When Is Organic Beer Not Organic Beer?

When the USDA permits use of non-organic hops, grown with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.¹

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) disparages the USDA for considering this change since it ...

"... offers unfair advantages to large-scale breweries. There are many micro-breweries now selling truly organic beers (with organic hops). These companies cannot compete with the prices of larger companies stepping into the "organic" beer business, like Budweiser, who will be allowed to use less expensive, conventionally grown hops (non-organic hops costs less than half as much as organic hops)."
- Organic Consumers Association, USDA To Allow More Conventional Ingredients In Organics

Budweiser is owned by Anheuser-Busch, who recently debuted two new organic beers, Stone Mill Pale Ale and Wild Hop Lager.

The USDA is accepting public comments on this proposal until Tuesday, May 22, at Regulations.gov. Or you can visit the OCA's site and sign their petition.
________¹ USDA, National Organic Program (NOP) - Proposed Amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (Processing), [Docket No. AMS-TM-07-0062; TM-07-06]