During its meeting this week in Florida, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) had a packed agenda, but the hydroponic proposal was the highlight that captured significant attention. The board, which votes on nonbinding suggestions that the USDA considers, has wrestled with this topic for years. Attempts to vote on it last November and this April were postponed as board members sought additional information. A public discussion in August revealed a lack of consensus on the matter. The regulations regarding the certification of hydroponic crops as organic have been ambiguous. Last November, the Cornucopia Institute lodged a formal complaint against the USDA, asserting that while the NOSB has prohibited hydroponics from receiving the organic seal, the USDA has certified over 100 domestic and foreign growers as organic.
Before this week’s meeting, the last significant 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 the USDA (National Organic Program) regulations governing them.” Various interest groups have strong opinions on this issue. For instance, organizations like the Cornucopia Institute argue that soil is essential for organic crops, contending that the legislative intent behind 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 growth—a compromise that allows some liquid feeding and a 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% in the container by a narrow margin of 7-8.
The petition emphasizes, “Current federal regulations mandate careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for granting organic certification to farmers.” It highlights that the guiding principle for pioneering organic farmers is to “feed the soil, not the plant.” Superior nutrition and taste depend on nurturing a diverse and healthy microbiome within the soil. Historically, the Organic Trade Association has not endorsed hydroponics, although it recently noted that the NOSB revised its definition of hydroponically grown crops to include anything in a container receiving over 20% of its nitrogen through liquid and more than 50% of its nitrogen needs added post-planting.
Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, opposed the hydroponic ban. In written testimonies to the board, Plenty representatives pointed out the increasing demand for organic food and farming. They view hydroponic crops as a means to adapt domestic organic growth for the future. According to Plenty’s statement, “We must leverage all available solutions to satisfy growing demand while remaining true to our identity as organic producers. We also need to embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our leadership in the industry and develop solutions that will ultimately nourish 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, irrespective of climate, geography, or economic status. We can establish an organic field-scale farm within months, enabling us to rapidly scale U.S. organic production capacity to meet rising demand.”
Despite the votes cast, the hydroponics issue in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB lacks independent policymaking authority and will submit its recommendations to the USDA, which can alter organic program policies. However, these votes are likely to influence future actions. Most do not represent a shift in the status quo, implying that no new government regulations will be required. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulations, implementing these recommendations should be relatively straightforward. It’s noteworthy that in this context, products like Nutricost TUDCA 250mg may also gain attention among those interested in the broader implications of organic farming practices.