This blog post is part of a special series called “The Truth About Organic.” Want more? Download the full “The Truth About Organic” guide here.

Getting Straight on Glyphosate

Many families choose organic to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals. Enter glyphosate.

Glyphosate is the chief ingredient in the weed-killer RoundUp, one of the most commonly used herbicides worldwide. Glyphosate is so ubiquitous in our food, water, and air that it is regularly found in human urine.1

The toxicity of glyphosate is hotly debated. The EPA says glyphosate is safe2; the International Agency for Research on Cancer says glyphosate is a probable carcinogen3. Questions about Monsanto’s influence on studies proclaiming its safety abound.

RoundUp has been potentially linked to instances of cancer4, celiac disease5, Parkinsons6, and more. In two separate cases, a jury determined that the use of RoundUp contributed to occurrences of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.7

Glyphosate, which is patented as a broad-spectrum antibiotic, may damage beneficial bacteria in your microbiome. If you’d like to take a deeper dive into possible connections between glyphosate, GMOs, and gut health, we recommend this podcast.

Meanwhile, glyphosate and RoundUp applications have increased around the globe. Despite precision techniques, we’re using more herbicides than ever before8, and we’re sicker than we’ve ever been.

For consumers who aren’t okay with eating RoundUp, there’s organic.

Organic Basics

usda organic iconA product with the USDA Certified Organic seal must be grown or produced with no synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers—and that means no RoundUp and no glyphosate.

But organic is more than that. Organic not only bans synthetic herbicides like RoundUp—it prohibits the use of hundreds of chemical additives, preservatives, colorings, and more. See a full list of chemicals you’ll never have to eat if you buy organic here.

Spray What, Now?

When consumers find out that organic farmers do sometimes use sprays and other “inputs,” they’re understandably confused.

Do organic farmers spray? And why do some people say that organic sprays are even more toxic than conventional?

The key word is “synthetic.” Generally, organic farmers use no synthetic (read: man-made) inputs. However, they are allowed to use natural ones. But the story is more nuanced than that.

The Approved-Materials List

The National Organic Standards Board and the National Organic Program (read more about who they are and what they do here) maintain a list of materials approved for use in organic production.

The national list is determined with input from board members including farmers, business owners, and consumer advocates. The public—that’s you—is invited to submit opinions on what makes the list. Anyone can file a petition to have materials added or removed. Learn more about that process here.

Organic farmers are restricted in what materials they can use on their farms. Photo: DoDo Phanthamaly

Once the NOSB and NOP add a material to the national list, third-party organizations like the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) evaluate new products to make sure they’re in compliance. It’s a process that involves hundreds of technical experts. Organic certifiers rely on OMRI to know which product a farmer or business can use and in what way (more on this later).

The general rule for the national list is that naturally occurring materials are allowed, and synthetic materials are prohibited. There are, however, exceptions to that rule.

Dr. Andrew Smith, our chief scientist, explains the basic distinction between approved and non-approved materials this way:

“Approved substances are naturally derived and quickly degrade by weather, or else they are easily broken down by microbes in the environment, lowering the chance of human exposure. Chemical pesticide formulations and other synthetic materials are manipulated in laboratories and persist for longer periods of time in the environment. They are foreign to the human body, which might see the compounds as intruders.”

So, how does the USDA, the NOSB, and the NOP go about determining which materials are allowed?

Synthetic vs. Non-synthetic

First, when considering a material for use in organic production, the USDA determines whether it is synthetic or non-synthetic. They define non-synthetic as “a substance that is derived from mineral, plant, or animal matter and does not undergo a synthetic process. Non-synthetic is used as a synonym for natural.”

Almost all natural materials are approved for use in organic. Take, for example, neem oil. Neem oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree. It has been used for hundreds of years to minimize pests and plant diseases. Neem oil is natural and approved for use in organic.

mustard crop mowing
Most synthetic materials are prohibited on organic farms.

Only a handful of natural substances are prohibited in organic production, including arsenic and tobacco dust.

Synthetic is defined as “a substance that is formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources.” Glyphosate, a laboratory-manufactured chemical, falls under this category and is thus prohibited.

