It’s about the triple thread of health that conventional food production ignores: Soil. Biodiversity. People. A healthy food system doesn’t compartmentalize but operates on the foundational belief that the wellbeing of each—from the soil that crops are planted in, to the insects that pollinate those crops, to the people they feed—is inherently interdependent.

It’s about respect for nature’s own finely tuned system, from the communication networks of fungi and tree roots to the other billions of living organisms in the soil where they make their home. It’s about choosing to work harmoniously with nature, rather than silencing it with synthetic inputs. It’s about the critical importance of nurturing biodiversity as a foundation for farming, from soil communities to native plants to beneficial insects and pollinators.

It’s about the peace of mind that comes with knowing that organically produced food will significantly lighten the load of toxic chemicals that our children encounter moving through the modern world. But not only that—it’s the added benefit of knowing that organically grown food also reduces the burden of chemical exposures that farmers and their communities face; it’s the certainty that pollinators aren’t encountering neonicotinoid pesticides on organic farms, that habitat for wildlife and native plants is protected, and that healthy soil supports a climate resilient way of producing food. And it’s also about the comfort of knowing that the organic supply chain is traceable from seed to your grocery basket.

This September we want to express our gratitude to the farmers and farm workers, the advocates, the innovators, and the eaters that keep the certified organic flame burning strong, and to a food production system doing its best to make an imperfect world a better place.