm Bill to ensure further support for organic and
sustainable agriculture. Write to your children's schools and urge them
to buy organic whenever possible. And most importantly, buy organically
grown foods whenever you can. As the market for organic products grows,
so will the number of farmers willing to risk change.



Our commitment

Through our Produce Quality Standards, we guarantee you the highest
quality produce, organically grown whenever possible. Our commitment
reflects our concern for the health and quality of our lives, the
improvement of our environment on Earth, and the sustainability of our
food system. Organically grown--it's farming with the future at heart.



Quality Standards 

 * Highest quality organically grown produce will be stocked whenever
   possible.

 * Product labeled as organically grown must have the proper
   documentation verifying its authenticity.

 * All produce must display a country of origin flag. All domestic
   produce must display a U.S. or state of origin flag.

 * All produce sold shall be free of irradiation.



Irradiation

Our commitment of quality also includes the guarantee that none of your
produce has been irradiated. Irradiation is a method of food
preservation in which foods are treated with low doses of gamma
radiation from Cobalt 60 or the radioactive isotope Cesium 137, a
by-product of nuclear weapon production and nuclear power generation.

We actively oppose food irradiation. When food is irradiated, nutrients
are destroyed and untested compounds, coined as URPs (unique radiolytic
products) are created, many of which are feared to be powerful
carcinogens. The long term effects on human beings is unknown. We
believe produce can and should be packaged, transported and stored to
retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial means or
irradiation.


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Whole Foods Market web pages (http://www.wholefoods.com/wf.html)
are maintained by The Whole Foods Market Communications Team

Copyright Whole Foods Market, 1995, wfm@wholefoods.com

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Reprinted (October 1995) with permission from Whole Foods Market