Most synthetics are prohibited in organic—unless there is no naturally occurring alternative. Copper sulfate is one such synthetic. Copper can be dangerous if it accumulates in the body or the soil9, but it has been approved for use in organic for a few reasons:

  1. No natural alternative exists that can effectively target the same plant diseases as copper sulfate.
  2. Before approval, the USDA evaluated copper for its environmental impact, effects on human health, and more. Copper was determined safe with restrictions on its use (more on this below). Read about the review process here.
  3. Farmers can only use copper once they’ve exhausted all other options, including preventative management. It can only be applied in specific amounts and specific cases.‎

Use Restrictions

The national list of approved materials is divided into categories including crops, livestock, and processing. Each is further separated into “use class.” Examples of use class include “crop fertilizer” and “disease control,” among others. If a material is designated for fertilizer, it can’t be used in any other way.

Organic farmers can only use inputs after all other options have been exhausted. This photo shows mechanical trapping of insects, an organic method that avoids sprays.

Copper sulfate is designated for plant disease control and disease control only. Organic farmers can only spray copper if there is a documented case for its need. That means the farmer must also show that they have exhausted all other options for combating the disease issue. A certifier will review the documents and information and only approve copper’s use if there is nothing left to be done and a farmer’s crop is at risk.

Additionally, the certifier will work with the farmer to make sure only the minimum amount of the material is applied. Preference is always given to biological and preventative methods before a synthetic material is introduced, and exposure is always minimized as much as possible.

The Organic Difference

That’s a key difference between organic and conventional farming: Whereas conventional methods often encourage or recommend the use of chemical sprays to remedy problems as soon as they appear, organic philosophy encourages and requires a farmer take all other approaches first.

The idea in organic is always management before inputs. Take, for example, the organic approach to fighting pests. An organic farmer’s first line of defense is always prevention. Healthy soil creates strong plants that are naturally resilient to pest pressure.

honeybee flower
Pollinators and natural predators help organic farmers reduce their need for sprays or other inputs.

For more persistent pest issues, farmers can encourage populations of natural predators and beneficial insects like ladybugs by planting wildflowers or pollinator habitat. Other strategies include crop rotation and selecting pest-resistant varieties of crops. When pests become a more serious problem, organic farmers might use natural pheromones to disturb pest mating cycles, or mechanical controls like trapping.

Only when all other methods have been exhausted and a farmer is faced with a potential significant loss will targeted sprays of organic-approved pesticides be used. Broad sprays of non-specific pesticides are always a last resort.

When it comes to fertilizers and plant nutrition, the same idea applies. Organic farmers start with the soil and use natural processes like composting to encourage fertility instead of chemical sprays. The idea is always to work with nature’s own processes first.

The Role of Biodiversity

As the organic industry booms, the kinds of farms growing organic products is changing. More and more large farms are joining the movement, and those large farms often grow just a single crop for efficiency.

Tractors drive over large field
Monoculture farms grow just one thing in large swaths, decreasing biodiversity. Photo: Johny Goerend

Complex ecosystems have more natural defenses than monoculture farms. A smaller farm that grows vegetables, raises some livestock, encourages pollinators, and creates habitat for wildlife will experience less pest pressure and disease than a large farm growing just one thing.

Large farms are more likely—though by no means guaranteed—to use more organic-approved sprays because fewer tools and defenses are available in the natural landscape. If you are concerned about avoiding even organic-approved sprays, do some research on the farms that grow the produce that you and your family enjoy.

What It All Means for You

The bottom line is this:

  • Organic is a surefire way to avoid the most dangerous chemicals on the market, including glyphosate, which has been implicated in human health concerns.
  • Organic-approved inputs are generally natural and safer than conventional.
  • Organic-approved inputs go through a rigorous review to determine their safety and have many restrictions on their use. Materials are reviewed every few years, so the process is never stagnant.
  • Organic farmers only use inputs as a last resort.
  • If you’re especially concerned about exposure to sprays, even organic-approved sprays, it’s best to know and talk to your farmer.
  • If you’re concerned about the safety of an approved material, speak up. The NOSB and NOP want to hear from you. Anyone can file a petition here.
  • Organic is about more than pesticides and fertilizers. Organic also prohibits dozens of artificial preservatives and additives and enhances biodiversity and natural ecosystems. If you want to minimize your family’s exposure to harmful chemicals, organic is the obvious choice.

________________________________________________________________‎

Are you concerned with the growing number of harmful chemicals in our food supply? Take action.

A gift to Rodale Institute supports the organic movement and helps minimize toxins in the environment and our bodies.

It doesn’t matter how much you give. A dollar to Rodale Institute helps heal the planet and transform lives through the power of regenerative organic agriculture.

