Cornucopia’s Take: Chlorpyrifos was originally developed as a nerve gas, meant to cause harm to human beings. It is now used to kill pests on our food, which it does quite well. Although EPA scientists had agreed it should be banned from agricultural production for our safety, particularly that of children experiencing brain damage from… Read more »
Closing Comments of Francis Thicke at End of NOSB Term
Cornucopia’s Take: Francis Thicke retired from the NOSB yesterday. As a highly respected soil scientist, organic dairy farmer, and former employee of the USDA, he brought a unique perspective to the NOSB in his role as an environmental representative on the board. He was a mentor for many fellow NOSB members. We have shared his closing… Read more »
An Update on Frey Vineyards
Cornucopia’s Take: The Frey family has been a longtime leader in the organic and Biodynamic communities. They were an important voice in responding to powerful elements in the wine industry who wanted to change the federal regulations banning artificial preservatives in organic wine (sulfites). The family has lost their homes but certainly not their spirit to… Read more »
NODPA’s Ed Maltby: Organics Under Attack
Cornucopia’s Take: This article first appeared in the NODPA News, published by the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, and is written by its executive director Ed Maltby. His essay is a comprehensive overview of the current environment in organic agriculture. As Ed notes below, if we work together and educate ourselves, we can more effectively… Read more »
More Pesticides Build More Resistance in Weeds
Cornucopia’s Take: Recent surveys across the nation show that some weeds are showing resistance to dicamba, an older pesticide which has recently been reformulated for use in a supposedly less volatile form. Dicamba is touted as an important weapon for farmers seeking to kill weeds which have become resistant to Monsanto’s flagship herbicide glyphosate. The pesticide… Read more »
Will Someone New at the Helm of the USDA’s National Organic Program Steer the Ship Towards Congress’s Intent — Protecting Farmers and Consumers?
by Linley Dixon, PhD, Senior Scientist and Mark A. Kastel, Codirector, The Cornucopia Institute Miles McEvoy Source: USDA On September 10, Miles McEvoy resigned from the position of Deputy Administrator at the USDA, running the National Organic Program. He has held the post since early in the Obama administration. Included in his resignation letter was… Read more »
Climate Change Moving Faster Than U.S. Ag Policy
Cornucopia’s Take: Long time agricultural writer Alan Guebert shares his concerns below about how climate change and technological advances are outpacing agricultural policy in this country. He opines that sustainable energies will come into use out of necessity in the changing worldscape. Rural Americans, and farmers in particular, he says, will need to lead the… Read more »
Monolithic Grocers Sell Monolithic Labels
Cornucopia’s Take: Cornucopia strongly supports co-ops and other independent grocers who stock truly local and organic food, pay their staff a fair wage, and grow communities. Many consumers have a choice when it comes to food shopping, and choosing to support a member-owned co-op rewards family-scale farmers and gives you access to the healthiest food. Journalist… Read more »
Does Your Favorite Ice Cream Contain Glyphosate?
Cornucopia’s Take: Longtime organic dairy farmer Will Allen wrote this piece below about Ben & Jerry’s empty promises to farmers and consumers. Because Ben & Jerry’s is made from conventional milk, The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) recently found glyphosate residue in the ice cream. Sign OCA’s petition to Ben & Jerry’s CEO telling them to… Read more »
Hydroponic Lobby Seeks to Rewrite Organic Rules
Cornucopia’s Take: Giant “organic” hydroponic growers, alongside “organic” CAFO operators, are pressing for relaxed regulations. They have called for technological advancements in organics while they refuse to disclose what they fertilize their plants with. Cornucopia stands firm with organic farmers: organic is rooted in soil. For more, visit Can a Soil-less Growing System be “Organic”?… Read more »
