During its meeting this week in Florida, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) had a packed agenda, but the hydroponic proposal attracted significant attention. The board, which votes on nonbinding recommendations considered by the USDA, has grappled with this topic for years. Attempts to vote on it last November and again in April were postponed as members sought more information. A public discussion in August also revealed a lack of consensus on the matter. The regulations surrounding 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 carrying the organic seal, the USDA has certified over 100 domestic and international growers.
Before this week’s meeting, the most definitive stance on hydroponic crops came 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 express 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 contended that allowing hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” criticizing container growth—as a compromise that allows some liquid feeding and a substrate like compost—as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” During the meeting, board members also rejected a motion to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% substrate by a narrow 7-8 vote. The petition stated, “The current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for granting organic certification to farmers.” It further claimed, “The mantra for pioneering organic farmers, and those who truly uphold the spirit of organics, is: feed the soil, not the plant. Nutritionally superior food and flavor come from the careful stewardship of a diverse and healthy microbiome in the soil.”
Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not supported hydroponics, although it noted that the NOSB 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 needs added post-planting. According to their 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, opposed the hydroponic ban. In written testimony to the board, representatives from Plenty highlighted the growing 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 increasing demand while remaining true to our identity as organic producers,” stated Plenty. “We must also embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our leadership in the industry 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 near consumers, regardless of climate or economic factors. We can deploy an organic field-scale farm within months, allowing us to quickly scale U.S. organic production to meet rising demand.”
Despite the votes that have been cast, the debate surrounding hydroponics in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB lacks policymaking authority and will forward its recommendations to the USDA, which has the power to alter organic program policy. However, these votes are likely to influence future decisions. Most do not signify a change in the status quo, implying that no new government regulations need to be established. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulations, implementing these recommendations might be relatively straightforward.
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