reply to post by Jean Paul Zodeaux
Let me clarify my question: How much does it cost to get an organic farming license to "sell" organic foods? I ask because years ago I helped out on
an organic farm in New Mexico and if memories serves, the owners told me it was $175K annually for a certified, organic license. I'll do some digging
to see if that number is right, but at the time I remember thinking it was almost prohibitive to get started in the business of organic farming...
Edit: I see others got the heart of the question, which is the "selling" aspect. My thinking is that entire organic farming business is a racket to
keep the top food chains on top while they label/re-label the same foods but at an "organic" upmarket cost... and of course Monsanto wants a piece of
the this so-called healthier pie. (I am discluding farm stands and farmers markets from this point).
From the USDA Organic website:
How Much Will it Cost to Get Certified Organic? When the National Organic Program initially launched USDA organic certification, the cost of a
single farm becoming certified was estimated at $750 with a sliding scale fee structure in place for other organic operations. Current certification
fees vary wildly depending on the organic certification agent you choose. Be sure each organic certification agent you're speaking with gives you a
clear estimate of the fee structure before officially choosing an agent.
More:
Who does NOT need to be certified? Producers and handling (processing) operations that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural
products. Although exempt from certification, these producers and handlers must abide by the national standards for organic products and may label
their products as organic.
Source:
www.ams.usda.gov...
So if you sell less than $5K a year you're safe with the government, but let's be honest, you can't make a living on $5K a year in the US. So that
takes us to this line: "Current certification fees vary wildly depending on the organic certification agent you choose." Wildly. Really. They can
charge whatever? Yep, sounds like a racket and Monsanto already has "won."
edit on 7-2-2012 by Jason88 because: (no reason given)
