More than 2 dozen organic labels?

In the latest Green Buzz newsletter from Green Bizz, Joel Makower writes:

That 2 dozen really stuck out to me. I know there's USDA organic, QAI organic certification, and Oregon Tilth, but what else is there?

Hi

There is only ONE organic label,and it's the USDA organic. It's green and white usually. QAI and Oregon Tilth are the agencies we pay to get the USDA logo on our packages. The USDA doesn't certify anyone, that's why we pay the 3rd party companies. It cost thousands of dollars to get certified, and we pay each year just as much to stay certified.

The only real confusing part is that there are 3 levels of certification.

100% Organic

95 % Organic

Make with Organic Ingredients, that has to have at least 70% organic . 

companies now list this pretty clear if you know to look for this. Don't worry about of the other labels, those are just the companies we pay to get certified. 

What really gets me is "natural".

Yes, an almond is natural, but as soon as you spray it with pesticides I think that word shouldn't be used. Companies that don't want to, or can't afford to, pay to get certified (it cost us $5000/yr) use this term sometimes in a very misleading way.

I called Frito Lay and asked if their corn was non GMO. The very nice lady on the phone said they buy their corn on the open market and can't be sure it isn't GE. So when you buy a bag of Sunchips and all the chips actually with corn in them, and canola and cottonseed oil, you are most likely eating a bag of genetically engineered food. And they have "natural" all over the bag. Then the nice lady sent me two coupons for .55 off. Nice! 

here is a pretty good link:

http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/12_how_to_read_the_usda_organic_labels.cfm