In the spring of 2013, online petitions were making the rounds via social media asking the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to stop allowing the use of antibiotics in the growing of organic apples and pears.
The petition itself came as a shock to many consumers (me included) who had absolutely no idea that USDA organic regulations allowed the use of antibiotics anywhere in organic agriculture!
What’s more, the use of the antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline have been permitted for spraying in organic apple and pear orchards ever since the passage of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which established the framework to create National Organic Standards!
That’s a loooooong time to be feeding organic apples and pears to your children that were potentially sprayed with antibiotics and not even be aware of it, wouldn’t you agree?
Antibiotic spraying is used to control a bacterial disease called fire blight on organic apple and pear trees. Fire blight can infect apple and pear flowers and if not controlled, can spread and possibly kill the tree itself.
Any synthetic materials such as antibiotics that are permitted in organics, however, must be reviewed every five years by a vote of the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB).
The NOSB typically meets twice per year and in the months prior to its Spring 2013 meeting in Portland, Oregon, consumers rallied to oppose a petition to again extend the use of antibiotics in organic apples and pears until October 21, 2016.
A survey conducted by the Cornucopia Institute found that 56% of organic apple growers don’t even use antibiotics, some of whom had been successfully growing organic apples for two decades or more.
The majority of organic orchardists confirmed that fire blight in apples can be controlled without antibiotics although it is certainly more challenging and potentially more expensive.
Pears are more naturally susceptible to fire blight than apples and controlling it without antibiotics has proven more difficult.
The reality is that numerous US growers have found ways to grow popular varieties of apples, pears, and Asian pears without antibiotics because those who wished to export to Europe must verify that they have not used antibiotics at any time in the previous three years.
European regulations prohibit antibiotics on all crops.
Ahead of the NOSB vote, large retailers were predictably in favor of continuing antibiotic spraying warning that only tasteless varieties of apples and pears resistant to fire blight would survive.
Glen Morris, NOSB panel member and director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, warned that antibiotic use in agriculture is a threat to human health as pathogens develop antibiotic resistance causing streptomycin and tetracycline to be useless as medicines.
Consumer pressure was strongly against the extension of antibiotic use in organics no doubt due to the success of social media outlets spreading online petitions requesting the NOSB to stop the practice (photo right).
Ultimately, the measure to extend the use of antibiotics in organic apples and pears failed by a single vote even though the majority of the NOSB panel voted in favor of antibiotics.
Nine NOSB members voted to extend the use of antibiotics in the growing of apples and pears and six voted no. Because a two-thirds vote was required (not a simple majority), the petition to maintain tetracycline on the list of approved substances for use in organic agriculture failed and will be prohibited after October 14, 2013.
Is this the end of the story with regard to antibiotic spraying in organic apple and pear orchards in the United States?
Not so fast. The NOSB has asked the USDA’s National Organic Program to investigate its authority to allow the emergency use of tetracycline for fire blight after 2014.
What would constitute an “emergency” use? Nobody knows at this point. Could consumers be the victims of a USDA Organic bait and switch? Only time will tell for sure and 2014 is a long way off.
The takeaway? Consumers wishing to avoid antibiotics in organic apples and pears need to ask questions and become familiar with the growing practices of the specific orchards they choose to patronize (translation, buy local if at all possible) at least through 2014 and perhaps beyond if the NOSB is successful in obtaining the power to grant “emergency” spraying.
At this point, there is no reason to believe the power won’t be granted.
That’s really surprising and shocking! Wow really? Since 1990 organic foods have been sprayed with antibiotics! I hope this petition gets through to those people!
Yikes! This was news to me.
“A survey conducted by the Cornucopia Institute found that 56% of organic apple growers don’t even use antibiotics.” Have they put out a list of which growers don’t use antibiotics? That would be so helpful.
Hi Sarah,I apologize for this off base response. And thank you for your help.Would you say a diet with staples of pastured eggs,grassfed/pastured mats,organic fruits(not apples,or pears) fermeted veggies,sprouted corn white rice,rye bread,occasional indulgence of sprouted grains .(sprouted pumpkin,sprouted raisin breads,.)Make healthy diet?Thanks
Sounds fantastic but I don’t see any sacred foods in that list which are the foods Traditional cultures revered (organ meats like liver, fish eggs, raw butter from rapidly growing spring or fall grass, fermented cod liver oil, butter oil, seafood (where you consume the whole animal like oysters, clams etc)
Why am I disappointed and disgusted but not surprised? According to this article by Dr. Mercola, the National Organic Standards Board has been infiltrated by conventional corporate interests, so it’s like the foxes guarding the hen house. Hundreds of chemicals are allowed in the USDA Organic standards that need to be halted until they are studied further.
“The Cornucopia Institute reveals how those charged with reviewing and approving additives and chemicals for use in organic foods have in large part been affiliated with the same corporate agribusinesses and/or food producers lobbying for their use.”
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/20/kastel-organic-foods.aspx
The only real solution anymore is to grow your own. We have apples and pears on our grandparents farm and they have never been sprayed with anything and produce just fine. Some years are much better than others, but that is the natural cycle of things.
What bothers me most is “organic” may not be what we think of as “organic”…
I gotcha. It’s just so hard around here cuz so many ppl spray.
Not all spraying is a problem or means they are using antibiotics .. ask what they are spraying and why.
What would u consider to not be a problem if sprayed?
I’ve used insecticidal, nontoxic soap spraying to eliminate pests in my organic garden before. Nothing wrong with that as a simple example.
And that doesnt hurt any of the beneficial insects? What would you recommend for caterpillars? They’re tearing my garden up right now!!
I would recommend that you consult with your local organic nursery or CSA for the types of problems you are encountering.
This is my first year discovering “pick your own” farms and its unbelieeevable how many spray things (all local by the way). What would be your suggestion for this? Ask what they spray? Still get an organic from the store? Skip on the fruit all together?
Buy local and ask questions. Support the farms whose answers jive with your food philosophy.