Industrial Hydroponics Poised to Take Over

Testify at Florida NOSB meeting/attend farmer rally

The semi-annual National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting begins October 31 in Jacksonville, Florida, with a focus on the controversy swirling around hydroponics and organics.  At issue is the rise of soil-less hydroponic production, much of it imported and on a gargantuan industrial scale. The USDA has been allowing these operations to claim certified organic status despite their reliance on liquid fertilization and lacking any relation to soil fertility building.

USDA Secretary Perdue tours a hydroponic farm Source: USDA

You can speak up for true organics by testifying at the meeting.  But you need to sign up now to ensure access to one of the limited speaking slots.  You can send written comments to the NOSB as well.

You can also sign up to testify over the phone. Although a greater investment in time and money, being there in person wields tremendous power. The NOSB greatly respects the testimony of real farmers.

In addition, a lunchtime rally for soil-based organic agriculture is planned for Tuesday, October 31 in Jacksonville to put pressure on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to uphold organic integrity.  The rally is supported by leading organic farmers, consumers, and good food activists. Read Full Article »

Posted in Action Alerts

Sample images of chicken and distributor information

Cornucopia’s scorecard ratings help you choose the best food for your family while rewarding the most ethical organic producers.

We are starting investigative work to develop a new scorecard to rate brands of organic chicken and turkey, and we need your help!

In order to include all possible brands on the poultry scorecard, we need to know what brands of certified organic chicken and turkey are available at retail in your local grocery store or co-op.

Here’s how you can help: the next time you are food shopping, note the organic turkey or chicken brands available in your grocery store. Take a photo of the label or write down the following information:

1. The brand name
2. The organic certifier’s name
3. The processor or distributor’s name (if different than the brand name)
4. The name and location of the store

All of this should be available on the poultry package or on store signage.

NOTE: We are only collecting information on certified organic brands. Read Full Article »

Posted in Action Alerts

Help us determine where all the major brands are sourcing their milk by submitting your milk carton’s plant code.

You may have heard the buzz surrounding The Washington Post’s scathing investigative report Why Your ‘Organic’ Milk May Not Be Organic. Due to the exposure of the Aurora Dairy scandal, we’re sure you will agree that organic dairy is at a crossroads — help us identify the trustworthy brands!

National retailers or distributors, marketing “private label” brands (also called “store brands”), change their sourcing frequently or may have different suppliers for different regions of the country.

The plant code is circled above

We need information about store brand milk. You can help us shape transparency in the marketplace with your personal investigation. Plant codes found on milk containers can give the organic community information about the source of our organic milk.

Send us your plant codes today!

1. Please visit grocery stores, big-box retailers (Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.) and write down the plant codes (organic brands only).

Codes are usually printed near the top of the paper container and somewhere on the lids of gallon containers. Sometimes they’re printed right on the label. Write down all the numbers, but we are most interested in numbers configured similarly to Aurora Dairy’s 08-29 (could appear as 08 29). For more on finding the code, click here. Read Full Article »

Posted in Action Alerts

Tell the USDA Growing in Factory Farm Fish Waste/Conventional Soybean Slurry, under Artificial Lighting, is not Organic!

A few years ago, the organic community was shocked to find out that the USDA’s National Organic Program was quietly allowing the certification of hydroponic operations despite the law! Organic regulations clearly state that nurturing the fertility of the soil is an integral part of organic management.

Hydroponic Pepper Operation (c) Dario Sabljak/Adobe Stock

Unlabeled, it is impossible for organic consumers to tell what fruits and vegetables are grown in nutrient-rich soil (impacting flavor and our health) or grown in a liquid fertilizer solution, in industrial conditions, and  imported from countries like Canada, Mexico and Holland — where it cannot legally be labeled as “organic”!

Much of the hydroponic or “container” grown fruits and vegetables are produced inside sealed warehouse-sized buildings under artificial lighting — with liquid fertilizer that could come from a myriad of different waste products or even highly processed GMO soybeans. Currently more than 100 facilities are supplying U.S. consumers with “organic” hydroponic fruits and vegetables, including the giant berry producer Driscoll’s. Read Full Article »

Posted in Action Alerts

[The Sierra Club and The Cornucopia Institute have formally requested the USDA prohibit the use of wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations in organic food production. Read the letter here.]

Sign the Petition to Ban the Use of Frack and
Sewage Wastewater for Growing Organic Food

The USDA needs to tighten federal standards to prohibit the use for crop irrigation of fracking wastewater from oil and gas drilling, and from the nation’s municipal sewage treatment systems, in organic food production.

Research shows that the copious amounts of frack wastewater, a byproduct of the hydraulic fracturing technique in gas and oil production, are contaminated with toxic chemicals and oil.  And recent reporting has indicated its use in growing organic food in California.

Effluent from sewage plants, which co-mingles waste from domestic and industrial sources, can contain pathogens and drug residues in addition to heavy metals and toxic chemicals and should similarly be prohibited for use in the growing of organic food.

Please add your name to the petition to let the USDA know that fracking and sewage wastewaters should not be used to grow organic crops. Read Full Article »

Posted in Action Alerts, Cornucopia News