The organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of organic food and other organic products. It started during the first half of the 20th century, when modern large-scale agricultural practices began to appear.
Definition An organic product can broadly be described as not containing toxic chemicals (including synthetic pesticides, arsenic-containing herbicides, fertilization biosolids, chemical food additives, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and industrial solvents). In addition to the absence of artificial chemicals, "organic" means not genetically engineered, and having not used ionizing irradiation, which can cause free-radicals and the removal of vitamins. For example, USDA organic restricts against such things, including genetic engineering in products or in the products' animal feed, and automatically disallows the use of GMO products as being labelled as Organic and allows the use of "Non-GMO" labelling similar to The Non-GMO Project.
In the United Kingdom, the term used with food is natural food.
History
Origins The organic movement began in the early 20th century as a response to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides emerging in industrial agriculture. Early advocates included Albert Howard, Robert McCarrison, Viscount Lymington, Edgar J. Saxon, and Frank Newman Turner, who emphasized soil health and ecological farming. In 1940, Lord Northbourne coined the term organic farming in his book Look to the Land, describing the “farm as organism” concept that contrasted “chemical farming versus organic farming.”
Parallel reform currents developed internationally. Rudolf Steiner’s 1924 lectures at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland) gave rise to biodynamic agriculture, which became one of the earliest systematic approaches to organic farming. In Britain, Lady Eve Balfour’s Haughley Experiment (1939) provided the first side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional farming. Her 1943 book The Living Soil helped found the Soil Association (1946). In India, Sir Albert Howard’s An Agricultural Testament (1940) and The Soil and Health (1947) were widely influential, adopting and popularizing the “organic” terminology.
In the United States, J. I. Rodale popularized organic methods from the 1940s through his magazine Organic Farming and Gardening (1942) and publishing house Rodale Press. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) further galvanized public concern about agrichemicals, linking the organic movement to the broader environmental movement.
Natural and Organic Foods Movement (1940s–1970s) By the 1940s, “health food” stores had begun to appear in North America, often influenced by vegetarian, naturopathic, and Seventh-day Adventist traditions. Publications such as Organic Farming and Gardening, Natural Food and Farming (1954), and later East West Journal (1971) provided forums for advocacy.
In 1966, Aveline and Michio Kushi founded Erewhon, a Boston macrobiotic store that became the first major U.S. distributor of imported natural and organic foods. It helped introduce products such as brown rice, miso, and sea vegetables to American consumers. Other distributors soon followed, including Eden Foods (Michigan), Janus (Seattle), Westbrae (California), and Lifestream (Vancouver, Canada). These networks supported the expansion of natural foods co-ops and independent retailers during the 1970s.
The late 1960s and 1970s also saw the rise of countercultural “back-to-the-land” movements and co-operative groceries. Publications such as Diet for a Small Planet (1971) by Frances Moore Lappé popularized plant-based and organic eating among a broader readership. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was founded in Versailles in 1972, linking disparate national organizations including Demeter International (Germany), the Soil Association (UK), and Rodale (U.S.).
Commercial Expansion (1980s–2000s) By the 1980s, natural foods distributors had become a significant industry. Meetings of wholesalers and co-ops created standards and distribution networks that fueled rapid growth. United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), founded in 1976 as Mountain People's Warehouse, became the largest natural foods distributor in North America.
Retail chains emerged as dominant players. Whole Foods Market, founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, grew through acquisitions of regional co-ops and stores such as Bread & Circus, Mrs. Gooch's, and Wild Oats Markets. By the 1990s it had become the largest dedicated organic supermarket chain in the United States. Similar chains expanded internationally, including Fresh & Wild in the UK and Bio Company in Germany.
During this period, government regulation developed. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 led to the National Organic Program (certification standards implemented in 2002). The European Union likewise integrated organic production into its agricultural policy and subsidy framework.
Global Market and Certification (2000s–present) From the 2000s onward, the organic movement has grown into a global market encompassing not only food but also textiles, body care, and household goods. Certification programs expanded worldwide, with IFOAM and national agencies standardizing production and labeling.
By the early 21st century, the organic sector was no longer limited to co-ops and health food stores but had penetrated mainstream supermarkets. Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's, along with conventional grocers carrying private-label organics, made certified organic products widely available.
Environmental awareness, concerns over pesticides, and interest in local food systems continue to drive growth. Activists and scholars within the organic movement now focus not only on certification but also on broader sustainability issues, including food miles, Fair trade, and Regenerative agriculture.
