Where does the term "organic" actually mean? It originally was defined to describe a holistic, ecologically friendly approach to farming by a man named Lord Northbourne in his book "Look to the Land" in his description of "organic farming".
This definition differs from the definition of "scientifically" organic which can be defined as a class of molecules that contain carbon.
To be categorized as an organic food, 95% of the product must be organic.
Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives and are made using fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions.
Often organic products are considered "green" products as they do use a more ecologically friendly approach to the environment for the following reasons.
First, organic farms do not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment because one of the conditions of being an organic product is that there can be no synthetic pesticides used in its growing.
Secondly, organic farms often have a variety of plants and animals, including insects, that work toward a common goal and create a diverse ecosystems.
Finally, when calculated by either unit of yield or unit of area, organic farms use less energy and product less waste than their competitors.
Organic products are often priced higher than their competitors as the number of organic products is quite a bit less than mass produced products and there are different, more rigid steps that must be followed in their production, leading to higher costs of manufacture.
Nonetheless, organic food is one of the fastest growing sectors of the marketplace as more and more families are concentrating on doing their part to help the environment.
While organic items are most noticeably in the arena of food, recently there have been organic products developing all over the place, including personal care amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash and soaps.
One leading manufacturer of hotel amenities, Pharmacopia, produces their line of popular amenities products using natural, organic ingredients.
This line is often found at hotels and Bed and Breakfasts that are, themselves, "green".