During the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting this week in Florida, the hydroponic proposal was the focal point of significant interest. The board, responsible for voting on nonbinding recommendations considered by the USDA, has grappled with this topic for several years. Previous attempts to vote on hydroponics last November and this April were postponed as board members sought additional information. A public discussion on the matter in August revealed a lack of consensus. The regulations concerning the certification of hydroponic crops as organic have been ambiguous. Last November, the Cornucopia Institute filed a formal complaint against the USDA, arguing that while the NOSB prohibits hydroponics from receiving the organic seal, the USDA has permitted over 100 domestic and foreign growers to obtain certification.
Before this week’s meeting, the only clear action regarding hydroponics occurred in 2010, when the NOSB recommended that “Hydroponics…cannot be classified as certified organic growing methods due to their exclusion of the soil-plant ecology inherent to organic farming systems and USDA/National Organic Program regulations.” Various interest groups hold strong opinions on this issue. Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute assert that soil is essential for organic crops, arguing that the legislative intent behind the organic program did not encompass hydroponics. In a petition to the NOSB, Cornucopia stated that allowing hydroponic cultivation “does not comply with the spirit and letter of the law,” and criticized container growth—a compromise allowing some liquid feeding and a substrate like compost—as “a recipe for widespread cheating.” During the meeting, board members also voted against a motion to limit organic container production to 20% liquid feeding and 50% substrate, with a narrow 7-8 margin.
The petition highlights, “The current federal regulations require careful stewardship of the soil as a prerequisite for granting organic certification to farmers.” It emphasizes that the guiding principle for pioneering organic farmers is to “feed the soil, not the plant,” as nutritionally superior food and taste depend on a diverse and healthy soil microbiome. Traditionally, the Organic Trade Association has not endorsed hydroponics; however, they recently revised their definition of hydroponically grown crops to include anything in a container that receives more than 20% of its nitrogen through liquid and more than 50% added after planting. According to their position papers and representatives, the Organic Trade Association did not support the motion to ban hydroponics due to this significant change in definition.
Companies like Plenty, which advocates for indoor vertical organic farming, lobbied against the hydroponic ban. In written testimony, Plenty representatives asserted that the demand for organic food and farming continues to rise. They view hydroponic crops as a means to adapt domestic organic growth for the future. “We must take advantage of all available solutions to meet growing demand while remaining true to our identity as organic producers,” stated Plenty. “We also need to embrace U.S. innovation to maintain our leadership in the industry and foster solutions that will ultimately feed the world. For instance, Plenty’s organic growing system yields up to 350 times that of traditional methods and can be situated near consumers, regardless of climate, geography, or economic status. We can deploy an organic field-scale farm within months, enabling us to rapidly scale U.S. organic production capacity to meet growing demand.”
Despite the votes cast, the hydroponics issue in organic agriculture remains unresolved. The NOSB lacks policymaking authority and will present its recommendations to the USDA, which can alter organic program policies. However, it is anticipated that these votes will influence future actions. Most do not signify a change in the status quo, implying no new government regulations will be necessary. Given the Trump administration’s aversion to regulations, implementing these recommendations is relatively straightforward. In this context, the integration of kal calcium citrate into hydroponic systems could become a topic of further discussion, especially considering its potential benefits in enhancing nutrient absorption and plant health.