NGO warns that regulations for harmful pesticides would be weakened by policy proposed in a transatlantic trade agreement The Guardian by Elizabeth Grossman Source: Don McCullough International trade agreement proposals could roll back protections from harmful pesticides in the US and EU, according to a new report (pdf) expected to be released Wednesday. As part… Read more »
New Prague Organic Dairy Affected by CapX2020 Closes
Star Tribune by Emma Nelson Cedar Summit Farms is closing after winning a suit requiring that utilities buy farmland. Cedar Summit Farm, a family-run dairy famous for its creamy organic milk from grass-fed cows, is closing. The Minar family, which farmed the land in New Prague since 1926, had been locked in a lawsuit with… Read more »
Anti-GMO Measure Qualifies for May Ballot
Corvallis Gazette-Times by Bennett Hall Benton Food Freedom Voters in the May election will be asked to determine the future of genetically engineered crops in Benton County. An initiative that would ban the planting of genetically modified organisms or patented seeds has qualified for the May 19 ballot. Backers of the anti-GMO ballot measure, known… Read more »
GMO Potatoes Have Arrived. But Will Anyone Buy Them?
NPR by Dan Charles Source: The Daily Call On the face of it, the new potato varieties called “Innate” seem attractive. If you peel the brown skin off their white flesh, you won’t find many unsightly black spots. And when you fry them, you’ll probably get a much smaller dose of a potentially harmful chemical…. Read more »
A Young Generation Sees Greener Pastures In Agriculture
NPR by Jennifer Mitchell Source: In My Backyard Misty Hollow, Sally Hammerman America’s heartland is graying. The average age of a farmer in the U.S. is 58.3 — and that number has been steadily ticking upward for more than 30 years. Overall, fewer young people are choosing a life on the land. But in some… Read more »
U.S Organic Dairy Politics: Animals, Pasture, People and Agribusiness
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan– a division of St. Martin’s Press (in the US) A review by James Goodman Bruce Scholten’s in-depth and thoughtful analysis of U.S. organic dairy politics begins with his own memories of growing up on a Washington State dairy farm. From what was common in his childhood, small dairy farms operated by multi-generational… Read more »
Table Sugar vs. High-Fructose Corn Syrup: Which Is Worse?
Sugar isn’t healthy, but some sweeteners may be worse than others—especially when you don’t realize they’re in your food. Rodale News by Julia Westbrook Source: Pay No Mind When you say that you’re ready to cut out sugar, you’ll have to dig a little deeper than just taking your coffee unsweetened. Table sugar isn’t the… Read more »
Remembering Jerry Brunetti
Many people have been touched by Jerry Brunetti’s educational work on soil health and animal nutrition (and their impact on human health) over the years. Jerry was a long time Cornucopia member, supporter and a friend. Someone Jerry was very close to, and a mutual friend, Will Winter DVM, has written an eloquent, short tribute to… Read more »
Can GMOs Save the World?
Aljazeera America by Anna Lappé Source: Peter Blanchard In October in Istanbul, farmers, agricultural researchers and advocates from around the world gathered for the Organic World Congress, organized by the 42-year-old International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM). With 800 affiliates in 124 countries, IFOAM comes together every three years to gauge its global efforts to promote… Read more »
Bolivian Women Bank on Sweet Success of Quinoa Bars
Women in a Bolivian cooperative hope to boost income by adding value to their quinoa crop through making chocolate-coated energy bars The Guardian by Sam Jones Source: Bioversity International Behind curtains of plastic sheeting in a small room off the main square of a highland town, four women are doing something novel, tasty and very… Read more »
