It may not be a surprise to you, but it came as a shock to me.

At first, I thought organic crops must not use any pesticides or fertilizers. But that's not true. To be officially Certified Organic, a crop must follow specific rules. It must be produced without using banned materials and methods, like sewage sludge and genetic engineering. A USDA National Organic Program-approved certifying agent must also oversee the documentation and production processes of a farm producing a crop, including a farm visit.

However, some fertilizers and pesticides are allowed.

Allowed inputs typically include but are not limited to the following:

• Biological pesticides
• Botanical pesticides
• Dormant and summer oils
• Fatty acid insecticidal soaps
• Minerals
• Pheromones

Most fertilizers are from natural sources, but some synthetic ones are approved too.

This doesn't mean the certification is totally fake. But even the USDA approves using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for Certified Organic crops.