What Organic Food Are You Buying?

Organic food has an aura of being better--better for your health, better for the environment, better for farmers.  In many ways this is true, but do you really know what you are buying?  All organic food is not same.  Since the USDA introduced its organic labeling standards in 2002, major supermarkets all over the country have introduced their own version of organic brands.  Why didn't they introduce them earlier?  Because the standards were higher.

I buy organic food all the time.  I am aware that much organic food is what is now called "industrial organic."  This is food that meets the organic standards in terms of pesticide of hormone use, for example, but still uses many industrial agricultural practices, such as a dependence on fossil fuels or heavy water use.  It often may travel hundreds or thousands of miles as well.  It still is better than commercial industrial food, however, if only minimally. 

A few years ago I saw a chart of organic and natural food brands that were no longer independent.  The other day I saw an updated chart.  In fact, I saw a whole set of charts.  They are posted by Philip H. Howard at Michigan State University.  Some interesting bits:

Cadbury Schweppes owns Green and Black's

Kraft owns Boca

Kellogg owns Morningstar Farms and Kashi

Coca-Cola owns Odwalla

M&M Mars owns Seeds of Change

There are a number of companies that are big and still independent, such as Clif Bar, Newman's Own Organics and Equal Exchange.  Equal Exchange is a cooperative, in fact. 

Even organic markets have become huge.  Wild Oats and Whole Foods Markets tried to merge last year but the deal was blocked by the Federal Trade Commission.  Large chain markets such as these two and Trader Joe's have almost $10 billion in annual sales.  That is a lot of food. 

Here is one of the charts.  Happy shopping!

Organic Company Acquisitions 1-2008