“Behind the Bean” (pdf) - Cornucopia Institute

Commitment to Transparency and Openness
Or g a n i c c o n s u m e r s w a n t t o feel c o n n e c t e d to their food, they want the story behind their food, and
above all, they want to know that they are buying a product that was grown with respect for the environment
and family farmers.
In the marketplace, organic food does cost more than conventional food. When consumers pay more, they consider the
extra dollars that they invest to be well spent—a contribution to a food system that is sustainable, environmentally friendly,
and economically just. The following words are taken from a soy supplier’s web site and aptly capture how some companies
consider organics to be just a marketing strategy to increase profitability:
Smart processors are catching the [organic] wave,
and riding it to the increased profits brought by
value-added organic foods. An organic label commands
a premium price, and implies increased
social responsibility for a brand. Quite simply,
organic means smart marketing [emphasis added].
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Note also that this supplier writes that organic
“implies” increased social responsibility—actual
commitment to social responsibility presumably
does not matter, as long as the company can appear
to be socially responsible and use this as a
marketing tool.
Photo courtesy of Midwest Organic Farmers Cooperative
Companies that did not wish to share
certain basic information with The
Cornucopia Institute, such as where their
soybeans were sourced, are missing a key
point of the organic movement: consumers
want to feel connected to their food, they
want the story behind their food, and above
all, they want to know that they are buying a
product that was grown with respect for the
environment and family farmers.
The National Organic Program may be overseen
by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service,
but few organic consumers and organic farmers
see organic production as purely a marketing
tool. The organic label indicates that the food
was produced in accordance with the federal organic
standards. When a company follows the
organic standards and respects the letter and
the spirit of the law, the organic word and label
should indeed act as an encouragement for
conscientious consumers to purchase that product.
But companies that use the organic label or
other organic claims must act in socioenvironmentally
conscious ways. It has become too easy
for companies to claim to be organic and green,
while placing their profits before their social and
environmental commitments.
Companies that did not wish to share certain basic
information with The Cornucopia Institute,
such as where their soybeans were sourced, are
missing a key point of the organic movement:
consumers want to feel connected to their food,
they want the story behind their food, and above
all, they want to know that they are buying a
product that was grown with respect for the en-
12 Behind the bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry.