Does USDA Certification Really Mean Anything?
What You Need To Know
Have you heard that USDA certification really doesn’t mean anything?
Heard it isn’t any big deal?
That it’s just a big “money hungry” game with no real benefits?People who make these statements just need a bit more information, because they do not understand what USDA certification really is.
I founded a company that sells USDA certified organic products for 15 years now. I sell only USDA certified organic and wildcrafted essential oils sourced from all over the world. I have learned quite a lot about the USDA certification process. I’ll admit that years ago I did not understand what USDA certification was, and it really didn’t mean that much to me. Once I learned what it really meant, not only did I care, now I’m super passionate about it. I will try to present the facts clearly to you so you can make your own informed decision about it. I admit I don’t know everything, but I do think I’m on the better informed side, having lived it for several years….especially as it applies to essential oils.
What Does USDA Certification Really Mean?
Let’s take a look at the different requirements between the two types of farming:
Certified Organic VS. Conventional (Sprayed)
Certified Organic Crops
To become certified organic, the farm must comply with all requirements before organic crops can be produced:
- A three year wait period if any toxic poisonous biocide has been used on the land before becoming organic
- Organic farms that are close to non organic farms must have a buffer zone to ensure no overspray from the conventional farm hits the organic crops.
Requires soil building, protecting, and enhancing practices
- Requires compliance with sustainable farming practices
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Only NON genetically modified seeds (NON GMO) may be used (GMO seeds are expressly prohibited in organic farming, so if a product is certified organic you automatically know it’s also NON GMO)
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May not be sprayed with toxic and poisonous pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, larvicides, etc.
- Toxic synthetic fertilizers may not be used
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Sewage sludge is expressly prohibited
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Industrial solvents may not be used
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Dyes are not permitted
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Farmers must document their processes and keep their records meticulously
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Farmers must be inspected by the USDA inspector every year to assure the farmer is complying with National organic standards
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Farmers are totally committed to unsprayed clean products
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The crop must be fully traceable from the seeds and the farm to the finished USDA certified organic product
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Organic farming decreases the toxic load on our environment by not adding to the toxic chemicals being released on our Mother Earth
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Organic farming decreases the toxic load on your body by not adding more toxic chemicals into our food sources
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Organic Farmers must submit to an inspection every year by the USDA and its regulatory and certifying agencies
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Organic farming protects workers from exposure to very toxic chemicals in conventional farming
Sellers of organic products must also be inspected every year to prove and verify they are really selling organic products by the USDA and its regulatory and certifying agencies
- There are actually many more requirements not listed here
Farmers who care enough to bring you certified organic products are highly committed to organic standards like a cleaner healthier crop, not polluting people, and using more natural farming methods (like manually removing, and pulling weeds). They also are committed to NOT using toxic pesticides, insecticides, etc. which is faster and less expensive but pollutes the plants and the environment.
Conventionally Grown (Sprayed) Crops
- Does not require soil building practices
- Does not require compliance with sustainable farming practices
- Genetically modified seeds may be used (GMO)
- Crops are sprayed with toxic and poisonous pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, larvicides, etc.
- Sprayed crops expose workers to very serious toxic chemical exposures repeatedly
- Toxic synthetic fertilizers are commonly used
- Sewage sludge allowed and commonly used
Industrial solvents may be used in processing the crops
- Dyes on crops may be used
- No documentation required
- No inspections by anyone to regulate are required
- No traceability requirements
- Sprayed foods increase the toxic load on your body
Conventional farming is one of the huge contributors to the toxicity and pollutants in our environment, responsible for dumping BILLIONS of pounds of these toxic and poisonous biocides every year in America alone!
The National Academy of Science reports 90% of the chemicals applied to foods in conventional farming have not been tested for long-term health effects before being deemed “safe”. Billions of pounds of these biocides are used annually in America, the average application equates to about 16 pounds of toxic chemicals pesticides per person every year! (Prevention, 2017)
Benefits of Organic Products
Are USDA certified organic products better than conventionally grown (sprayed) products?
Yes, absolutely! Here are two important ways organic products are better than conventional ones.
1. They Are Cleaner
Organic products are not allowed to use toxic chemicals at the farm when raising the plant. Therefore the plant products do not contain the toxic synthetic chemicals and biocides. These include but are not limited to: Pesticides, larvicides, insecticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, etc. All of these ARE used on conventional (sprayed) crops, and therefore, when a person consumes conventional crops they are getting a dose of these toxic chemicals.
