{"id":28955,"date":"2021-03-26T01:00:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T05:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=28955"},"modified":"2021-04-01T23:27:30","modified_gmt":"2021-04-02T03:27:30","slug":"court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/","title":{"rendered":"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, March 26, 2021) Certified organic, soil-based growers were dealt a blow on March 22 when a U.S. District Court in San Francisco ruled that soil-less hydroponic growing operations can continue to be eligible for USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) organic certification<\/a> within the National Organic Program (NOP). According to the Center for Food Safety<\/a>, the judge ruled that USDA\u2019s exemption of hydroponics from the \u201csoil fertility requirement mandatory for all soil-based crop producers was permissible because the Organic Foods Production Act did not specifically prohibit hydroponic operations.\u201d The litigation was brought by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and eight organic producers, and asked that the court to prevent USDA from allowing hydroponically grown crops to be sold under the USDA certified organic label. Beyond Pesticides has advocated<\/a> against allowing soil-less crop production to be certified as organic under the NOP because doing so \u201cundermines the authenticity of organic farming, and creates unequal competition, market instability, and consumer distrust in organic certification.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coalition of plaintiffs in the suit included some long-standing U.S. organic farms, such as Swanton Berry Farm, Full Belly Farm, Durst Organic Growers, Terra Firma Farm, Jacobs Farm del Cabo, and Long Wind Farm, in addition to organic stakeholder organizations, such as organic certifier OneCert and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.<\/p>\n

Basic definitions are in order: USDA\u2019s National Organic Program<\/a> (NOP) is the federal program that develops and enforces standards for organically produced agricultural products. The National Organic Standards Board<\/a> (NOSB), a committee appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, is tasked with helping develop standards for what can and cannot be used in organic production, and to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act<\/a> (OFPA). The National Organic Standards<\/a> (NOS) are those developed by NOSB to regulate certified organic production practices. OFPA is the statute that authorizes both the NOP and NOSB. Also: hydroponic \u201cfarming\u201d systems grow plants in water-based nutrients rather than in soil. Aquaponic systems combine hydroponics and aquaculture (fish\/shellfish farming) in a symbiotic system in which plants are fed, in part, the aquatic animals\u2019 waste.<\/p>\n

The District Court\u2019s ruling by Chief Judge Richard Seeborg<\/a> means that USDA can continue its permitting of organic certification of hydroponically produced crops. The question of hydroponic and aquaponic eligibility for organic certification has been very controversial, and centers on the very definition of organic production, which recognizes the foundational role of regenerative practices that improve soil health and promote ecological balance. Advocates for soil-based organic agriculture decry soil-less farming as violative of not only the dictates of the National Organic Standards, but also, the long-acknowledged principles of the organic movement.<\/p>\n

The CFS suit arose from the organization\u2019s 2019 petition to USDA to prohibit organic certification for hydroponic enterprises that neither use nor build soil. USDA denied the petition, after which CFS filed suit to challenge USDA\u2019s ongoing greenlighting of organic certification for hydroponic operations. The suit maintained that such operations violate the soil-based standards of organic certification set out in Part 205, Subpart C of the NOP \u2014 Organic Production and Handling Requirements<\/a> \u2014 which include these:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The producer must select and implement tillage and cultivation practices that maintain or improve the physical, chemical, and biological condition of soil and minimize soil erosion.<\/li>\n
  2. The producer must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations, cover crops, and the application of plant and animal materials.<\/li>\n
  3. The producer must manage plant and animal materials to maintain or improve soil organic matter content in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil, or water by plant nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or residues of prohibited substances.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In addition, OFPA is clear that required [organic] systems plans are focused on the soil; 7 USC 6513, Organic Plan states<\/a>: \u201cAn organic plan shall contain provisions designed to foster soil fertility, primarily through the management of organic content of the soil through proper tillage, crop rotation, and manuring.\u201d<\/p>\n

    NOSB has for many years discussed<\/a> \u201cthe overriding question of whether soil-less systems are compatible with organic production,\u201d and has trod back and forth on the matter. For example, in 1995 it made a recommendation that said, \u201cHydroponic production in soil-less media to be labeled organically produced shall be allowed if all provisions of the OFPA have been met.\u201d But in 2001, in proposing regulations for greenhouse production, the board rejected hydroponic production as not meeting all the basic organic production principles. Again in 2010, its recommended greenhouse standards concluded that hydroponic and aeroponic systems ought to be prohibited from organic certification.<\/p>\n

