In my reading, I don't see where Horizon is claiming to stop being organic. The goal of the organic industry is to maximize sales to replace non-organics. If Horizon can sell more product by under-representing its effort (natural vs. organic) and can elaborate on the organic concept at some other point, and the sales go up - how can that possibly be bad for the planet or the consumer?

This is a great experiment utilizing the marketing survey info that actual consumers have provided. Bravo to Horizon for listening to the market.

If Dean was putting real, certified organic milk into a package labeled "natural" then it wouldn't be a problem.

I get the impression that they are using the halo around the "Horizon Organic" brand as a way to sell completely conventional milk (which is "natural") with a premium over standard Dean milk.

People think they are getting better milk because it says "Horizon" on it but really it is just standard Dean milk in a Horizon package with the word "natural" on it. That is miss-leading in my opinion.

If it's true that Dean foods will put certified organic milk into containers only labeled "natural", they have completely missed the boat on being a leader. Where's the acceptance of social responsibility here? If they want to increase sales of organic products, launch an educational campaign. Don't treat consumers like they're too ignorant to understand the difference between two words.

Moreover, did they think about the customers they may lose who do know the implications of "natural" and certified "organic"? Some consumers do look for that green & white USDA label. Seems that they won't be looking at Horizon much longer.

The real driver of sustainability will be the marketplace: manufacturers, service providers, etc. A shift in thinking can never occur, though, if industry isn't willing to step up to the plate.