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MARCH 2020 FACT SHEET

WHY SHOULD NOT BE CERTIFIED ORGANIC

YDROPONICS ARE that are grown in and therefore should not be eligible for organic certifi - Hrich rather than . 1 The majority of hydro - cation. As isolated systems, hydroponic production does not ponic crops are grown indoors in green houses, storage build soil fertility, the hallmark of . For containers, and other structures. 2 example, the most common used in hydroponic Many variations of hydroponic support systems deliver nutrients solutions are synthetic salts, most of which are not permitted to a ’s through liquid solutions, and some times solid in products labeled organic. 7 materials such as peat moss, , and . 3 Another variation, known as , suspends a plant’s roots in air ORGANIC STANDARDS TIMELINE and continually mists them with nutrient solutions. 4 1990 —The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) establishes baseline requirements for organic production and handling While many could be grown hydroponically, the most common commercial hydroponic crops grown today include systems that not only apply to agricultural materials like seeds 8 leaf , tomatoes, peppers, , , - and but also to farming practices. OFPA’s frame - cress, celery, and herbs. 5 work for organic production includes provisions designed to “foster soil fertility” through soil management methods. 9 WHY HYDROPONICS SHOULD NOT OFPA also established the National Organic Standards Board BE CERTIFIED ORGANIC (NOSB), a 15-member board composed of , handlers, The United States Department of (USDA) currently environmental experts, scientists, certifiers, and other allows hydroponic production to be certified organic. 6 representatives of the public interest, to provide the USDA However, hydroponic systems are fundamentally different with recommendations on the implementation of the OFPA, from organic production systems as defined by federal law and how organic labeling should be carried out. 10

ORGANIC VS HYDROPONICS The Organic label and standards for organic balanced production system. This is reflected Most hydroponics are grown production were created by Congress with in part in requirements in the organic statute in liquid solutions or other input from organic farmers, producers, and regulations which require organic isolated ecosystems and certifiers, retailers, and consum ers. In creating producers to foster soil fertility, improve soil therefore are unable to these standards, consumers, farmers, pro - quality, and use environ mentally beneficial enhance soil fertility or ducers, certifiers, and retailers have defined farming methods such as appli - increase biodiversity. organic agriculture as an ecologically- cation, cover crops, and .

NATIONAL OFFICE: 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20003 CALIFORNIA OFFICE: 303 Sacramento St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111 NORTHWEST OFFICE: 2009 NE Alberta St., #207, Portland, OR 97211 For more information visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY: HYDROPONICS A GROWING INDUSTRY

Since the federal Certified Organic label was 2010 —The NOSB is tasked with review ing the issue of introduced more than 20 years ago, the organic whether and how hydroponic production can meet the food market has grown exponentially and is requirements of organic production and recom mended that expected to reach $70 billion by 2025. 18 the USDA prohibit certification of hydroponic systems. 11 In 2015, the hydroponic industry was valued at $19.95 billion. The global hydro ponics crop value is 2015 —NOSB’s recommendation prompts the USDA to form anticipated to grow to $27.33 billion by 2020. 19 the Hydroponics and Task Force in 2015 to deter mine whether hydroponic production could comply with organic regu lations. Every subcommittee on the Hydroponics and Aqua ponics Task Force agrees that not all hydroponic production systems comply with organic regula- tions. 12 In response, at the fall 2016 NOSB meeting, the NOSB passed a resolution stating the Board’s consensus that “hydroponic systems that have an entirely water based sub - strate” do not meet the standards of organic production and thus cannot be certified organic. 13

2017 —NOSB releases another document proposing to pro - hibit aeroponics, hydroponics, and aquaponics under OFPA’s HOW FALSE LABELING HURTS regulatory section dealing with allowed substances, methods, ORGANIC CONSUMERS and ingredients. 14 USDA fails to respond to the NOSB’s pro - posal and issued a statement contradictory to both the Task By allowing hydroponic production to be certified as organic, Force and NOSB recommendations on its website, stating USDA is misleading consumers and undermining the that hydroponics may be certified organic. integrity of the Certified Organic label. Consumers trust the USDA Certified Organic label and pay extra for these foods 2018 (January) —Center for Food Safety (CFS) and 13 other that are grown in a more healthful and environmentally- organic trade groups and organic farmers submit the friendly way. Within the organic industry, multinational corp- Hydroponics Rulemaking Petition to USDA and the Agri- orations are buying organic brands to compete with small cultural Marketing Service (AMS) requesting that USDA issue food producers using environmentally-friendly methods. regulations prohibiting organic certification of hydroponic agricultural production. HOW FALSE LABELING HURTS ORGANIC FARMERS 2018 (June) —The National Organics Program (NOP) denies the Hydroponics Petition and states that hydroponic Organic certification requires organic farmers to make production may be certified organic “if done in compliance significant investments because organic are often with OFPA and the USDA organic regulations.” 15 USDA does more labor and management intensive compared to not explain how hydroponic production can meet the conventional farms. By allowing hydroponic farms to obtain mandatory soil fertility requirements that mark the hallmarks organic certification without actually benefiting soil health of organic crop production, but argues that hydroponic and ecosystem stability, USDA puts soil-based organic production systems do not need to improve soil conditions farmers at a significant economical disadvantage. since they do not use soil. 16 USDA’s failure to prohibit hydroponic crops eligibility for organic certification is HOW CFS IS FIGHTING FOR inconsistent with organic standards and the OFPA. STRONG ORGANIC STANDARDS CFS has been protecting the integrity of the federal organic BENEFITS OF HYDROPONIC standard since the 1990s. As a representative for all organic PRODUCTION stakeholders, CFS has a strong vested interest in maintaining While hydroponic systems do not meet the standards for the integrity of the National Organic Program and ensuring organic certification due to their inability to increase soil health, that consistent principles and standards of organic certifi - CFS supports hydroponic practices for their other environ men - cation apply to all products with the Certified Organic label. tal and social benefits. For example, hydroponic systems can be grown in urban areas where soil-based crop production is WHAT’S NEXT difficult due to unfavorable climate, lack of natural resources, In March 2020, CFS, along with a coalition of organic farms and limited physical space. Urban horti culture with a focus and stakeholder groups, filed a lawsuit in federal court on hydro ponics can also have a positive impact on the challenging USDA’s denial of CFS’s legal petition requesting greening and clean ing of cities by improving air quality and USDA to prohibit organic certification of hydroponic offering green zones for micro climate changes including agricultural production. shade, temp erature, and sequestra tion of . 17 All citations can be found at: http://cfs.center/hydroponics_facts