During its recent meeting in Florida, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) had a packed agenda, but the hydroponic proposal garnered the most attention. The board, which votes on nonbinding recommendations for the USDA to consider, has been grappling with this issue for several years. Attempts to vote on it last November and this April were postponed as board members sought further information. An August public discussion revealed minimal consensus on the matter. The rules regarding the certification of hydroponic crops as organic have remained ambiguous. In November, the Cornucopia Institute filed a formal complaint against the USDA, asserting that while the NOSB has prohibited hydroponics from receiving the organic label, the USDA has allowed over 100 domestic and foreign growers to obtain the certification.
Before the recent meeting, the only clear action regarding hydroponic crops occurred in 2010 when the NOSB recommended that “Hydroponics…cannot be classified as certified organic growing methods due to their exclusion of the soil-plant ecology intrinsic to organic farming systems and USDA regulations.” Various interest groups have strong opinions on this issue. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute argue that soil is essential for organic crops and that the legislative intent of the organic program did not encompass hydroponics. In a petition to the NOSB, Cornucopia stated that allowing hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” criticizing container growth—a hybrid method permitting some liquid feeding and a substrate such as compost—as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” During this week’s meeting, a proposal to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% substrate was also rejected by a 7-8 margin.
The petition emphasized that “current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for organic certification.” It highlighted the mantra of pioneering organic farmers: “feed the soil, not the plant.” This approach, they argue, is vital for producing nutritionally superior food with exceptional taste, which necessitates a diverse and healthy soil microbiome. Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has opposed hydroponics, although it noted that the NOSB recently altered its definition of hydroponically grown crops to include anything in a container that receives more than 20% of its nitrogen through liquid and over 50% added after planting.
Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, lobbied against the hydroponic ban. In their written testimony, Plenty representatives expressed that the demand for organic food and farming continues to grow. They view hydroponic crops as a means to adapt domestic organic production to future needs. “We must leverage all available solutions to meet rising demand while remaining true to our identity as organic producers,” their statement indicated. “We also need to embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our industry leadership and develop solutions that will ultimately feed the world. For instance, Plenty’s organic growing system yields up to 350 times that of traditional methods and can be situated close to consumers, irrespective of climate or geography. We can establish an organic field-scale farm in a matter of months, allowing us to scale U.S. organic production quickly to meet increasing demand.”
Despite the votes that have taken place, the question of hydroponics in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB lacks policymaking authority and will submit its recommendations to the USDA, which has the power to enact changes in organic program policy. However, it is anticipated that these votes will influence future actions. Most do not indicate a shift in the status quo, meaning that no new government regulations would need to be established. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulations, implementing these recommendations should be relatively straightforward.
In addition, the incorporation of innovative solutions such as bluebonnet calcium citrate liquid could play a role in enhancing the nutritional quality of hydroponic crops, supporting the argument that hydroponics can coexist with organic practices while meeting consumer demands. This highlights the importance of ongoing discussions about how to define organic farming in an evolving agricultural landscape. As stakeholders continue to navigate these complex issues, the future of hydroponics within organic agriculture remains a critical topic of debate.