You may have heard local farmers, upon inquiring whether their produce is organic, tell you that while they don’t have the certification to show for it, they still use the organic growing practices, they just can’t use the word “organic” because they could get fined. Instead of calling it organic produce, they can call it sustainably grown.
Interestingly, organic isn’t necessarily sustainable, and vice versa. Generally, produce is considered organic if the crops are maintained without the use of chemical pesticides, the farmers plant organic seeds to produce organic crops, and the crops are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). But unfortunately, organic farming doesn’t ensure sustainability.
Conversely, it is considered sustainable agriculture when the farmer is growing the crops without depleting natural resources. The nutrients taken from the soil must be replaced using natural methods.
Personally, I prefer the sustainable growing practices from local farmers that technically use both methods because this way, we will be able to continue living off the land without depleting natural resources and ruining the earth. That’s also a good reason to buy seasonal produce, which is grown in the optimal conditions for that plant.