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TO ORGANICALLY CERTIFY OR NOT
Could you please explain the difference between Certified Organic, Organically Grown, Naturally Farmed and Wild.
To start off with: Kobashi is not a member of any Organic Certifying body, but many of the products Kobashi purchases in bulk have been certified by one Organic body or another. We decided many years ago not to join after going to meetings with the Soil Association. Our main contention was not addressed. I asked if the end product was tested for pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Their answer was no. The logical conclusion is the whole thing is based on TRUST. A farmer could easily spray his or her field. Without testing of the final product there is no way to prove, without seeing them do it, that the product wasn't contaminated. This is one of the reasons why Kobashi test the final product. Sure we like to purchase Organically grown when we can, but it doesn't mean we will, just because it's marked with an Organic symbol. A good example is our Orange oil from Spain (not organically grown). I would put it up against any Organic Orange and I would buy it every time, it is a great oil. Many of the Organic Orange oils we have tested were flat and lifeless and lacked the rich sweet notes of Our Spanish Orange. Incidentally, expressed Citrus oils are the most likely to have PPM (parts per million) pesticide residual, but ours doesn't.
Recently, a friend who supplies oils became a member of the Soil Association. He said he had a perfectly good Cinnamon oil which was grown organically, but the OSA wouldn't certify it. Instead they told him to purchase from someone within OSA. He tested the Cinnamon Oil and it had 20% diethyl Phthalate( a plastizer).
Certified Organic, Organically Grown, Naturally Farmed and Wild. They all mean virtually the same thing. They are supposed to be grown without the use of harmful pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
Organically Grown, Naturally Farmed:
Farmers who are ethical, but don't join a certifying body for one reason or another like ourselves. Example: we grew Lavender and Calendula on a friend’s field, who is a member of the Soil association, we are not, so we cannot use the symbol or call it organic, but we can say it was organically grown because it was. Example: our friend’s cousin in the Alps grows Our Lavender Vera high without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. He isn't a member of a certifying body so we call it Naturally Farmed. He has now decided that he is going to join. Many of the Farmers don't want to spend their time and extra money dealing with bureaucracy by joining. They know what they do and they are insulted if you don't TRUST their word. Some can't understand why people are willing pay more for the same thing. Their argument is they would have to put up our prices and for what, a symbol, when in fact, you are still in the same scenario whether you are certified or not, TRUST.
Sustainable Wild:
Grown in the wild such as Our Chamomile Wild, Elemi, Helichrysum italicum, Frankincense and Rosemary and St. John's Wort: the plants grow back and farmers pick them or in the case of the gum trees or shrubs the sap is tapped without harm to the plant.
Certified Organic:
Many of Kobashi products, such as our Aloe Vera, Spanish Eucalyptus, Niaouli, Ravintsara, Pelargonium aspermum, Petitgrain and carrier oils: Evening Primrose, Flax seed, Hempseed, Rosehip seed, Sea Buckthorn, Sesame seed, Sunflower seed are certified at source by one certification body or another, such as The Organic Soil Association, Texas Department of Agriculture, Label Cbd or Ecocert.
Kobashi is against Genetically Modified oils, but the EU and UK goverments are trying to get a law passed to allow 0.9%GM. Presently the Organic Soil Association allows 0.1% GM learn more...
When we first started selling Aloe Vera in 1996 we bought it from a very well known Company and Iryna found herbicide in it. They told us it was organically certified and sent us the certification from the Government of the Dominican Republic. I never purchased Aloe Vera again from this supplier.
There are 100's of different bodies Organically certifying throughout the world such as:
Soil Association Certification Ltd (SA Certification Ltd) - UK5
- T: 0117 914 2444 Email: info@soilassociation.org
* Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd (OF&G) - UK2
- T: (+353) 043-42495 Email: info@organicfarmers.org.uk
* The Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) - UK3
- T: 0131 333 0940 Email: info@sopa.org.uk
* The Organic Food Federation (OFF) - UK4
- T: +44 (0)1760 720444 Email: info@orgfoodfed.com
* Demeter (BDAA) - UK 6
- T: 01453 759501 Email: office@biodynamic.org.uk
* The Irish Organic Farmers and Growers (IOFGA) - UK7
- T: 0845 330 5122 (00 44 1743 440512) if calling from outside the UK Email: iofga@eircom.net
* Organic Trust Ltd - UK9
- T: +353-1-853 0271 Email: organic@iol.ie
* CMi Certification - UK10
- Tel: + 44 (0) 1993 885600 Email: enquiries@cmi-plc.com
* Quality Welsh Food Certification - UK13
- Tel: +44 (0)1970 636688 Email: qwfc@wfsagri.co.uk
* Ascisco Limited - UK15
- Tel: +44 (0)1970 636688 Email: eyeats@soilassociation.org
http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOP/CertifyingAgents/Accredited.html
http://www.defra.gov.uk/FARM/organic/imports/inspectbodies.htm
Kobashi's Organic Policy:
Most of Kobashi oils are Naturally Farmed, sustainable Wild or Organically certified at source. We endeavour to always supply Organically grown. In this real world this is not always possible. What we will do is tell you the truth, not a story for the sake of money. If we find any herbicides, pesticides or fungicides we will not buy, as we detest them.
