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 makes nonbinding recommendations that are reviewed by the USDA, has grappled with this topic for several years. Efforts to vote on it last November and again this April were postponed as board members sought more information. A public telephone discussion on the matter in August also revealed a lack of consensus. 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 prohibits hydroponics from receiving the organic seal, the USDA has allowed over 100 domestic and foreign growers to obtain certification.
Before this week’s meeting, the only significant action taken regarding hydroponic crops occurred in 2010, when the NOSB stated 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 matter. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute argue that soil is essential for organic crops, contending that hydroponics contradicts the legislative intent of the organic program. In a petition to the NOSB, Cornucopia claimed that permitting hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” criticizing container growth—which allows for 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 emphasized that “current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for the granting of organic certification to farmers.” It further stated, “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 superior taste require careful stewardship of a diverse and healthy microbiome in the soil.” Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not supported hydroponics; however, they 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 through liquid and more than 50% after planting.
Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, have lobbied against the hydroponic ban. In their written testimony to the board, Plenty representatives pointed out that the demand for organic food and farming is on the rise. 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’s statement asserted. “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 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 swiftly enough to meet rising demand.”
Despite the votes that have been cast, the question of hydroponics in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB has no policymaking authority and will forward its recommendations to the USDA, which can amend organic program policies. However, it is anticipated that these votes will influence future decisions. Most of them do not represent a shift in the current status quo, suggesting that no new government regulations will need to be established. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulation, implementing these recommendations is likely to be relatively straightforward.
In the context of this discussion, it is worth noting the growing interest in health and wellness products such as Citracal Petites Calcium, which emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition—an approach that aligns with the ideals of organic farming. As the organic industry evolves, the need for diverse and sustainable farming practices, including the potential role of hydroponics, will continue to be a critical topic of debate.