Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers' markets. Meanwhile, it is becoming much more widely available, with market growth rates of around 20% a year since the early 1990s, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of today organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide. In the future, growth is expected to range from 10-50% annually depending on the country. (see facts and statistics below)

The Department of Agriculture has proposed 38 ingredients that could be put in "USDA organic"-labeled foods even though they are not grown organically. Here is the list of ingredients, where they come from, what foods they can be found in, who petitioned for their inclusion on the list and why.

Organic food flown in from poor African countries to the UK has triggered debate over organic certification; the solution may be a transparent voluntary label that directly informs consumers

Buying peaches, apples, bell peppers organic? Good choice. Buying pineapples, mangoes, sweet peas organic? You may be throwing away you money.For some, it may seem like the benefits of buying organic foods justifies the extra cost. But like everything else, it is important to look beyond the label to get the best bang for the buck.

Food labels can sometimes be vague or even misleading. This study tells you what's what, although the conclusions are a bit depressing.

There's a tectonic shift under way in organic agriculture. An organic label was once a way for smaller farms to find a market niche with produce free of synthetic chemicals. But as the demand for organic produce and other products has grown, large farms have started muscling in, sparking intense competition for space in farmers markets, health food