What is actually meant by "organic" food?

Lee Silver takes a closer look at claims surrounding the benefits of organic food:

Organic food is defined not by any material substance in the food itself, but instead by the "holistic" methods used on organic farms. Furthermore, the physical attributes of the product and any effects it might have on environment or health are explicitly excluded from U.S., European, and international definitions.

The implicit, unproven assumption is that organic agriculture is -- by its very nature -- better for the environment than so-called conventional farming. The European Commission states as a matter of fact that "organic farmers use a range of techniques that help sustain ecosystems and reduce pollution." Yet, according to self-imposed organic rules, genetic modification in the laboratory is strictly forbidden, even if its purpose is to reduce an animal's negative impact on the environment.

I've always been a little sceptical about the whole business of organic food, and hasten to remind myself whenever faced with organic products of how little that actually means, if anything at all. All too often, people exhibit an unfailing propensity to lend themselves to all sorts of unsubstantiated bullshit. Cynicism, in all the right doses, can help ward off such curses.