The oils we supply are of the highest quality - pure, undiluted and derived from the named botanical species. We test for chemical composition and for impurities with three separate GC-MS tests. We always try to supply oils that are Organically grown. (No harmful artificial fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides). We detest harmful impurities and would like to see the end of their use.
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So far, we have only found pesticides in Rose, Jasmine Absolute, Bergamot oil & a herbicide in an “Organically certified” Aloe Vera, which we rejected and no longer purchase from this supplier. It is rare for a pesticide to distil into the oil, even at PPM. This doesn't mean they may not be found at parts per billion or trillion. At these levels they may be environmental pollutants or Homeopathic levels, which you are probable breathing in on a daily basis.
Being organically grown does not necessarily mean oil is superior:
Organic crops can be tainted with weeds that have unknown qualities.
Environmental pollutants.
Over spray from non-organic farmers.
Farmers trying to save their investment, livelihood and spraying as a last resort.
Blatant opportunists who use symbols to increase the perceived quality and value, but still sprays.
I asked a respected supplier for organically certified Bergamot. He said, "We tested one which was Organically certified and found pesticides, fungicides and herbicides 4 times higher than in non organic oils!"
A farmer who grows Kobashi’s Chamomiles, who's family have been farming for generations said, “The farm across from me was certified organic and the field was sprayed with the herbicide Paraquat.”
A friend of mine who grows Lavender in France said, “I can't understand why the field across from me is organically certified, but never has a weed. My field always has some weeds, even when I plough and hoe for 100's of hours.”
Organic certification is not a 100% guarantee that oil is free from contaminants. Testing oil for contaminants in the end product and not finding them is a better guarantee.
The Soil Association does not test all end products for pesticides, herbicides or phthalates or anything else within the oil, as Kobashi does. We still support the efforts of Organic Associations, but wish they would test the end product. Then I think it would be well worth joining, even at a higher price. O.S.A. do their best to make sure the products they certify are from organically certified land. I believe in what they are trying to do, as I feel the same way.
The Organic Lavender, Organic Calendula and Organic St. John's Wort, which we have grown in Devon was grown on land of a friend of ours. It is certified land by the soil association. A number of our oils are Soil Association, Label Cbd, EcoCert certified.
Being certified isn't a 100% meaning of no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Only testing the end product can tell you if they are free from unwanted chemicals. I am hesitating on being organically certified because, there's a lot more paper work and cost and I will have to raise prices. After we join the quality of Kobashi oils will be the same. We are buying the best we can find. Kobashi can have access to all the same suppliers as anyone who joins the groups. We don't need superfluous things to do. I want to concentrate on something that will get to the TRUTH by testing the end product for Contaminants. Whether or not I join a group has nothing to do with what is in the bottle. I'm either ethical or I'm not.
I am always buying the best oils that are available and testing to PPM and PPT on 33 of the worst contaminants, with GC-Ms and GC-Ms head space analysis.
If we think quality is a symbol on a product, then we should think again.
I would be very interested in testing any essential of Bergamot, Jasmine, Neroli or Rose absolute that is certified Organic.
Please note many certifying bodies and information organizations were created by companies with a vested interest. (quangos) When researching your information find out all involved and where else they have worked. Many will be linked to the government, private companies and have PHds and at the same time be leading you to their vested interest.
Click here and research to find out why the Organic you eat may not be so natural where ever it comes from. Natural: what's that? Hemlock is natural.
Personal interjections and deviations.
Well what does Scott do? I go to the Store and I quickly put all the food in my cart that has an Organic Soil Association's symbol on it. I'm hedging my bets and fighting a losing battle! Oh I get it! Stop all the hard work on testing, get Organically Certified, raise Kobashi prices, then I can put a big organic symbol on our home page, and put my feet up. This truth makes me want to certify myself!
With over 100,000 signatures we lost. The Bush Senior administration still went ahead with a CIA operation Evergreen, which Military Helicopters sprayed the city daily. Pasedena police fined the Government for flying to low. To punish them they sprayed Pasedena on one of their most busy nights. This information was available to anyone who read the newspapers at the time. It was reported the Areas where more Blacks and Mexicans lived the area was sprayed more than other areas like Bel Air and Beverly Hills. The excuse was the Mediterrian fruit fly, which was reported at the time to possibly damage 10% of the crops. It is interesting that malathion reduces the urge for insects to reproduce. What does it do to humans?