Partners with Agribusiness for Corporate Takeover CORNUCOPIA, WISCONSIN: A report released today by The Cornucopia Institute, the nation’s most aggressive organic farming watchdog, accuses Wal-Mart of cheapening the value of the organic label by sourcing products from industrial-scale factory farms and Third World countries, such as China. (Click here to view the Wal-Mart White Paper.)… Read more »
The E. coli Spinach Contamination Issue
Media Talking Points FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2000 The following information is a counter to the attempt by right-wing think tanks (the Hudson Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, etc.) who are already trying to exploit the spinach E. coli contamination crisis to discredit organic farming practices. Think tank funding for much of this… Read more »
Free Range Poultry Under Assault
Friends – Here’s a heads-up. The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (Big Ag) is at it again. A key policy resolution that they are pushing for this year calls on the USDA to eliminate access to the outdoors for poultry due to the avian influenza scare. The country’s largest egg production trade group has a… Read more »
USDA Undermines Organic Law
Authority of Expert Panel Ignored Contact: Amy Kenyon, 607-643-1724 Mark Kastel, 608-625-2000 CORNUCOPIA, WI: Organic livestock farmers may soon have access to additional medicines to treat their animals for common ailments. The USDA’s National Organic Program has proposed rule changes to add thirteen new materials to the “National List” of approved substances for organic… Read more »
Nation’s Largest Organic Milk Marketer “Deceiving Consumers”
Legal Complaint Filed by The Cornucopia Institute at USDA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608.625.2000 WASHINGTON: One of the nation’s most aggressive organic watchdogs filed a formal legal complaint today (8/10/06) against the country’s leading organic brand, Horizon, alleging a well-financed campaign to greenwash milk produced at factory farms that fail to meet USDA… Read more »
Cornucopia Institute Requests Full USDA Investigation of Alleged Organic Violations at Texas Factory Dairy Farm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2000 CORNUCOPIA, WISCONSIN: The Cornucopia Institute has filed a formal legal complaint with the USDA requesting a full investigation into allegations of multiple violations of federal organic regulations at the Aurora Organic Dairy, located near Dublin, Texas. With a herd of 3000—5000 animals, the Aurora facility, one of the… Read more »
Dairy Scorecard Released
Now Available!—“Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk,” The Cornucopia Institute’s national survey of organic products in the dairy case. The report and scorecard showcase ethical family farm producers and expose factory farm producers and brands that threaten to take over organic dairying. See which brands and dairy products are produced with the best organic farming… Read more »
Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Threatens Organics
Alfalfa is a prime forage crop for organic livestock farmers. It’s drought resistant, has a high nutritional value, and grows well in areas of the U.S. where dairy and beef livestock are important. Alfalfa is the third most valuable and fourth most widely grown crop in the U.S. A perennial plant, alfalfa spreads its pollen… Read more »
Investors Question Dean Foods at Stockholders Meeting
Horizon Organic Milk Brand Faces Consumer Boycott Over Factory Farms Contacts: Steven Heim, Boston Common Asset Management, 617-720-5557 or 617-785-9527 (c) Daniel Stranahan, The Needmor Fund, 206-794-3656 Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute, 608-625-2000 DALLAS: Socially concerned investors, who filed a shareholder proposal with Dean Foods, today questioned the company’s management at its Annual Meeting of… Read more »
Organic Watchdog Sues USDA
Cornucopia Institute Seeks Records on Lack of Organic Food Standards Enforcement Contact: Will Fantle, 715-839-7731 Gary Cox, 614-233-4850 CORNUCOPIA, WI: The Cornucopia Institute has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to compel the USDA to provide public records sought through several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The Institute is a Wisconsin-based farm… Read more »