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Organic: Chemically, a compound or molecule
containing carbon bound to hydrogen. Organic compounds make up all living
matter. The term organic frequently is used to distinguish "natural" products or
processes from man-made "synthetic" ones. Thus natural fertilizers
include manures or rock phosphate, as opposed to fertilizers synthesized from
chemical feedstocks. Likewise, organic farming and
organic foods refer to the growing of food crops
without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides
or fertilizers; pests are controlled by cultivation techniques and the use of
pesticides derived from natural sources (e.g., rotenone and pyrethrins, both
from plants) and the use of natural fertilizers (e.g., manure and compost). Some
consumers, alleging risks from synthetic chemicals, prefer organic food
products. The FACT Act of 1990 required
USDA to define organic foods for marketing purposes and
implement a National Organic Program.
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