Organic in its simplest term, means it has carbon in its molecular structure. However, today the term organic is used more broadly to mean it is derived from something that was living at one time as compared to a mineral-based or laboratory-synthesized material. USDA maintains a list of pesticides approved for organic food and fiber production. Many pesticides are approved for organic crops, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) for insect control.
For more information on organics, see USDA's National Organic Program website.
