Allen Tian

1. Consumer narratives of organic foods are heavily influenced by cultural and

demographic context, such as age, occupation and social interactions.
Factors such as education level and culture can strongly influence consumer
perception of organic food. How can organic certification effectively shift
consumer narratives to reflect agricultural practices in a multicultural, varied
demographic population?

2. Is organic certification representative of sustainable food production

practices? Organic certification focuses on avoidance of synthetic chemical
inputs, GM seeds, strict record keeping and specific livestock conditions. Does
this actually adequately reflect the current scientific consensus on
sustainable food production? Certification doesnt necessarily require farmers
to utilize practices that balance carbon and nitrogen pool fluxes or maintain
soil quality. Artificial chemical additions such as pesticides and herbicides
often have similar environmental impact as natural pesticides and herbicides.
GMOs can increase crop yields through reducing losses to pests or spoilage.
Is current organic certification objective and accurately representative of
sustainable, optimal farming practices?

3. How well are most consumers of organic food products familiar with the
details of organic certification? How well does organic certification actually
match the internal definitions of organic foods in the minds of consumers? To
a consumer, the word organic may have different connotations and meaning
than the intent of organic certification. Organic labeling is often seen as
fresher or of a higher quality than non-organic products. There is a lack of
focus on sustainability. Thus, consumers often assume that the additional
cost of organic products is due to higher quality standards. The cost of
organic certification must have better economy of scale to move away from
the connotations of small, traditional farms and larger scale, lower cost
production that can appeal to larger population. How can the organic
certification system be improved so that it shifts branding to reflect
sustainable agriculture rather than primarily tradition, freshness and quality?