Cornucopia’s Take: GMO and conventional farmers are increasingly plagued by weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup), and crop yields in some areas of the country are dropping. Monsanto and BASF released genetically modified, dicamba-resistant seed (the new alternative to Roundup) before the attendant “low volatility” version of dicamba herbicide… Read more »
Frack Water Considered for Irrigation and Drinking in New Mexico
Cornucopia’s Take: Fracking wastewater is notoriously polluted with radiation and numerous chemicals, many of which remain under the cloak of industry secrecy. In New Mexico, where water is scarce while oil and gas provide a significant part of the state’s funding, state officials are considering recycling frack water for use on crops and even in… Read more »
Pollinators Show Less Interest in Domesticated Flowers and Pollen
Cornucopia’s Take: Domesticated flowering plants have often been bred for high yields and fruit storage life, but it turns out the resultant flowers may not appeal to pollinators as much as their wild counterparts. Scientists are beginning to consider the quality and taste of the pollen from the perspective of pollinators. This article talks about… Read more »
Conventional Big Marijuana Growers in Oregon Using the Dirtiest Farming Methods
Cornucopia’s Take: Marijuana is now legal in several states, and growers are expanding operations as fast as they can. Unfortunately, many of the growers are using toxic insecticides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers. Organic farmers in Oregon have come forward to call out the damage to birds and the heavy water use that is threatening the… Read more »
Soon-to-Open Aurora Dairy Plant in Colorado Under Watch
Cornucopia’s Take: Aurora is profiteering on the “organic story.” Consumers think they are supporting environmental stewardship, authentic organic farmers, and respectful treatment of livestock when they invest their food dollars in organic milk. Shipping raw milk from factory farms in Texas and Colorado, and then from coast-to-coast once it’s processed, is certainly not environmentally sound…. Read more »
Industry Claims Chlorpyrifos is Safe, but Their Own Data Says Otherwise
Cornucopia’s Take: Chlorpyrifos is a commonly used organophosphate insecticide in conventional agriculture, linked to lower IQs and levels of gray matter in children exposed prenatally. It was initially approved for use by the EPA based on industry analysis of its safety. When EPA scientists determined the analysis was problematic, EPA management ignored their concerns. In 2015,… Read more »
U.S. Government Predicts Agriculture Will Suffer From Climate Change
Cornucopia’s Take: Although President Trump says he does not believe the findings from the National Climate Assessment (prepared jointly by 13 federal agencies), many farmers are already experiencing climate-related hardships. Cornucopia has always supported sustainability in agriculture, one of the fundamentals of organics. Future adaptations will be needed to address expected changes in climate and ecosystems…. Read more »
U.S. Trade War with China Leaves Conventional Grain Farmers Holding the Bag (of Soybeans)
Cornucopia’s Take: China has tacked a 25% tariff on U.S. soybeans in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese exports. Challenging weather this growing season further decreased yields and quality of grains in this country. All farmers, conventional and organic, are struggling–with some soybean farmers even plowing this year’s crop back into the ground due to… Read more »
Gene-Edited Food Coming to Your Grocery Store in 2019
Cornucopia’s Take: GMOs are created by splicing genes from one organisms into another, sometimes of different species. This process has brought us Roundup-ready feed crops and has resulted in a huge uptick in both pesticide use and pesticide-tolerant weeds. Gene-editing instead turns off existing genes in the organism or splices the existing genes in a… Read more »
The Future Policy Award goes to Sikkim, India
Cornucopia’s Take: The U.S. has been very slow to implement policies that would encourage organic agriculture, focusing instead on organic as a marketing tool. Countries around the world are beginning to recognize the benefits organic farms bring to all species. Watch the video below for a message of hope for the future of agriculture and… Read more »