“Eating organically grown foods is the only way to avoid the cocktail of chemical poisons present in commercially grown food” (Prevention, 2017). This same issue applies to essential oils, you don’t want chemical toxins and poisons present in the essential oils you use either!
2. Organic Farming Improves Soil Health
Organic farming not only improves soil health but also requires soil building, protecting, and enhancing practices. Soil health is the backbone of our food security, so practices that support and maintain healthy soil are critical for our long-term ability to feed the world. Studies show the longer a piece of land is managed organically, the healthier the soil becomes enabling that organic soil to support more nutritious and more bountiful crop production (Organic Report, 2016). These organic benefits have huge implications for farming and positively impact the soil’s ability to hold nutrients and water. Organic farming methods can also mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil. This decreases greenhouse gas emissions (Organic Report, 2016).
3. Organic Products Do Not Pollute Mother Earth Or Our Environment
Conventional (sprayed) farming is one of the huge contributors to the toxicity and pollutants in our environment, responsible for dumping BILLIONS of pounds of these toxic and poisonous biocides on our soil every year in America alone!
The National Academy of Science reports 90% of the chemicals applied to foods in conventional farming have not been tested for long-term health effects before being deemed “safe”. Billions of pounds of these biocides are used annually in America, the average application equates to about 16 pounds of toxic chemicals pesticides per person every year! (Prevention, 2017). Recent research continues to show the prevalence of pesticide and biocide residues in our food supplies. Organic standards are effective at reducing dietary exposure to these toxins by providing clean organic foods (Organic Report, 2016).
4. Organic Crops Do Not Pollute Or Poison the People Working On the Farms
Pesticide exposure is a serious health hazard to people who work on farms all over the globe. Young children are especially vulnerable to these toxic pesticides and biocides. Consequences of pesticide exposure include harming reproductive health, it is linked to childhood leukemia, respiratory illness, developmental disabilities in children, Parkinson’s disease, and can contribute to cancers such as colorectal, lung, and breast cancer (Organic Report, 2016).
5. Organic Crops Do Not Pollute Or Poison Pollinators
Organic crops do not pollute or poison pollinators such as bees and other insects like earthworms.
Studies also show organic farming protects pollinating insects which includes the bee population, it also improves macrobiotic soil communities such as earthworms, beetles, and nematodes, as well as microorganism activity, nutrient availability, and soil structure. One study showed that improved microbial communities in organic soils can suppress pathogens that attack plants (Organic Report, 2016).
6. Organic Crops Are More Nutritious and Healthier for Our Bodies
“Organically grown foods have more nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and micronutrients than conventionally grown foods because the soil is managed and nourished with sustainable practices by responsible standards. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine conducted a review of 41 published studies comparing the nutritional value of organically grown and conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and grains and concluded that there are significantly more of several nutrients in organic foods crops.
Further, the study verifies that five servings of organically grown vegetables (such as lettuce, spinach, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage) provide an adequate allowance of vitamin C, whereas the same number of servings of conventionally grown vegetables do not. On average, organically grown foods provide: 21.1% more iron (than their conventional counterparts); 27% more vitamin C; 29.3% more magnesium; 13.6% more phosphorus.” (Prevention, 2017)
When it comes to essential oils remember:
A cleaner healthier plant produces a cleaner healthier essential oil.
Although vitamins and minerals do not come over in the steam distillation process, and are not in essential oils, there are phytochemicals and other healing elements that do come over in steam distillation that are in essential oils. There is also an energetic quality to both plants and essential oils, and organic essential oils have far better and more energy than conventional essential oils because of the way they were raised. If you’ve ever used good certified organic essential oils you are aware of this benefit.
One thing I found very intriguing is that there are studies specifically about essential oils. Studies that have tested to see if organic essential oils work better than conventional (sprayed) essential oils. One comes to mind… organic Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil was compared to a conventional (sprayed) Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil. Exactly the same oil from the same region was compared in this study, just one was organic and the other was conventional (sprayed). The results of the study show that the organic essential oil was more therapeutic than the conventionally produced oil. It worked better! Not surprising. High quality organic essential oils smell better (fresher, cleaner, no chemicals) than any conventional (sprayed) essential oils.
Aren’t All Essential Oils Organic?
The answer is definitely NO.
