Some one-minded, generally ignorant 'Organic' dirt farmers don’t think Aquaponics or Hydroponics qualifies, and in recent weeks called the USDA on the carpet because the head of the official organics program qualified Aquaponic or Hydroponic producers as ‘organic’ – opening the window to USDA Certification for soil-less growers.

Corporate organic farm board members are so put-out over this new competitive threat that they want the program chief’s resignation for ruling in favour of Aquaponics or Hydroponics produce certification.

Get a grip people… Aquaponic uses fish waste, and sometimes some mineral supplements. How is this different than feeding soil-grown plants fish emulsion, manure, and adjusting the fertility of said soil with additives to raise or lower calcium, iron, and the like? It’s not really.

The reality, It is very easy for a properly run Aquaponics Greenhouse to comply. We are all anti-chemical in our approach to what we do.

The Chemical Free Farmers Association of Australia certification confirms that we are indeed the providers of CHEMICAL FREE, PURE FOOD. Meaning its Organic, Yes, it vindicates the Aquaponics method and the thing that is most important to consumers....."Pure Food" more so than soil-organics. What traditional organic certifiers don't tell us is that annual checks are lacking, once a certification is given, some soil-producers revert back to some non-organic practices, also not taken into account is the residual elements within the soil, following use of dreadful chemicals over the last 100 years, residues still in the soil.

Even if the organic farmer's current practices are approved as organic, the soil cannot be so controlled. Aquaponics on the other hand, fish will die if ANY chemical traces are in the 'closed symbiotic' system. These fish are the true organic certifiers! 

Keep in mind, if ANY non-organic substance enters the Aquaponic system, the fish die within hours! 

The real difference is that they are open to the threats produced by the whims of Nature, while the Aquaponic farmer is often using a controlled climate in a closed system. Some growers in warm climates like Australia, Hawaii and Southern California might be able to grow Aquaponic outdoors, but that puts your crops in danger of damage by wind, free-ranging insects, diseases, in climate weather, and so on. Why would any savvy techno grower put their efficiency at stake like this? It’s much smarter to keep things as easy and disruption-free as possible, and at least house your Aquaponic crops inside a greenhouse so you can harness the sun while protecting the harvest from everything else that could erupt.

Truth be known, there are synthetic inputs allowed in bringing organic produce to market. It’s not ‘all natural’ in the food supply. So, its surprising to hear comments like the following found in the Washington Post: “Those heads of lettuce that are grown indoors? Yes, they’re beautiful. But it’s just a green leaf with water in it,” said Jeff Moyer, long-time farm director of the Rodale Institute, an organic research outfit. “They can’t possibly have the vitamins and minerals that lettuce grown in soil would have.”

HERE'S THE NO-BRAINER FACTS 

Do we detect a little snobbery here? Surely this man is educated enough to know that vitamins and minerals are included in the nutrient solution for hydroponic lettuce, and that fish poop is just as much a plant nutrient as cow manure.

The organisation that certified Aquaponics as organic, non-chemical is the Chemical Free Farmers Association of Australia which is in turn an affiliate of and under the control of the overarching body, IFOAM Organics International. Visit their website here https://www.ifoam.bio/en/about-us

We rest our case!

How much more Organic can you be? Aquaponics is certifiably ORGANIC

organic

or·​gan·​ic | \ ȯr-ˈga-nik  \

Definition of organic

1a: of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertiliser of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilisers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides organic farming organic produce.

of, relating to, or derived from living organisms organic evolution

b: relating to, being, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with the carbon compounds of living beings and most other carbon compounds studied organic chemistry in college

of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds organic solvents

2a: having systematic coordination of parts : ORGANIZED an organic whole

Source: International Merriam-Webster Dictionary since 1828.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organic  Reference: Chemical Free Farmers Association of Australia 

Aquaponic Warrior are proudly associates and support Practical Aquaponics as our Affiliated Aquaponic Farming educator. Our inclusion with all sales of our Aquaponic systems to our buyers. Its part of our commitment to pure aquaponics.