Organic label creates brand perceptions of “healthier” and “safer,” even when untrue

There are many public debates raging that are essentially dueling narratives, both sides claiming to have science, evidence, and logic on their side. The reality of the dueling narrative was recently showcased with respect to organic farming as a result of a report published by Academics Review

The authors of the review take an in-depth look at organic marketing and public perceptions. They make a fairly compelling case that the organic industry has deliberately created the brand perception that “organic” means healthier and safer, even though that is explicitly not what the label means.

My personal biggest problem with the organic label is the false dichotomy it creates. Two example of the organic false dichotomy throwing out the baby with the bathwater are their opposition to food irradiation and GMO. There are no health concerns with irradiating food (the food does not become radioactive). I believe opposition to GMO is the same – it’s ideological.

The organic marketing, however, has worked. They have successfully created fears in the public about “toxins” and unnatural mutants in their food, and offer the organic label as an assurance of wholesomeness, despite an utter lack of evidence to support such claims. The USDA was warned this would happen, they knew it would happen, and they facilitated this deception with their official seal of approval.

Read the full, original article: Dueling Narratives on Organic Farming

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