Organic farmers object to Whole Foods new ratings system

New York

LIKE a whale and the myriad barnacles clinging to its sides, Whole Foods Market and organic farmers have long had a symbiotic relationship.

The grocer has helped stoke the American appetite for organic products, building stores that are essentially showcases for organic fruits, vegetables and flowers tagged with the names of the farmers who grow them.

But that mutually beneficial relationship is now fraying, as Whole Foods faces increasing competition from mainstream grocery chains and as organic farmers find more and more outlets for their produce.

Now, some organic farmers contend that Whole Foods is quietly using its formidable marketing skills and its credibility with consumers to convey that conventionally grown produce is just as good - or even better - than their organically grown products. Shoppers can choose from fruits and vegetables carrying the designation of "good", "better" or "best". The longtime suppliers to Whole Foods are complaining that the programme, called Responsibly Grown, can grant a farmer…