If you consume dairy, a new study from Emory University suggests you are safest drinking organic milk. In their study of 35 conventional and 34 organic milk samples, 59% of the conventional products contained chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos is a ubiquitous insecticide linked to lower levels of gray matter and IQ...
Conventional Cattle on Organic Dairy Farms by Kestrel Burcham, JD Director of Domestic Policy at The Cornucopia Institute The organic dairy industry is in a state of crisis. A glut of organic milk in the...
The summer 2019 Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter, is now available online.
Wild birds can be extremely beneficial to farms, as many of them feed on pest species and support a vibrant on-farm ecosystem. Unfortunately, agriculture is the leading threat to bird species facing extinction. Source: Emilie Chen, Flickr Real organic farmers encourage on-farm biodiversity, including habitat for birds. These kinds...
After the American chestnut was essentially wiped out by a fungus and other diseases, researchers have created a genetically engineered (GE) chestnut that they claim is resistant to the fungus in question. They hope to release this GE tree into the wild to restore “native” chestnut populations to help...
In agriculture, genetic engineering has primarily been used to make crops resistant to pests and disease or able to survive the application of toxins, such as glyphosate. These traits do not occur naturally in the species in question. In practice, these genetically modified (GM) crops are poorly tested for...
The Complicated Industry May Be Incompatible with Organic Principles by Kestrel Burcham, JD Director of Domestic Policy at The Cornucopia Institute Consumers often note that they do not see fish with the USDA organic seal...
Supporting local farms not only supports your local economy, it also allows you to know how your food was produced. Cornucopia encourages consumers to buy local and organic food whenever possible. Fresh food has a higher nutrient value, tastes better, and can be stored in the refrigerator longer. Our...
A Farmer’s Plea for Certifier Transparency Source: AdobeStock Neal Laferriere, owner of Blackberry Botanicals, walks his organic farm in rural West Virginia. When Laferriere walks, he thinks. As he strolls along the rolling hills, he...
A new study shows a connection between low levels of exposure to the neonicotinoid clothianidin and varroa mites in honey bees. Honey bee with attached varroa mites Source: AbsoluteFolly, Flickr Honey bees are essential pollinators for many of our crops. Recently, honey bees have been experiencing colony collapses that...
Advertising Promotes Them as a Health Food—But Are They? Cornucopia’s new report, “Pouring” Over Plant-Based Beverages, takes an in-depth look at what these beverages really offer consumers, how they are marketed, and how they compare to cow’s milk. Amid health concerns and dire climate crisis predictions, more consumers are...
Recent discussions surrounding “organic” hydroponic operations have had the organic community in an uproar. Serious questions first raised by the Real Organic Project were raised again at the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting this past April regarding rumors of hydroponic operations spraying glyphosate or other pesticides on the...
The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agriculture and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media.
