I was excited this week to come across TOPIC, an organisation formed to test the authenticity of natural and organic product claims. I’ve had in mind forming an operation just like they have – there’s such a need for it – so I’m very happy someone else has done it and there’s no need for me to!
Organic food is just the way things should be. Food produced in a way that doesn’t harm, and doesn’t endanger farm and farm communities. Farmers, and particularly farmworkers, work in some of the most hazardous conditions, breathing in and spraying pesticides on crops, and it’s heartbreaking so that so many give their financial support to products that further marginalise, or that have caused such harm so they can look pretty on the supermarket shelves.
It’s an obvious choice.
So while organic is better for everyone involved, it’s unfortunately also seen as a luxury, as elitist, something that can be more profitable, so there’s the temptation for producers to mislabel in order to charge more.
It wasn’t uncommon, while I was at Ethical Co-op, to be approached by a supplier whose claims didn’t hold up under scrutiny.
TOPIC allows people to nominate products they’d like to see tested, and, after a voting process, the selected products will be bought from three different locations, and sent to the laboratory (or laboratories – this part isn’t clear yet) for testing.
This provides a great way for organic farmers and producers,especially those that are not certified, to prove that their products are actually organic, as well as to test out products that there are questions about.
I’m looking forward to contributing and seeing the first products coming through, and expect to see some embarrassed faces soon.
