# What does "organic" mean?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 27, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312 "2006-09-27T03:36:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/1 "2006-09-27T03:36:21Z")
Or rather whose standards is it under? If I buy a cup of organic coffee, is it organic under the OCIA or under Costa Rica’s standards?
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/2 "2006-09-27T03:46:27Z")
It’s organic under whosever’s standards they say it’s under. If they don’t say whose, then it’s organic under the standards of the guy who grew the coffee and decided he’d sell more if he called it organic. There’s very little regulation on what can be called organic.
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### Author:  [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/3 "2006-09-27T05:17:22Z")
It used to be true that anyone could use the “organic” label. Nowadays, the National Organic Program under the USDA regulates labeling. There’s basic information [here](http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html) and you can find more details [here](http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/NOPhome.html). Any food product sold in the US that claims to be “organic” has to be certified under these guidelines by specific certifying agencies that are approved by the government. If it says “natural”, however, you’re still on your own.
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/4 "2006-09-27T06:48:16Z")
I know that word meanings change over time, but, this is one I hate. Organic means it is or was alive. Nothing we eat is inorganic… :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/5 "2006-09-27T06:52:32Z")
Details of British regulation, if you really want to bother: [http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/standards/index.htm](http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/standards/index.htm)
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/6 "2006-09-27T06:54:05Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> Organic means it is or was alive. Nothing we eat is inorganic… :rolleyes:
Would you like salt on that, sir?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/7 "2006-09-27T07:20:03Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> I know that word meanings change over time, but, this is one I hate. Organic means it is or was alive. Nothing we eat is inorganic… :rolleyes:
A chemist would tell you that it actually refers to compounds containing carbon, but would be wrong in this context.
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### Author:  [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/8 "2006-09-27T07:58:01Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#):
>
> Any food product sold in the US that claims to be “organic” has to be certified under these guidelines by specific certifying agencies that are approved by the government.
Even if it was grown in a different country where the term “organic” may have a different meaning?
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/9 "2006-09-27T11:58:34Z")
Yes.
Same as an item sold in the EU with the CE label must fulfill certain EU-specific regulations, no matter where it was made.
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/10 "2006-09-27T12:09:37Z")
Mostly it means your going to pay an outrageous price for it.
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### Author:  [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-organic-mean/374312/11 "2006-09-27T18:55:13Z")
[This](http://www.diamondorganics.com/top_ten) has a definition of organic food.