The other day, as I was giving a program on organic beef production, a member of the audience expressed concern over the organic community claims that organic is better for the environment, animals and human health. He said that this “implies” that conventional agriculture is just plain “bad” and inferring that conventional agriculture hurts the environment, animals and human health.
The reference had to do with my comments that certified organic production is both third-party inspected and with the new Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rules, is traceable all the way back to the farm where it was grown. This person assumed I was claiming that organic was “better” because of these two claims but in this instance, I was simply telling about organic certification and the organic program requirements. Rules are not what make organic better, but rules do distinguish those who say they are better and those who actually are better!
I think this person thought I was “virtue signaling,” by talking about our “organic rules” and implying that these rules make the food better. If you look up a definition for virtue signaling it refers to the “act of expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.”
Personally, I do not believe my good character or moral correctness comes from what I say but what I do. And I believe the organic farmers in Texas are not just producing a superior product because of the rules they follow but because their product is grown under the highest standards possible (rules) with a method of farming that ensures their crops have a superior level of nutrition and flavor. I believe in the organic program and the products grown organic to the point that organic is what you find in my cabinets and in my refrigerator! My wife Laurie and I believe we are healthier eating organic, and we know the flavor and taste is outstanding.
There are a lot of “food labels” nowadays and it is starting to look like many of these labels are just “virtue signaling” in hopes of attracting a following or customers. The latest consumer survey conducted by OTA* shows that 88% of all consumers recognize and understand the USDA Organic label, more than any other label! Just click on this link to read some of the ways organic is improving our lives. CLICK HERE
*According to the Organic Trade Association and Euromonitor International in their report, 2024 Consumer Perception of USDA Organic and Competing Label Claims (April 2024, p. 13), consumer trust in organic labels continues to grow.
This is virtue signaling at its finest!
Below is a funny story with a good and moral look at virtue signaling that I got off social media. As you read this, you may find yourself lamenting some of our current consumer conveniences and where they are leading us and our country. Talking to many organic farmers and business owners you immediately realize that they know we need to do “business” a different way and by being certified organic, they are! Enjoy the read…..
A young cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my day.” The young clerk said, “Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”
“Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles, and beer bottles. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over. They really were recycled.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, which we reused for numerous things. We walked upstairs because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our day. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded-up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
Back then, people took a bus, and kids rode their bikes instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles in space to find the nearest burger joint.
But the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing?”
Texas A&M AgriLife Organic 