Why We skip the “Organic” label bs pt.2

Sometimes I wonder if the people who slap “organic” labels on their products realize they’re just… paying rent on a word. Like, way to go bud, you bought the right to use a sticker. Hoorah!

If we wanted to play that game, we’d have to raise our prices too. Not because rabbit poop suddenly got fancier (spoiler: it’s still rabbit poop), but because somebody in a government office somewhere wants a check before you can call yourself “organic.” Imagine that. Your soil doesn’t change, your compost doesn’t change, your plants don’t suddenly sprout halos—but your price tag sure changes. Upward and onward, I guess.

To remind you:

“The organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is ‘organic’ a value judgement about nutrition or quality.” – Dan Glickman

Translation: It’s just branding.

Wouldn’t you know it, CATO Institute doubled down:

“We shouldn’t be surprised by Glickman’s candor. If the industry did claim specific benefits for safety, nutrition, or quality, it would have to provide evidence to prove those claims to consumers and regulatory authorities.”

So the industry doesn’t make those claims—because they can’t. The label is smoke and mirrors.

Look, I’m not saying some of those other guys aren’t on the plus side of passable. What I’m saying is: people just want a solid, useful bag of soil. Why work so hard to dupe them with stickers and fees and loopholes? If your soil is good, it’ll speak for itself.

So there you have it, pay extra for the sticker if you want. Fund the bureaucracy. Keep the illusion alive. But don’t kid yourself—it’s not really farming, it’s paperwork cosplay. I like dress up as much as the next guy—actually I don’t—but you get what I mean.