In the world of food production, organic certification must be considered important; otherwise, farmers and food processers would not put out the added expense and extra effort required to get the certification and keep it. But exactly who considers organic certification important, and why? Are the Amish — arguably the original organic farmers — jumping in line to get certification? Not likely.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has secured $338,000 reimburse farmers and processors up $750 for the cost of obtaining organic certification. The tax dollars come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which hires FDA agents to inspect farms and processing plants to ensure that products marketed as organic meet federal standards.

These are tax dollars. Our taxes. Just so everyone is clear about who pays for the organic certification, and what we’re getting for the money. Organic is a good thing, but it’s not cheap.

When farmers and food processors convert to organic practices and operations, their motivation falls chiefly into two categories: stewardship and profits. Agriculture, an enterprise steeped in practicality; ultimately and consistently demonstrates that responsible stewardship of farm resources and profitable farming are the exact same thing.

At traditional land-grant universities like Penn State, extensive agricultural research is financed by a mix of public and corporate money, much of it contributed by companies heavily invested in farm products, implements, fertilizers and pesticides. There’s strong implication that the research will shine favorably and measurably on the products — tested and approved.

With organic agriculture, there’s a great irony to the traditional method. Organics stress minimal use of commercial products like pesticides and fertilizer, relying instead on crop rotations, compost and organic soil augmentation, and natural pest and weed control. There are no commercial sponsors willing to pay for research into such things because they are not being mass produced or mass marketed.

Without extensive research, we are slow to establish reliable standards for organic production. It is equally difficult to identify which individuals or groups speak with authority regarding the establishment of such standards. Does the federal government know more than local farmers about organic conditions in Western Pennsylvania? Does the government know more about organic sustainability practices than the Amish? Does the government have data to prove it?

Federal organic certification only adds to the cost of producing crops and farm products. Since it does not does not lower the cost, then logic dictates that the certification must contribute to stewardship and, perhaps, profitability by increasing the value of the products.

“You know you’re getting a product that meets a pretty specific set of guidelines. If it’s USDA certified organic, it meets a very rigorous set of standards,” Shannon Powers, a spokeswoman for the state agriculture department, said in a business page report published Tuesday.

Pennsylvania seems dedicated to this course. From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Agriculture reimbursed 1,258 agriculture operations a total of $1.06 million to defray the cost of organic certification. In September, Gov. Tom Wolf announced $5 million in grants available to dairy producers transitioning to organic operations.

This is the right path to take, but let’s not lose sight of the destination, which is better quality farm products and better stewardship of farmland. We must demand of our legislators and agricultural community a constant accounting of the organic standards being imposed and evaluation of their effectiveness and purpose.