During its recent meeting 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’s consideration, has wrestled with this issue for several years. Attempts to vote on the proposal last November and this April were postponed as board members sought more information. An August public discussion revealed little agreement on the matter. The regulations regarding the certification of hydroponic crops as organic have been ambiguous. Last November, the Cornucopia Institute lodged a formal legal complaint against the USDA, asserting that while the NOSB has prohibited hydroponics from receiving the organic seal, the USDA has permitted over 100 domestic and foreign growers to obtain the certification.
Prior to this week’s meeting, the most definitive action on hydroponic crops was taken 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 have strong opinions on this topic. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute argue that soil is essential for organic crops and 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,” criticizing container growth, which permits some liquid feeding and a substrate like compost, as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” During this week’s meeting, the board also voted down a motion to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% substrate by a narrow margin of 7-8. The petition emphasizes, “The current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for the granting of organic certification to farmers.” It further asserts that the ethos of true organic farming is to “feed the soil, not the plant,” as nutritionally superior food and taste depend on a healthy and diverse soil microbiome.
Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not endorsed hydroponics, though it noted that the NOSB recently revised its definition of hydroponically grown crops to include anything in a container that receives over 20% of its nitrogen from liquid and more than 50% of its nitrogen requirement added after planting. According to position papers and a spokesperson, the Organic Trade Association opposed the motion to ban hydroponics due to the significant changes in definition. Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, lobbied against the hydroponic ban. In their written testimony, Plenty representatives stressed that the demand for organic food and farming continues to rise. They view hydroponic crops as a means to adapt domestic organic growth for the future.
Plenty’s statement emphasizes, “We must take advantage of all available solutions to meet growing demand while staying true to our identity as organic producers.” They also highlight the need to embrace U.S. innovation to maintain industry leadership and develop solutions to feed the world. For instance, Plenty’s organic growing system can yield up to 350 times that of traditional systems and can be situated close to consumers, regardless of climate or economic status. Their approach allows the deployment of an organic field-scale farm within months, enabling rapid scaling of U.S. organic production capacity to meet increasing demand.
Despite the votes that have been cast, the issue of hydroponics in organic agriculture remains unresolved. 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 do not signify a change in the status quo, meaning no new government regulations will need to be established. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulations, implementing these recommendations should be relatively straightforward.
Notably, the role of substances like cal mag citrate in enhancing nutrient absorption in hydroponic systems is also a topic of interest. As the debate continues, the integration of cal mag citrate and other essential nutrients into hydroponic practices could further influence the conversation around organic certification and farming methods.