Source: Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC)
By Rupert Jannasch

A novel trend may be emerging in organic agriculture - crop production without soil. It is curious because organic food production has, without exception, always been dependent on fertile soil. Certification standards provide detailed guidelines on how to protect, conserve and build soil. Biological soil processes are essential to converting organic fertilizers into forms useable by plants. How is it that soil-less culture using nutrients dissolved in water - the system known as hydroponics - is considered organic?