Understanding Organic:
A Research-Based Exploration of Organic Agriculture
Welcome to our new blog series, a collaborative research project between the Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) and the University of Guelph, as part of the capstone work of the School of Environmental Science students. This series will dive into the key differences between organic and conventional agriculture, providing research-based insights into how our food is grown and produced right here in Ontario.
Over the coming weeks, we will explore a selection of Ontario-grown crops and animal products, including apples, honey, spinach, strawberries, eggs, and dairy. Each article will present scientific findings and practical insights to help well-informed consumers better understand the impact of organic farming on health, the environment, and the local economy.
By focusing on credible data and real-world examples, we aim to foster greater trust in organic agriculture and provide clarity on the choices available to Ontario consumers. Stay tuned as we break down the facts and uncover the stories behind the food on your plate!
Putting Your Money Where Your Milk Is: Differences Between Organic and Conventional Dairy Farming
By Wesley Crittenden
In the Grocery Store
Feeling the glossy white tile beneath your feet, you find yourself at a standstill within the dairy aisle. Vivid fluorescent lighting illuminates the diverse stock of products before you. Bottles, cartons, and bags of milk, plastered with a variety of symbols and buzzwords, each one attempting to persuade you through price and packaging. Instinctually, the cheapest product may catch your eye: a generic bag of milk from a conventional dairy farm. The allure of a good deal does not quell your uncertainty, however, for a tall organic carton of milk too has caught your attention. Stuck in a deadlock of decision-making, your focus turns inward as you begin to evaluate the differences and similarities between organic and conventional dairy products, hoping to put your mind at ease once and for all.
Digging into Organic Farming
What is an ‘organic’ dairy farm?
What makes a dairy farm organic in Ontario is the lack of antibiotics, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers and the rules around the humane treatment of livestock (Government of Ontario, 2021). Farms that follow this strict set of rules for three years, and that have been certified by a licensed Certification Body (CB), are allowed to advertise their products as organic and bear the Canada Organic symbol on their packaging. These rules are reviewed every five years by the Canadian General Standards Board, and updates are made to the Organic production systems General principles and management standards (Government of Canada, 2021). Organic farming requires more labour and resources than conventional farming. Organic milk is produced at a slower pace than conventional, however one study found that, over an organic farm’s lifespan, the farm is able to be as just as productive and at least as profitable as a conventional farms, despite reliance on lesser yielding crops and more holistic (less resource-intensive) production methods (Ogini, Stonehouse, Clark, 1999).
Quality of life
Animal welfare is the main priority of any organic dairy farm, where healthcare is a major factor in livestock management. Organic produce is free from antibiotics and other synthetic chemicals; This can be challenging when a dairy cow becomes sick. When an organic dairy cow is sick, the cow is temporarily separated from their herd to recover in order to receive adequate treatment for their condition. This may include antibiotics and other medicines as required. Milk from this cow cannot be labelled as organic again until at least after 30 days of their treatment (Government of Canada, 2021). To prevent abuse from farmers who may continue organic milk production while a cow is sick, the Canadian Organic Standards require a sickly cow to be treated appropriately and immediately (Government of Canada, 2021). Because of these restrictions, all organically-farmed milk can be assumed to come from healthy livestock.
In addition, the cows on an organic dairy farm should always have access to pasture (open land used for grazing) during the growing season (Government of Canada, 2021). In times where forage is unavailable, organic-certified feed –free of additives, GMOs, and other substances– is provided. This feed is typically composed of hay, fodder (a coarse block of hay), and grain. An organic cow’s diet is typically at least 30% forage and the cow must also have access to clean water at all times (Government of Canada, 2021).
Lastly, given that cows are social creatures, their living accommodations on an organic farm must not prevent them from socializing. This style of housing is open, allowing a cow to wander out, or return from, a pasture or equivalent space at will. Inside the housing unit should be large stalls that are available at all times, floored with soft and grippy material. The building overall needs to have proper ventilation, along with protection from the elements. Notably, as of the most recent update to the organic management standards, organic farms are now prohibited from using tie stalls –stalls which cows are physically tied to (Government of Canada, 2021).
Conventional Farming
What is a ‘conventional’ dairy farm?
While there may not be one specific definition of a conventional dairy farm, generally the objective of this type of production is to produce as much milk as possible. This maximizes gross economic output within a set period of time, ensuring supply is able to meet demand (Ogini, Stonehouse, & Clark, 1999). This method is often intensive and large-scale, causing stress on the local environment, and often disrupting the cows’ social behaviours.
Efficiency
A fast rate of production is important to maximize supply and income for a conventional farm. This is achieved through a few common methods. Synthetic means are used to speed up the production of cow feed, such as fertilizers and pesticides. This treatment is applied to crop yield or pasture land, as certain forage and plants like grain, soy, and corn increase cow milk yield (Ogini, Stonehouse, & Clark, 1999).
In terms of space, more cows mean more supply. Because of this, space on a conventional farm is prioritized for milking and compact housing facilities rather than social housing spaces and extensive pasture. This compact space minimizes travel time for cows between places, assuming they’re allowed to roam (e.g. tie stalls), thus minimizing time loss between milking each cow (Ogini, Stonehouse, & Clark, 1999).
In terms of healthcare on conventional dairy farms, sick cows are given medicinal treatment using synthetic medicines like antibiotics, similar to on organic farms. A difference in healthcare between these farms is the treatment of mastitis (or inflammation from infection). Mastitis reduces milk yield due to sickness, thus resulting in an unproductive cow (Ogini, Stonehouse, & Clark, 1999). In addition to antibiotics for treatment, in some countries – namely the United States – artificial growth hormones are used to assist in lactation, thus synthetically resulting in more milk yield than a cow would otherwise naturally produce. Milk produced this way, and imported to Canada in its original form and as other dairy products, is permitted to be sold in stores, though the use of artificial growth hormone is prohibited in Canadian milk production (Government of Canada, 2021).
Purchasing power
When it comes to purchasing milk at the store, how you spend your money is a demonstration of consumer priorities. Conventional dairy farms have a constant high-yield supply, while organic dairy farms have a high quality of life. An organic farm is more labour-intensive and costly, thus driving up the product’s price, while a conventional farm is efficient at the cost of animal welfare, thus driving down the product’s price.
But when you choose organic, you’re not just buying milk—you’re supporting farmers who uphold higher standards, protecting the health of both cows and consumers, and investing in a more sustainable food system. The choice is yours, but the impact lasts far beyond the grocery aisle and your breakfast cereal.
References
Government of Canada. (2021). Organic production systems General principles and management standards. Canadian General Standards Board. Retrieved from: https://publications.gc.ca/site/archivee-archived.html?url=https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/ongc-cgsb/P29-32-310-2020-eng.pdf
Government of Ontario. (November 2021). Organic dairy production in Ontario. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. Retrieved from: https://www.ontario.ca/page/organic-dairy-production-ontario.
Ogini, Y. O., Stonehouse, D. P., & Clark, E. A. (1999). Comparison of organic and conventional dairy farms in Ontario. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 14(3), 122–128. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44503108