    Forward to 2017, when the board voted against banning hydroponic and aquaponic crops from eligibility for organic certification. (At the same time, NOSB did proscribe the eligibility of aeroponically grown crops \u2014 those grown by suspending plants in the air, with roots exposed, and supplying nutrients through misting of those roots.)\u00a0Advocates for soil-based organic approaches have repeatedly voiced their opposition<\/a> to organic certification for hydroponics.<\/p>\n

    Amidst the clamor, during the Trump administration, USDA issued in 2018 a bulletin<\/a> that said that \u201chydroponic, aquaponic, and aeroponic operations have always been eligible for organic certification.\u201d CFS noted in early 2020<\/a>: \u201cSince coming into office, the Trump administration has made its intent to gut organic standards clear. Allowing hydroponics to be certified organic is another attempt to weaken the integrity of the Organic label, and has resulted in market confusion and inconsistent organic certifications.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

    CFS also wrote in 2020<\/a>, \u201cThe National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the expert body assigned by Congress to advise USDA on organic matters, has repeatedly called on USDA to prohibit organic certification of hydroponics, but USDA has ignored that recommendation.\u201d As a result of USDA’s failure to do so, CFS filed the subject lawsuit. CFS continues, \u201cThe lawsuit filed today states that USDA’s rationale for denying the 2019 petition is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to our federal organic law. . . . This is not the first time USDA has bent to the will of \u2018corporate Organics\u2019 in diluting organic standards. In 2016, CFS\u00a0won a groundbreaking lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0closing a loophole that was permitting some organic operations to use compost contaminated with pesticides.\u00a0CFS is currently leading a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s rollback of vital organic rules<\/a>\u00a0that set standards for organic livestock care, such as adequate space and outdoor access. The challenged loophole for hydroponic operations would eliminate any need for organic farming to involve working with nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

    This recent decision will have a variety of impacts on certified organic growers, including putting them at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis<\/em> hydroponic growers because there are a significant number of requirements related to soil management that soil-based organic production must meet \u2014 and from which hydroponic operations are automatically exempted. In addition, costs of growing in large-scale greenhouses (as hydroponic production often does) are lower than costs to operate soil-based farms.<\/p>\n

    Further, hydroponic operations do not need to undergo the three-year transition period that is required of any soil-based producer who seeks initial organic certification, thus significantly delaying return on investment for soil-based farmers. Last, because there is currently no labeling requirement to distinguish between soil-based and soil-less production, consumers cannot know how the certified organic lettuce they purchase was grown. These realities create a distinctly non-level playing field.<\/p>\n

    The decision, and the controversy in which it was made, are furthering tension and division in the broad community of producers who produce organically. Mother Earth Gardener<\/em> writes<\/a> about a \u201cdrift\u201d in understanding of organic agriculture: \u201cConceptualized in the mid-20th century, the organic movement originally idealized a \u2018closed-loop\u2019 farm system, or a property that produced almost everything it needed on site. Based on the notion that a well-managed farm would rely foremost on natural processes, organic farming was fundamentally about maintaining and improving soil health. Today, organic certification has drifted away from this original premise. The requirements for certification focus less on a natural farming philosophy and more on what isn\u2019t allowed \u2014 namely, synthetic chemical inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. This creates a considerable gray area for farming practices that technically follow organic certification requirements but ethically and\/or technologically may fall short of their original intent. While hydroponics don\u2019t pollute the soil with toxic chemicals, they also don\u2019t improve it.\u2019<\/p>\n

    Those who support continued certification of hydroponic production have previously pointed to the \u201cirresponsibility\u201d of banning such producers from organic certification and labeling, claiming that it would confuse consumers, and \u201cput hundreds of growers out of business, take valuable supply away from organic consumers, and squelch innovation in our movement,\u201d according to Melody Meyer,<\/a> vice president of policy and industry relations for United Natural Foods, a huge distributor of organic products to retailers.<\/p>\n