Timeline 1924 – Rudolf Steiner delivers his agriculture lectures at Koberwitz, laying the foundations for Biodynamic agriculture. 1939 – Haughley Experiment begins in Suffolk, England, organized by Lady Eve Balfour. It is the first long-term, side-by-side scientific comparison of organic and conventional farming. 1940 – Lord Northbourne publishes Look to the Land, coining the term organic farming. 1942 – J. I. Rodale launches Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in the United States. 1946 – Soil Association founded in the United Kingdom by Lady Eve Balfour, Jorian Jenks, and George Scott Williamson. 1954 – Natural Food and Farming begins publication in Atlanta, United States, one of the first American journals on natural foods. 1962 – Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is published, catalyzing public concern about pesticides and influencing the environmental and organic movements. 1966 – Erewhon is founded in Boston by Aveline and Michio Kushi, becoming the first major U.S. distributor of macrobiotic and natural foods. 1970 – Lifestream is founded in Vancouver, Canada by Arran and Ratana Stephens, later a key distributor of natural foods in Western Canada. 1971 – Frances Moore Lappé publishes Diet for a Small Planet, which popularizes vegetarianism and organic food in the United States. 1972 – International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) is founded in Versailles, linking national organic farming associations worldwide. 1975 – Bread & Circus opens its first store in Brookline, Massachusetts (later acquired by Whole Foods Market). 1976 – Mountain People's Warehouse is founded in California; it later evolves into United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI). 1980 – Whole Foods Market is founded in Austin, Texas, becoming the largest dedicated organic supermarket chain in the United States. 1980s – Expansion of natural food distributors across North America, including Eden Foods (Michigan), Westbrae (California), Janus (Seattle), and others. 1990 – Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 passed in the United States, establishing national standards for organic production. 1992 – Wild Oats Markets is founded in Boulder, Colorado, expanding into a national chain before merging with Whole Foods in 2007. 2000s – Organic food sales expand rapidly into mainstream supermarkets worldwide. National certification programs are implemented in the United States (National Organic Program) and European Union.
Organic food
Organic companies The recent interest in the organic industry has sparked the interest of many businesses from small local distributors to large companies that distribute many products nationally. The organic market is now a 13 billion dollar a year industry, that continues to grow especially from large corporations such as Wal-Mart that are now offering organic choices to their customers.Clark, Georgia. "The New Horizon for Organics: A Market Outlook of the Effects of Wal-Mart on the International Organic Market". June 2007 Other companies that offer organic options include General Mills and Kraft. Some large companies have bought smaller already established organic companies such as Earth's Best, Rice Dream soy milk, Garden of Eatin', Celestial Seasonings and Health Valley. When larger companies buy smaller companies it is called stealth ownership.
Organic cosmetics Organic cosmetics are products that are made with organic ingredients that were produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers.
The FDA does not have a definition of “Organic” in terms of organic cosmetics. FDA regulates cosmetics under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA).
The USDA (the U.S. Department of Agriculture) requirements for the use of the term “organic” are separate from the laws and regulations that FDA applies for cosmetics. For more information on "organic" labeling for cosmetics, see the NOP publication, "Cosmetics, Body Care Products, and Personal Care Products." Cosmetic products labeled with “organic” must follow both USDA regulations and FDA regulations of organic claims for labeling and safety requirements for cosmetics.
The Agricultural Marketing Service of USDA supervises the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP regulations have the definition of "organic" and provide certification for agricultural ingredients if they have been produced under conditions that would meet the definition. Moreover, the regulations also include labeling standards based on the percentage of organic ingredients in every product.Gpo.gov
The COSMetic Organic and Natural Standard (COSMOS) sets certification requirements for organic and natural cosmetics products in Europe.
Organic farming
Organic land care and landscaping Organic land care, organic landscaping, or organic lawn management is a form of horticulture that relies on organic land management techniques such as mowing high, proper watering, the use of compost, soil amendments, and organic pest control.
In the late 20th century, a movement to manage lawns organically began to grow out of the practices of the organic farming movement. Activists in several U.S. cities have pushed local governments to require organic landscaping. Many private properties worldwide are managed organically, but some locations require organic land care. Local regulations are often responding to a lack of regulation from the federal government and billion-dollar settlements against pesticide manufacturers.