Although the organic sector in the U.S. has been growing, organic farming all over the world is still very small. According to the USDA, organic sales account for just over 4% of total U.S. food sales, according to recent industry statistics (Economic Research Service, 2017). This also includes dairy and meats (chicken, beef, etc.) so purely plant crops are even less than that 4%. That means the majority of the remaining 96ish% of U.S. food sales are conventionally grown (sprayed) crops. This is roughly the same worldwide. As you can see, MOST of the crops and products we get are conventional (sprayed). If you want organic products you have to look for them and deliberately choose them. This is the same with organic products across the board. Do you use essential oils? If you want those clean, 4% of organically produced truly organic essential oils, you must verify you are getting them and not the lower grade conventional (sprayed) essential oils.
Why are organic products more expensive?
There are three things that make organic farming more expensive:
1. Cost
It costs more to produce organically. Organic farmers are not using the cheap toxic industrial chemicals and just spraying until the weeds and pests are gone as is done with conventional farming. They are out there using more natural methods of weed and pest control which often require more cost and more labor (for example clearing weeds manually by tractor or by hand).
2. Supply and Demand
The second reason is the simple economics of supply and demand. Organic farming is only a small fraction of the farming in the USA and the world (less than 4%!). People who want and use organic products outweigh the supply. This raises prices. We see this when we source our essential oils. Oftentimes the raw cost of the organic essential oil can be up to seven times more than that of the same conventional farmed (sprayed) oil.
3. Cleaner Organic Products Sell For Higher Prices
Finally, certified organic crops command a higher price in the market because they are a higher quality product, better, cleaner, more valuable, more nutritious crops that have not contributed to toxifying our environment. They are healthier for our bodies and people all over the world recognize the value of organic products and are willing to pay more for them.
Whenever I speak about organic farming someone always says, yes but I have a friend who claims he is raising organic crops on his land but he is not certified organic with the USDA, but his crops are organic. There are a couple things you should know in regards to this kind of claim:
It is very rare, if at all, that farmers are actually doing ALL of the things that are required to be certified organic (please reference the list above) but just haven't filed the paperwork. If a farmer is really doing everything required to be certified organic and checking off the list, then they would be crazy to not just file the paperwork and actually get their farm certified organic. They would have the USDA certification to prove they were doing everything necessary to have and sell organic products. They put their products in a higher category and can ask a better price, there is more demand for organic products, and he can sell them easier. It just does not happen. It's like a doctor doing all the training, education, schooling, residency, and internship and then they saying, "I'm not gonna get my doctor certification after all....people will just trust that I'm qualified and that I know what I'm doing".
Certified organic crops command a higher price in the market because they are better, cleaner, more valuable, more nutritious crops that have not contributed to toxifying our environment. They are healthier for our bodies and people all over the world recognize the value of organic products and are willing to pay more for them.
There might be a small backyard farm that is not spraying their crops, and complying with most organic regulations but does not get USDA certified organic, I know this happens. But if a farmer is large enough to be selling his crops and products to the public on a commercial scale then he is large enough to be held accountable to his consumers. If he is actually farming organically then he needs to file his paperwork with the USDA and prove it to his consumers. If that farm is not willing or not able to do so, that is great, but they cannot claim to have organic products because there is some reason why they do not and cannot get certified as organic (and it has nothing to do with money….read on).
Who can get USDA certified?
How much does it cost?
Any farmer or seller who is dedicated to clean sustainable farming can get certified organic, the main requirement is that they REALLY have to be producing organic products. That’s why most farmers don’t get certified organic, they do not actually comply with ALL the organic requirements. Not only does one need to comply with ALL national organic standards, they also must be willing to be inspected every 12 month or more, be willing to submit to surprise inspections, be willing to have USDA inspectors go through all your facility, processes, products, materials used, sources, and all your paperwork from the time you receive organic material until it leaves your facility maintaining all organic requirements and records, and be willing to comply with all the national organic standards. It’s a lot of work for everyone involved, but this process guarantees the consumer that they are using a clean, more valuable product.
Surprisingly it is not that expensive to get certified. It does depend on the size of the operation, but for small businesses the fee starts around a thousand dollars and goes up from there. There are smaller yearly fees to stay certified, but anyone who is committed to organic standards can recoup the cost in the added value to their product.
Some people perpetuate the myth that getting certified is astronomically expensive and they can’t afford it. This is simply false. Any farm growing crops, domestic or international, large enough to sell on a commercial scale can afford to get USDA certified if they want to. The USDA works with farmers. They sponsor grants, loans, cost share programs, and even pay for some of the certification costs for those farmers who cannot afford it up front.