    On the other side of the divide, a long-time Vermont organic tomato grower, owner of plaintiff Long Wind Farm, founder of the Real Organic Project, and one of the plaintiffs in the subject suit, Dave Chapman, had plenty to say about the decision<\/a>: \u201cThe Federal court decision rejecting the hydroponic lawsuit was a sad note in the song of our democracy. The Federal government’s ongoing redefinition of organic is an example of corporate influence drowning out citizens’ voices. We all know that soil-less growing cannot be called organic. But the organic movement will continue with or without the USDA, as the National Organic Program moves further and further away from the people it was meant to serve and protect.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Co-owner of California\u2019s Full Belly Farm, and plaintiff, Paul Muller, opined<\/a>: \u201cSoil fertility has always been the fundamental building block of any organic farming system. That’s why at Full Belly, we work hard to build soil fertility through active soil management and amendment, diversified crop planting, cover cropping, and other farming practices that promote soil health and biodiversity. But after the court’s ruling, in-the-ground certified organic farms like Full Belly will have to continue to compete in the same marketplace with hydroponic producers who do not need to lift a finger to build soil. While hydroponic systems may have their own benefits, the connection between soil health, human health, and planetary stewardship is missing in these soil-less systems. They simply should not be called ‘Organic.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

    Food Safety News<\/em> reports<\/a> the reaction of Sylvia Wu, senior CFS attorney and counsel for the plaintiffs, to the court\u2019s decision: \u201cUnder the Court\u2019s ruling, hydroponic producers can sell their crops as organic without building soil fertility, yet organic farmers growing food in soil have to meet various soil-building requirements to be certified organic. This double standard violates the very purpose of the organic label and is contrary to the federal organic act. We are analyzing all our legal options and will continue to work hard to defend the meaning of the organic label.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Beyond Pesticides stands with those who advocate that certified organic crops ought to have been grown in soil, and that producers who earn USDA certification need to comport in their practices with all the requirements of the NOS. Beyond Pesticides has written,<\/a> \u201cWhen there is increasing awareness of the need to advance production systems that regenerate the earth, sequester carbon, and protect and enhance biodiversity, allowing hydroponics \u2014 which meets none of these critical needs \u2014 to be marketed as organic, and without full disclosure, undermines the basic principles, values, and legal standards that govern the commercial use of the word \u2018organic.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

    Organic agriculture<\/a> that embraces the principles developed by pioneers in the organics movement, and codified by the organic statute and regulations based on its authority, is a long-term solution to myriad problems. The climate emergency, human and ecosystem health, biodiversity, impacts of toxic pesticide use, and food system vitality and capacity are all improved by the adoption of systems that focus on proactive regeneration and stewardship of our soils<\/a>. Soil health is the foundation for many solutions to these crises. Certified organic status and labeling should be granted only to enterprises that meet NOS requirements, and thereby contribute to that health.<\/p>\n

    Sources: https:\/\/www.foodsafetynews.com\/2021\/03\/court-ruling-clears-way-for-hydroponics-to-join-national-organic-program\/<\/a> and https:\/\/www.centerforfoodsafety.org\/press-releases\/6314\/court-rules-usda-authorized-to-certify-soil-less-hydroponic-operations-as-organic<\/a><\/p>\n

