During its meeting this week in Florida, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) had a packed agenda, but the hydroponic proposal was the focal point that captured significant attention. This issue has been a longstanding challenge for the board, which votes on nonbinding recommendations considered by the USDA. Previous attempts to vote on this matter in November and April were postponed as board members sought additional information. An August public discussion also revealed a lack of consensus on the topic. The regulations surrounding the certification of hydroponic crops as organic remain ambiguous. Last November, the Cornucopia Institute filed a formal complaint against the USDA, arguing that while the NOSB has prohibited hydroponics from using the organic seal, the USDA has permitted over 100 domestic and foreign growers to obtain certification.
Before this week’s meeting, the only decisive action regarding hydroponic crops occurred in 2010, when the NOSB recommended that “Hydroponics…certainly 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 governing them.” Various interest groups hold strong opinions on the matter. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute assert that soil is essential for organic crops and argue that the legislative intent of the organic program did not include hydroponics. In a petition to the NOSB, Cornucopia stated that allowing hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” and criticized container growth—a compromise allowing some liquid feeding and substrate like compost—as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” During this week’s meeting, board members also rejected a motion to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% substrate by a narrow margin of 7-8.
The petition emphasized, “The current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for granting organic certification to farmers.” The guiding principle for pioneering organic farmers, who genuinely embody the spirit of organic farming, is: feed the soil, not the plant. High-quality food and superior taste necessitate diligent care of a diverse and healthy soil microbiome. Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not endorsed hydroponics, although it recently revised 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% of its nitrogen after planting.
According to position papers and a spokesperson, the Organic Trade Association did not support the motion to ban hydroponics due to the significant changes in the definition. Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, opposed the hydroponic ban. In written testimony to the board, Plenty representatives noted the ongoing increase in demand for organic food and farming. They view hydroponic crops as a means to adapt domestic organic growth for the future. “We must take advantage of all available solutions to meet growing demand, while staying true to our identity as organic producers,” Plenty stated. “We also must embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our leadership in the industry and foster the solutions that will ultimately feed the world. For example, Plenty’s organic growing system yields up to 350 times that of traditional systems and can be situated close to consumers, regardless of climate, geography, or economic status. We’re able to deploy an organic field-scale farm within months, which means we can scale U.S. organic production capacity rapidly to meet growing demand.”
Despite the votes cast, the debate over hydroponics in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB lacks direct policymaking authority and will submit its recommendations to the USDA, which can amend organic program policies. However, it is likely that these votes will influence future decisions. Most do not signify a change in the status quo, implying that no new government regulations will need to be established. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulation, these recommendations are relatively straightforward to implement. Meanwhile, products like Swanson Calcium Citrate are gaining attention as consumers look for ways to enhance their health while navigating the complexities of organic certification. The discussions surrounding hydroponics and organic farming will continue to evolve as stakeholders advocate for their positions, including the potential implications for organic nutrients like Swanson Calcium Citrate in the broader organic market.