People committed to organic standards and who are actually producing organic products are willing and happy to prove it to their consumers through USDA certification. They are happy to be a part of producing products in a cleaner healthier way and having a significant greener footprint on Mother Earth. It was so important to me that I got my small company certified organic before I was even making any money because I wanted my customers to know for sure they are getting good, clean, organic products! If it’s important to you, it is extremely possible.
Can you get certified organic products from outside the USA?
Absolutely! Just as one example...Have you ever looked at your organic olive oil from one of those big box stores? USDA certified organic olive oil from Italy, Portugal, Tunisia, Spain, and Greece. Oh and organic coconut oil from the Philippines….You’re already getting organic products from outside the USA and you didn’t even know it!
Lots of organic products in the USA come from organic producers all over the world. I source most of our essential oils from outside the USA because essential oils are better (contain more therapeutic properties) coming from their indigenous countries.
There are organic farmers and organic regulatory agencies all over the world, like the USDA here in the USA, that regulate and certify organic farming. The organic department at the USDA is very stringent in their standards and accepts some international certifications and rejects others. For example, if an organic farmer, say in Bulgaria, is complying with organic practices that are at least as stringent as the USDA’s standards then the USDA will verify their certification and accept them as an approved organic supplier.
Some of the foreign organic certifying agencies like those in Europe are stricter than the USDA. In Europe even their conventional (sprayed) farming is stricter than conventional farming in the USA. Europe has banned many toxic, synthetic chemicals that are still allowed here in the USA in conventional (sprayed) farming. When someone purchases these approved international organic products and imports them here to the USA they can then put the USDA seal on that organic product.
For example, Undisputedly the best Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) in the world comes from France. So I get our certified organic French Lavender from France from amazing French farmers who are out there producing it with skill, love, passion, integrity, and commitment to organic standards and are willing and able to prove it through organic certification.
After doing this for so many years, you inevitably run across international sellers who claim to have organic products, but cannot produce organic certification and ask you to just “trust” them. Keep in mind, it is far easier, far less work, and less expensive to grow crops conventionally (sprayed). The bulk (96%) of farming all over the world is conventional (sprayed). Organic is really the exception. Believe me, there are more of these fraudulent suppliers than actual organic suppliers out there! That is why it is so important to get certified organic products, it’s something that has been verified through organic certification both at their regional level and through the USDA. And I will say that some of the foreign certifying agencies like the Europe certifying agency is far more strict than the USDA. They have banned many toxic, synthetic chemicals used in conventional (sprayed) farming that are still allowed here in the USA.
Is it important that essential oils are USDA certified organic?
If it’s important to eat organic foods because they have been proven to be cleaner and healthier for you. Then it is even more important to use certified organic essential oils! The reason is the phytochemicals in essential oils are 70 to 100 times more concentrated than the phytochemicals in the plant the oil came from.
The distillation process really concentrates chemicals including the beneficial phytochemicals and toxic chemicals sprayed on the plant. I always tell people a cleaner healthier plant produces a cleaner healthier essential oil. When it comes to using natural medicines from plants you want to be getting those natural medicines from the cleanest certified organic source possible. When conventionally grown crops are distilled the toxic pesticides do come through the distillation process and end up in your essential oil.
“There are over 400 chemical biocides (pesticides or herbicides) that might be used on aromatic plants, and many of these do carry over during the steam distillation process. The products of cold pressed citrus oils are even more likely to retain any biocides.” ~Robert Tisserand
You do not want to risk there being any concentrated pesticides or synthetic toxins in your concentrated essential oils! You are putting those in and on your body and on your children. Now you know how to be absolutely sure you have the cleanest (unsprayed) essential oils, get organic ones!
“One thing that is not arguable is that you should use organically grown herbs whenever possible, even though the cost may be a bit more. After all, you are using your herbal remedies for health and healing; it’s best not to have them laced with pesticides and herbicides.” Rosemary Gladstar, Master Herbalist
“Organic oils are obviously the best because of the complete absence of unwanted chemicals such as pesticides or artificial fertilizers.” Shirley Price, English Aromatherapist
“Many aromatic plants are grown with pesticides. Pesticides can cause a reaction that has nothing to do with the essential oil. So always use organic oils.” Jane Buckle, PhD, RN, Aromatherapist
Why do people disparage USDA certification and try to make it look bad or unreliable?