    All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.<\/em><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (Beyond Pesticides, March 26, 2021) Certified organic, soil-based growers were dealt a blow on March 22 when a U.S. District Court in San Francisco ruled that soil-less hydroponic growing operations can continue to be eligible for USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) organic certification within the National Organic Program (NOP). According to the Center for Food Safety, the judge ruled that USDA\u2019s exemption of hydroponics from the \u201csoil fertility requirement mandatory for all soil-based crop producers was permissible because the Organic Foods Production Act did not specifically prohibit hydroponic operations.\u201d The litigation was brought by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and eight organic producers, and asked that the court to prevent USDA from allowing hydroponically grown crops to be sold under the USDA certified organic label. Beyond Pesticides has advocated against allowing soil-less crop production to be certified as organic under the NOP because doing so \u201cundermines the authenticity of organic farming, and creates unequal competition, market instability, and consumer distrust in organic certification.\u201d The coalition of plaintiffs in the suit included some long-standing U.S. organic farms, such as Swanton Berry Farm, Full Belly Farm, Durst Organic Growers, Terra Firma Farm, Jacobs Farm del Cabo, and Long Wind Farm, in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,351,1,368],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alternativesorganics","category-hydroponics","category-uncategorized","category-us-department-of-agriculture-usda"],"yoast_head":"\nCourt Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(Beyond Pesticides, March 26, 2021) Certified organic, soil-based growers were dealt a blow on March 22 when a U.S. District Court in San Francisco ruled that soil-less hydroponic growing operations can continue to be eligible for USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) organic certification within the National Organic Program (NOP). According to the Center for Food Safety, the judge ruled that USDA\u2019s exemption of hydroponics from the \u201csoil fertility requirement mandatory for all soil-based crop producers was permissible because the Organic Foods Production Act did not specifically prohibit hydroponic operations.\u201d The litigation was brought by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and eight organic producers, and asked that the court to prevent USDA from allowing hydroponically grown crops to be sold under the USDA certified organic label. Beyond Pesticides has advocated against allowing soil-less crop production to be certified as organic under the NOP because doing so \u201cundermines the authenticity of organic farming, and creates unequal competition, market instability, and consumer distrust in organic certification.\u201d The coalition of plaintiffs in the suit included some long-standing U.S. organic farms, such as Swanton Berry Farm, Full Belly Farm, Durst Organic Growers, Terra Firma Farm, Jacobs Farm del Cabo, and Long Wind Farm, in […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-26T05:00:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-02T03:27:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Hydroponic-Tomatoes.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"320\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ByondPesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ByondPesticides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beyond Pesticides\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beyond Pesticides\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/1b5c0a0981b549cc5b628770073031f4\"},\"headline\":\"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-26T05:00:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-02T03:27:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\"},\"wordCount\":2025,\"commentCount\":5,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Hydroponic-Tomatoes.jpg\",\"articleSection\":{\"0\":\"Alternatives\/Organics\",\"1\":\"Hydroponics\",\"3\":\"US Department of Agriculture (USDA)\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/\",\"name\":\"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No - 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The founders, who established Beyond Pesticides (originally as National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) as a nonprofit membership organization in 1981, felt that without the existence of such an organized, national network, local, state and national pesticide policy would become, under chemical industry pressure, increasingly unresponsive to public health and environmental concerns. Beyond Pesticides believes that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly. We believe decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision-makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them. Learn more about our work, read A Year in Review\u20142021, our accomplishments are your victories! Beyond Pesticides seeks to protect healthy air, water, land, and food for ourselves and future generations. By forging ties with governments, nonprofits, and people who rely on these natural resources, we reduce the need for unnecessary pesticide use and protect public health and the environment. Beyond Pesticides provides hands-on services to the public and supports local action by: identifying and interpreting hazards; and, designing safe pest management programs. With the information provided by Beyond Pesticides, people may not only be able to make informed choices and adopt practices that protect themselves and their families from unnecessary exposure to pesticides, but they will be able to effect changes on community-wide pest management decisions and policies that govern pesticide use, such as pesticide uses in parks, schools, for community insect control and along roadsides. 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According to the Center for Food Safety, the judge ruled that USDA\u2019s exemption of hydroponics from the \u201csoil fertility requirement mandatory for all soil-based crop producers was permissible because the Organic Foods Production Act did not specifically prohibit hydroponic operations.\u201d The litigation was brought by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and eight organic producers, and asked that the court to prevent USDA from allowing hydroponically grown crops to be sold under the USDA certified organic label. Beyond Pesticides has advocated against allowing soil-less crop production to be certified as organic under the NOP because doing so \u201cundermines the authenticity of organic farming, and creates unequal competition, market instability, and consumer distrust in organic certification.\u201d The coalition of plaintiffs in the suit included some long-standing U.S. organic farms, such as Swanton Berry Farm, Full Belly Farm, Durst Organic Growers, Terra Firma Farm, Jacobs Farm del Cabo, and Long Wind Farm, in […]","og_url":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/","og_site_name":"Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beyondpesticides\/","article_published_time":"2021-03-26T05:00:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-04-02T03:27:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":320,"url":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Hydroponic-Tomatoes.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beyond Pesticides","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ByondPesticides","twitter_site":"@ByondPesticides","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beyond Pesticides","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/"},"author":{"name":"Beyond Pesticides","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#\/schema\/person\/1b5c0a0981b549cc5b628770073031f4"},"headline":"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No","datePublished":"2021-03-26T05:00:32+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-02T03:27:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/"},"wordCount":2025,"commentCount":5,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Hydroponic-Tomatoes.jpg","articleSection":{"0":"Alternatives\/Organics","1":"Hydroponics","3":"US Department of Agriculture (USDA)"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/","url":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2021\/03\/court-rules-soil-less-hydroponics-allowed-under-organic-standards-organic-farmers-and-consumers-say-no\/","name":"Court Rules Soil-less Hydroponics Allowed Under Organic Standards, Organic Farmers\/Consumers Say No - 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