The interest in organics for many entails a combination of a desire for healthier diets and social issues, such as environmental health, family farms, animal welfare and the local economy. Organic consumers are also leery of other common factors including GMOs, hexane extraction, “factory farms,” and imported foods, especially China given recent ingredient contamination problems and lax USDA oversight of organic standards in imported ingredients.
The Cornucopia Institute, Cornucopia, WI, developed a research paper and accompanying Organic Soy Scorecard to educate the organic consumer on how various companies meet their criteria. The scorecard rates organic soy-food brands based on ten criteria, including soybean sourcing and production practices. Some of the questions asked include:
- Are the soybeans sourced from American organic farmers, or are they imported from China, India or South America?
- Is the company committed to organic agriculture by using only organic soybeans and marketing only organic products?
- Does the company find loopholes in the organic standards to buy cheaper nonorganic ingredients vs. organic ones?