The only people I have ever seen criticize organic products, make them look bad, say it’s just a money game, or try to convince people the USDA organic seal doesn’t mean anything (or to be “leery” of it) is usually because they are trying to sell you a conventionally grown (sprayed) product and they want you to think it’s as good as or better than an organic version. Simply put it’s usually people who don’t have organic products who try to make them look bad. Everyone else (farmers, sellers, producers, consumers) loves organic products for their awesome health benefits for people and for our environment.
“Keep our children and future safe: Putting our money where our mouths are is a powerful position to take in the $1 trillion food industry market in America. Spending dollars in the organic sector is a direct vote for a sustainable future for the many generations to come” (Prevention, 2017).
Is There Such a Thing As “Better Than Organic” or “Beyond Organic”?
There are companies who want you to think their conventionally grown (sprayed) products (including essential oils) are better than organically grown products. So instead of proving to their consumers that they comply with all the requirements of organic farming and that their products really are UNsprayed (by getting USDA certified), they just tell their customers that their products are “beyond organic” or “better than organic”. Let’s look at this.
You should be aware that these types of claims are fraudulent and illegal. I’m not trying to bash or put anyone down here, but you as a consumer should know these facts.
The USDA pretty much owns the word organic. You cannot use the word ‘organic’ in the USA unless you are certified with them. I’ll be honest, when I first heard of this I thought it was absolutely evil. But when I learned of the reasons and causes behind this move, it makes a lot of sense. Here’s why:
In 2002, the USDA saw a huge problem. There were so many companies selling products labeled organic to sell at a premium price, but they were really selling conventionally grown (sprayed) products. How could any average consumer know the difference? Consumers were being deceived into paying higher prices for lower quality products but thinking they were getting organic! This is when the USDA stepped in. Somehow organic products had to be regulated and consumers had to have a way to identify truly organic products from conventionally grown (sprayed) products. This is when the USDA stepped in, and the USDA certified organic seal was born. We’ve all seen it:
Today organic trade in the USA is highly regulated by the USDA. Companies selling organic products have to certify with them and actually prove that they really have organic products, or they can’t even use the word organic associated with their products. The organic department of the USDA who regulates this is comprised of organic farmers, and organic producers who are out there working very hard to maintain the integrity of the USDA seal and what it means to consumers. They are very strict, but to protect consumers they should be.
Now, I’m not trying to say that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a perfect institution. I realize it's a government agency, and so it has its faults and shortcomings. But after getting USDA certified organic, I will say that the organic department of the USDA does a very good job at regulating organic trade. The National Organic Program is no joke, and they work very hard to maintain the integrity of the USDA seal.
USDA regulation also makes it illegal to make claims like:
- “Better than organic”
- “Beyond organic”
- “As good as organic”
- or anything similar
- Or even “Organic” (if the company is not certified - proving it - through the USDA)
If you have seen companies make these claims, be aware that they are fraudulent and illegal because these marketing claims are misleading and they confuse consumers and make consumers believe they are getting a better quality product than they actually are.
There is nothing better or cleaner than a USDA certified organic product.
Now having said that, there is ONE exception: Wildcrafted
The ONLY exception is products that are sustainably harvested wildcrafted products.
Sustainable wildcrafting is when a plant spontaneously grows in the wild. It is not planted, it cannot be farmed (it’s impossible to have farmed wildcrafted products). It has to spontaneously grow anywhere in the world it wants to grow. An example would be dandelions that spontaneously pop up in your lawn. Dandelions are incredible herbs for your body, but we treat them as pesky weeds. Wildcrafted plants must be completely unsprayed by anything and anyone, and they must be harvested ethically and sustainably from the wild. These are among the highest quality plant materials you can get, but not the topic of this article.
Back to Organic…
If there is a farmer out there raising a very clean crop then he would have no problem getting it USDA certified. If companies really have clean organic products then they need to prove it, by getting the USDA seal on their products.
It is THE way companies can prove and verify their quality to consumers.
And it is THE way consumers can know which are the really high quality clean products.
Before claiming that you’re “better” or “beyond organic”, first show consumers that your products can even qualify to be certified organic by getting USDA certified. If a company doesn’t even have products that can qualify to be certified organic, then they are certainly not “better than” or “beyond organic”. As a consumer, don’t fall for these tricky, deceptive, and illegal marketing claims.
