Snafu Could Stall Food Safety Bill
UPDATE! Blomberg Businessweek Mary Clare Jalonick A procedural snafu may hold up action on food safety legislation that passed the Senate Tuesday. The Senate bill contains fees that could be considered tax provisions, which under congressional rules supposed to originate in the House, according to House and Senate aides who requested anonymity because they were […]
VIDEO: Dirty Little Secret in the Natural Soyfoods Industry — Toxic Chemical Use — Organics Offers Alternative
A neurotoxic chemical solvent is commonly used to process soy foods — including food labeled as “natural” — The Cornucopia Institute explains how consumers can avoid hexane-extracted foods in the grocery store.
Dirty Little Secret in the Natural Foods Industry: Toxic Chemical Use
Solvents Banned in Organics all too Common in “Natural” Food Production CORNUCOPIA, WI—Since 2009, when research by The Cornucopia Institute exposed “the dirty little secret” of the soyfoods industry, vocal concern from consumers over the use of the toxic solvent hexane has led several prominent food companies to switch to cleaner soy ingredients in their […]
5 Myths about hunger in America
Washington Post By Robert Egger No one goes hungry in America. 1. Hunger is supposed to happen in other places – in distant countries where droughts or storms or famine compel us to donate money and oblige our government to send relief workers and food aid. In reality, hunger also hits much closer to home. […]
U.S. corn ethanol “was not a good policy”-Gore
Reuters Africa By Gerard Wynn ATHENS (Reuters) – Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore said support for corn-based ethanol in the United States was “not a good policy”, weeks before tax credits are up for renewal. U.S. blending tax breaks for ethanol make it profitable for refiners to use the fuel even when it is more […]
(ALERT OVER) Factory Farm Vegetable Lobbyists Go After Organic/Local Growers in Food Safety Debate — One Last Phone Call to Your Senators Could Make a Difference
Agribusiness Shows Its True Colors! Even though an agreement was reached on the Tester-Hagan amendment last week, by the leadership in the Senate, this issue in the food safety bill is still not over! The Tester-Hagan amendment would exempt smaller, organic and local growers from expensive regulatory burdens.
NCGA Urges Consumers to Say ‘No, Thanks’ to GE Beets
National Cooperative Grocers Association (link no longer available) Iowa City, Iowa — It may be our last chance to say “beet it” to genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets. The National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) encourages consumers to voice their opinion on GE sugar beets to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by Dec. 6 though the […]
Conventional Cattle on Factory Dairies Producing “Organic” Milk
Illegal Practice Damaging Family Farmers and Defrauding Consumers CORNUCOPIA, WIS: A Wisconsin-based farm policy research group, The Cornucopia Institute, announced this week that it is filing a formal legal complaint in an attempt to immediately halt the USDA from allowing factory farms producing “organic” milk from bringing conventional dairy cattle onto their farms. Cornucopia claims […]
Growers Talk Changing Marketplace
Conventional, organic farmers both see increasing emphasis on ‘local’ Capital Press (this link no longer available) By STEVE BROWN MARYSVILLE, Wash. — It’s not easy being an organic farmer. For that matter, it’s not so easy being a conventional farmer, either. Four organic and conventional farmers sat down to compare notes during the recent Focus on […]
Senate Fails to Vote on Food-Safety Bill
The Wall Street Journal By Bill Tomson WASHINGTON—The Senate failed to vote as planned Thursday on passage of a bill to overhaul the nation’s food-safety system and grant new powers to the Food and Drug Administration, a delay that may threaten the legislation. Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) blamed the delay on the insistence of […]
Hagan and Tester Successfully Fight for Farmers
Senators came to an agreement to include the Tester-Hagan amendment as part of the food safety bill WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) and Jon Tester (D-MT) successfully fought for small farmers. An agreement was reached on the Tester-Hagan amendment to the Food Safety Modernization Act, which is currently being […]
Grass-based Organic Dairy Farming Promotes Cow Health, Enhances Milk Quality, and Lightens the Environmental Footprint of Dairy Farming
The Organic Center (this link no longer available) Reproductive health problems on high-production, grain-based dairies lead to fewer and longer lactations, increasing costs and cutting lifelong production and revenue BOULDER, Colo. (November 10, 2010) – Organic dairy farming systems promote cow health and longevity by placing less stress on cows and feeding them healthier forage-based diets, […]
