TO ORGANICALLY CERTIFY OR NOT
Truth is the moment to moment existence of what is. Points of view in reality are from where you are standing.
"I maintain that truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or coerce people along a particular path." Krishnamurti
IMHO it is misleading if we think a stamp on a product is 100% Organic just because it says organic. I do not know any Organic Organizations that test the end product for pesticide or herbicide residual. To the best of my knowledge, it is paper trail based on trust, with spot checks to see if your warehouse has the organically labeled on one side and the conventional on the other, along with a look at your books of organic purchases.
Should I be focusing on the problems or the solutions? I believe both. If you are an alcoholic you have to admit it first. See what is and and do the best you can and more without beating yourself up.
Most people I believe are good and are doing their best. Awareness in the moment of the Ego's limitations brings helpful transformation. How to rebound from the memories hurt to create helpful solutions for a better future = the present awareness is the reality which we must live from. Mind is data holder and we are living, evolving awareness in the moment.
WHAT IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER?
The Organic green waste scheme is necessary; IMHO has it's compromises, but what is the alternative?. The truth is garden waste from homes from around the world is used in Organic farming. Think to yourself how in the world are you going to stop people from using herbicides on their lawns?
1. Please stop using herbicides in your home gardens. It just takes a little longer to dig out the plants that are out of place.
What about banned chemicals? Do people use them until they are gone?
2. Please take your Banned chemicals to a proper dumping place. This will avoid the lazy habit, which is poisoning you and your environment.
Where do you think lawn clippings go? What do people put down their drains? I believe we must wake up, smell the rose's and see what is. We are making compromises. What do you think you're actually going to use to make all the "Organic" fertilizer? What pristine unlimited resource world do we live in?
Organic fertilizer is any plant material that has, as little, and hopefully no pesticides, herbicides fungicides or environmental pollutants; (accepting unharmful plant natural mechanisms) .
3. Please protect what little natural resources we have. It is up to every individual and group to do their utmost. Every little thing we do matters and adds up.
All in all we must keep working toward a more perfect world. Understanding is an ongoing and changing matter.
Large companies are lobbying the soil Association to reduce the percentage of actual organic material in a product, so they only have to use ?% Organic to claim Organic status. I believe this is counterproductive and only caters to those that want to 'cash in' on the movement. Organic Associations should not be about making money, but should be about the ethics that the founder had in mind. They should be about the purpose they where designed to be and more than a hyped stamped image or word on a label. Then again, the people in the Organization have to make money to live, so what are they going to do? At least they made an effort to lead us in the right direction.
IMHO Dilution of ethics for cash is not dissimilar to:The BUAV 5 year rolling plan for animal testing. Big Companies use the Logo, but were allowed only tested 5 years prior on animals. They got all the publicity, while companies like ourselves that had 1985 cut off date were put to the side lines; either because we didn't make enough money, were not high profile enough or were deemed to radical and not realistic. What was the alternative? BUAV could have made a stronger stance, but then the biggies wouldn't have been able to join?
The reality is by not making a firm stance the movement has been diluted. European banalities such as Reach (which is making companies test on animals) are now forcing companies to go against their ethics or break the law. What is the alternative? There are many alternatives to animal testing and cost is going down.
Because I am a advocate of Organic, I attended meetings with the Organic soil association as far back as 1997. I went to some of the largest essential oil suppliers and preached this is the way to go and got many wry smiles. I thought through the Organic plan and asked the question, "How can you verify that a farmer doesn't use herbicide or pesticides?" They told me they were audited. I asked, "Do you test the end product?" and they said no. I said, "then how can you verify that no pesticide or herbicides are present?" They said it is based on trust.
I really believe Organic associations need to have their own testing facilities, test all batches of every product they certify and do surprise spot chemical composition sample checks. When this happens I will be happier to join. Until then I will continue testing to the best of my ability and move towards a better Organic society.
There are many reasons for herbicide and pesticide residual. They have even been found in the ice at the Poles. Saying this, they are more likely to be found in carrier oils, but not essential oils, due to being more easily soluble in fatty acids. I recently tested a number of Evening Primrose oil samples and one of them had pentane, hexane and an added vegetable oil to it, which of course I have rejected. It had 174 peaks at threshold of 12 while all the other samples had around 134. It also had two peaks that are not present in the other samples. I won't waste anymore time on this as I'm busy and I need to get on with the process of sourcing quality oils, which is an ongoing process.
We do our best by testing to find what we can. I do not believe anyone can guarantee they are not present 100% by just having a symbol to hide behind and it would be misleading to say so. Most oils are what our good suppliers say they are and I hope the day will come when I don't have to reject an oil. It is a wrench in the gears when I do.
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. 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 and same supplier 2004 - 2008). 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. Then again, things change, as of 2008 we have been selling an excellent Organic Orange. Incidentally, expressed Citrus oils are the most likely to have PPM (parts per million) pesticide residual, but ours doesn't.
In 2007 , 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).
Could you please explain the difference between Certified Organic, Organically Grown, Naturally Farmed and Wild?
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. Wild most likely will not have them, Naturally Farmed and Organic hopefully not.
If we at Kobashi find herbicides or pesticides in the oils they will be rejected and the suppliers will be notified.
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, 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. Since originally writing he has now joined and increased his price by 100% for the same exact oil, but certified. So next time we purchase this oil we will have to charge you more. Now that's the definition of perceived inflation. Now we will call it Organic.
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.
Unfortunately, I always ere on the side of caution even if I trust a supplier, as they can make mistakes; it is better to always look for problems when doing quality control.
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, Orange and carrier oils: Cocobutter, Coconut, Evening Primrose, Flax seed, Hempseed, Jojoba, Rosehip seed, Sea Buckthorn, Sesame seed, Sheabutter, 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. This list changes.
Kobashi is against Genetically Modified oils, but the EU and UK governments 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.
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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
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We put Analysis online when we have time. Oregano analysis
A number of different analysis:
Part of me feels it's a waste of time to put analysis on line because we get customers saying, "Why are there so many chemicals in the oil, don't you just have Lavender?"
Putting more of the analysis on line is mainly important to my ego for all the hard work, stop me having to be a paper pusher and it's much more efficient.
Saying this, our testing has had the effect of getting suppliers to collaborate, not waste our time and only supply the best.They hate it when I call them up saying I rejected the oil or don't waste my time and just don't buy. Over the past 25 years we have had very few problems.
At the end of the day it's most important to test because our family and friends use the oils.
So far, due to having good suppliers, 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.
I have tested a number of high street brands in the past just out of curiosity. This is when i find the worst, like a rose absolute with with 60% phthalate plasticizer., they never claimed to be organic, but just a pure essential oil.
Maybe when I retire I will become a essential oils testing police, but right now I have to concentrate on making sure Kobashi oils are the best.
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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 spray.
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. 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.
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. Even when testing, the best scientist can miss low level 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. 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 doing my best to test 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 label, then it should represent that which it is intended.
