During its meeting this week in Florida, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) had a packed agenda, but the hydroponic proposal garnered significant attention. The board, which votes on nonbinding recommendations for the USDA to consider, has wrestled with this issue for several years. Efforts to vote on the proposal last November and this April were postponed as board members sought more information. An August public phone discussion revealed a lack of consensus on the matter. The regulations regarding the certification of hydroponic crops as organic remain ambiguous. Last November, the Cornucopia Institute filed a legal complaint against the USDA, alleging that while the NOSB has prohibited hydroponics from receiving the organic label, the USDA has certified over 100 domestic and international growers.
Before this week’s meeting, the most 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/National Organic Program regulations governing them.” Various interest groups hold strong opinions on this topic. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute argue that soil is essential for organic crops, contending that the legislative intent of the organic program did not encompass hydroponics.
In a petition to the NOSB, Cornucopia stated that permitting hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” criticizing container growing—which allows for some liquid feeding and substrate such as compost—as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” At this week’s meeting, board members also rejected a motion to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% in the container, losing by a narrow vote of 7-8. The petition emphasizes, “Current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for granting organic certification to farmers.” It further notes, “The mantra for pioneering organic farmers, and those who genuinely uphold the spirit of organics, is: feed the soil, not the plant. Nutritionally superior food and taste stem from careful management of a diverse and healthy soil microbiome.”
Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not supported hydroponics; however, it recently amended its definition of hydroponically grown crops to include anything in a container that receives over 20% of its nitrogen through liquid and more than 50% of its nitrogen requirement added post-planting. According to position papers and a spokesperson, the Organic Trade Association did not back the motion to ban hydroponics due to this significant change in definition. Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, lobbied against the hydroponic ban. In written testimony to the board, Plenty representatives highlighted the increasing demand for organic food and farming. They view hydroponic crops as a way to adapt domestic organic growth for the future.
Plenty’s statement asserts, “We must leverage all available solutions to meet growing demand while remaining true to our identity as organic producers. We also must embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our leadership in the industry and foster solutions that will ultimately feed the world. For instance, 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 can deploy an organic field-scale farm within months, enabling us to scale U.S. organic production capacity quickly to meet rising demand.”
Despite the votes cast, the debate over hydroponics in organic agriculture is far from settled. The NOSB lacks policymaking authority and will present its recommendations to the USDA, which has the power to alter organic program policies. However, these votes are likely to influence future actions. Most of them do not signify a change in the status quo, meaning no new government regulations would be required. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulation, implementing these recommendations could be relatively straightforward.
In summary, as discussions continue about the certification of hydroponic crops, stakeholders remain divided, with groups like the Cornucopia Institute advocating for strict adherence to soil-based farming, while others, including Plenty, push for innovative solutions that include hydroponics. The debate is ongoing, and the implications for organic farming standards remain to be seen. Notably, as consumers seek quality organic products, including those rich in nutrients like calcium citrate with vitamin D from Walgreens, the industry must navigate these evolving regulations carefully.