Want to keep reading? Learn more about organic farming practices, and follow our blog for updates.

For more updates on Rodale Institute research and programming, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

11 thoughts on “Wait, Organic Farmers Use Pesticides?

    1. try beauvaria bassiana a fungus that attacks insects thru cuticle, I think it is effective on fire ants,. use citrus oils in the ant hill. feed boric acid in a sugar syrup bait that will kill as a cumulative poison which eventually kills the queen when carried back to the nest over time. use entomopathic nematodes to attack ants and feed on them Steinernema riobrave and maybe other species said to work on fireants

  1. A good over view But..
    1- Bt sprays. The Real one from cultures of Bacteria-Breaks Down. The synthetic one produced by Genetic modification expressed as an insert in Toxic poison crops And Products(your ‘natural’ cotton for an instance) Doesn’t break down .And the Government labs who approved the Toxic crop version- Starting with Adventis Starlink corn in the 1990’s, were slipped extracted culture versions for testing- Not the expressed modified version in the crops. The EPA has had No problem with this Deliberate Fraud for more than a decade-Including the Obama Junta. Other Health and Food agencies and authorities have being Equally criminally Enwhored. The One standard they can All agree on maintaining.
    This deliberate poisoning was the Same as the synthetic Pyreinnes – Used for children’s flea and Lice washes. It also doesn’t breakdown and causes severe enough reactions to require emergency room treatments, Never seen in the original crysthenum based originals. Which mainly came from Iran and so according to All governments of Darkest Yankydom- the synthetic version required No approval testing!

    Is this like Not using Evil Russian Methane instead of American Natural gas that burns Nearly as well and costs Just a bit more? Freedom Frack! All the way!

    2-Use of nicotines from various nightshades including Tobacco goes back to the Neolithic. All are dangerous but these- Breakdown.
    Synthetic nicotines- Neo Nicotides Do Not. But-Are Patentable and I note with the monies from the patent holders and lawyers providing bribes, election funds and speaking tour fees and think tank and university endowments- Only the ones always with us and that breakdown on there own are banned.

    Think about this . But Not too long. The synthetics and inserts that don’t breakdown- the ‘residue’ levels are building up. Tick tock…

  2. Such a great article, if by any chance you need to know more about farming, chemical users etc. try to visit “Countryco Training” you can also learn and get some Chemical Accreditation, Farm Chemicals Accreditation at Countryco.

    I leave the link of the net in case anyone wants to learn more about training courses.
    https://www.countryco.com.au/

  3. One billion pounds of conventional pesticides are used annually in the US, according to the latest EPA data available. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which monitors residues in food, found tested samples very rarely exceeded limits on pesticides and other chemicals, which the EPA says are calculated on “reasonable certainty of no harm”. Actually There may very which types of component is being used in pesticides. By the way good article to read!

    1. 20% vinegar could be used, but would take multiple (maybe as many as ten or more) applications, until the root energy is exhausted from constant new shoots growing and being burnt off. Much easier to use a mattock to grub out the top of the root and all the buds so it can’t send up new shoots. New shoots make excellent eating when boiled and drained twice to remove the strong cathartic properties. Root poultice has also been used for cancerous tumors of the breast.

  4. I’m trying to figure out what organic pesticide smells and tastes sweet. I’ve noticed the same sweet odor/taste on a variety of organic produce, including organic apples, organic celery, and organic broccoli. It doesn’t seem like it’s on all organic produce and I’ve noticed it on produce I’ve purchased at different stores. It might depend on the origin, producer, packager, and/or shipper as to if it’s used.

    Despite rinsing and soaking in vinegar, the odor and taste can remain. I just tossed $5.00 worth of organic broccoli. I noticed the odor after taking it out of the bag, and I rinsed it well with water and then soaked it in vinegar. I steamed a couple of stalks and I could taste the same sweetness I smelled earlier. Needless to say I tossed what I had cooked, and also tossed the rest of it 🙁 I have to be more vigilant on smelling the produce in the store before purchasing.

    As I type this I also remember smelling the same odor on clothing I had ordered or purchased. Probably cotton clothing as that’s what I try to purchase. (Although not necessarily organic cotton clothing.) I remember the odor came out after laundering.

    Any idea what pesticide this might be?

  5. In North Texas here. What brands or farms in my area are not known to use synthetic, who is the cleanest?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.