As far as farming and growing crops on this planet goes...there is certified organic farming or there is conventional (sprayed) farming. It is one of these two. If a product is not certified organic then it is conventional (sprayed). There really are not very many exceptions to this rule, especially on the large scale production required for commercially produced products. With essential oils this is even truer, if you’ve ever distilled an essential oil, which I have, you will have some appreciation for the huge amounts of raw plant material required to produce an essential oil. Essential oils require tons of plant material to produce on a scale large enough to sell it.
Understand….companies don’t have to get USDA certified….but if they don’t then they cannot claim their products are organic, “Better than organic”, “Beyond organic”, or “As good as organic”. They have to represent their products for what they are (conventional, sprayed). And consumers like you and me are becoming more aware of the difference.
How Do You Know If A Product Is Really Organic?
This is an easy question! If after understanding the USDA certification you want to buy organic products it’s super easy to tell them from the conventionally (sprayed) products. You want to look for the USDA certified organic seal right on the label of the product. If it is there you will know for sure that the product is an organically produced one, and you support organic farming and support reducing the environmental toxins when you choose organic! So the next time you’re at Costco (and your other grocery stores) look for the USDA certified organic products and the USDA seal for cleaner healthier produce.
The exact same thing applies to essential oils. If you want to be sure you’re getting organically produced essential oils then look for the USDA organic seal right on the label of every bottle of essential oil you buy. If the USDA seal is not right there on the label, then you have a conventionally (sprayed) produced essential oil in that bottle. For cleaner healthier essential oils look for the USDA seal! It’s not only about not being sprayed, organic essential oils also have better energetic properties, and come from cleaner, healthier plants.
I bet some of you essential oil users will be surprised….
Go get your bottle of essential oil and look right there on the label. Is the USDA seal there? If so I applaud you for supporting organic! If not, I invite you to try pure organic essential oils. If you get high quality ones you will be surprised how much better they are than conventionally grown (sprayed) oils.
We All Want An Industry Standard For Essential Oils
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an industry standard for essential oils - not some self-certification some company makes up and gives itself - but a real standard of quality all across the board and all across the country and even all across the world, that is regulated by a neutral third party? A way you could really tell which essential oils are better, higher quality and cleaner?
Well, ta-da! There is! The industry standard for higher quality essential oils is USDA certified organic. It is recognized all over the world and is regulated by a neutral third party (the USDA and their regulatory agencies), inspected every 12 months to make sure both the farmer and the seller are maintaining integrity and complying with National organic standards and practices. It is the highest sign of quality and cleanliness in an essential oil.
Another thing to be aware of when buying organic essential oils:
Most (around 95%) of companies out there that carry USDA certified organic essential oils only carry a handful of organic oils (seriously, only like 5 to 10), and then the bulk of their inventory is actually conventionally grown (sprayed) oils. Just be aware of this so that if you’re looking for USDA certified organic essential oils you don’t accidentally get conventional ones (sprayed ones) from companies like this. When using essential oils therapeutically you want the highest quality organic oils you can get, even if they cost a little more. They are cleaner, smell better (closer to the plant) and work better too.
In Conclusion
Once you understand what USDA certification really means you now have the choice to support the hardworking and dedicated farmers who go to all this trouble to bring us the cleanest healthiest products in an environmentally friendly sustainable way, and doing so much good for our planet.
You have a choice, and where you put
Your dollar shows what you support.
Choose USDA certified organic products.
When you choose USDA certified organic products you support all of the following:
- Organic farmers
- Sustainability
- Enhanced soil practices
- Decrease the toxic load on our environment
- Decrease the toxic load on farm workers
- Decrease the toxic load on your body
- Decrease the toxic load on pollinators, insects, and soil organisms
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Healthier and more nutrition food
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Being a better steward of this planet
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A cleaner, healthier world
Choose organic for cleaner healthier products (including essential oils) and support those farmers and USDA certified companies who are actually doing their jobs ethically and responsibly.
Holly Draper
Certified Clinical Aromatherapist
Registered Aromatherapist
Master’s Degree in Aromatherapy
Master’s Degree in Health & Wellness
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Founder and Formulator of Purify Skin Therapy
Founder Purify Wellness Center
120 USDA certified organic and wildcrafted essential oils
www.PurifySkinTherapy.com
References
Economic Research Service, (2017). Organic Market Overview. Retrieved from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/organic-agriculture/organic-market-overview/
Prevention.com, (2017). Top 10 Reasons To Go Organic: Choosing fresh foods can help you feel better and preserve the environment. Retrieved from: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/top-reasons-choose-organic-foods
USDA, (2017). Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means. Retrieved from: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means