Where You Shop Matters

Employees holding up products in a grocery store

An excerpt from Concentration and Power in the Food System by Dr. Phil Howard Retailing is the closest link in the food chain to consumers. This structural position gives these firms a gatekeeper role, and thereby the potential to wield enormous power over both consumers and suppliers. Rigorous enforcement of US antitrust laws encouraged supermarket… Read more »

Common Ground

A pile of different colored carrots

A New Hampshire food hub models how community support is essential to the future of organic farms By Michele Marchetti One year after Molly Alfonso joined Vegetable Ranch, her mentor — owner and organic food champion Larry Pletcher — suddenly passed away. “I was devastated,” she recalls. “It was hard to move forward. But I… Read more »

Cornucopia in the news

quote from ED

The Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) Rule has ignited controversy from every corner of the food system. Called “too weak” by some and draconian by others, this rule will profoundly impact the market, whether or not it passes. As quoted in Food Safety News, Cornucopia Board Chair and organic poultry producer Cameron Molberg says, “We… Read more »

Report from the October 2022 NOSB Meeting

rows of crops covered in plastic with sun in background

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) held its fall 2022 meeting in Sacramento, California. For over a decade The Cornucopia Institute has covered these proceedings, and we continue to make this vital information about organic food production available to you. Here’s our analysis of the meeting’s highlights: Request for Technical Support The NOSB has issued… Read more »

Cornucopia Decries Big Ag’s Efforts to Kill Animal Welfare Regulation

Mobile Coop Chickens

What industry doesn’t want you to know VIROQUA, Wis., Oct 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The long arms of Big Ag are reaching into organic. A flurry of closed-door meetings with lawmakers has drawn out the public comment period on an animal welfare rule in organic, giving the conventional food industry more time to overwhelm the Federal Register… Read more »

The Cultivator – Fall 2022

The Fall 2022 Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly print newsletter, is off the press. Featuring independent journalism and stories you won’t read anywhere else, the Cultivator is mailed to supporters as a benefit of their gift. For a look at what supporters receive, view on your browser or download the PDF here. Highlights of this issue include: Where Did the Grain… Read more »

A Formula for Disaster

Woman reading an infant formula label

How one independent, organic brand is easing the formula crisis By Michele Marchetti Earlier this year Memphis hospital pediatricians admitted two children with dehydration caused by intolerance to a formula substitution made after their regular specialized formula was suddenly out of stock. The story was just one of many reported in the months after Abbott… Read more »

Now is the Time for a United Front Against Industrialization

Aerial photo of factory farm with four large buildings

UPDATE: Deadline to comment extended to November 10 The deadline for OLPS comments has been extended to November 10. While this allows more time for consumer and retailer support, industry will take full advantage of this opportunity. Your comment is more important than ever! The unparalleled importance of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule… Read more »

Changemaker Fighting for Transparency

"Food can be a force that brings people together to mobilize change" graphic with an image of a meal

Advocating for kids with an allergy to carrageenan By Michele Marchetti Food Service Director Amanda Warren first discovered carrageenan on the cartons of strawberry milk served to kids in her school lunch program. After some digging, she was quickly inspired to remove the milk from the menu. Four years later, carrageenan’s problematic nature has become… Read more »

Cornucopia Releases New Local Organic Dairy Map

Two brown cows standing in a field

VIROQUA, Wis.,  July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Dairy may be divisive, but eaters are still buying milk — not to mention slices of cheese for their equally controversial burger. Avoiding dairy that comes from feedlot cows requires homework. But Cornucopia’s new Local Organic Dairy Map identifying authentic organic dairy takes the guesswork out of your grocery… Read more »