Genetically Engineered Chestnut Forests Proposed
June 24, 2019

Genetically Engineered Chestnut Forests Proposed

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...

Makers of GMOs May Be Asked to Regulate Themselves
June 21, 2019

Makers of GMOs May Be Asked to Regulate Themselves

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...

Why Don’t You See Organically Labeled Fish?
June 19, 2019

Why Don’t You See Organically Labeled Fish?

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...

How Committed Is Your State to Local Food?
June 18, 2019

How Committed Is Your State to Local Food?

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...

What is My Certifier Hiding?
June 11, 2019

What is My Certifier Hiding?

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...

Neonics Make Bees More Susceptible to Varroa Mites
June 10, 2019

Neonics Make Bees More Susceptible to Varroa Mites

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...

The Cornucopia Institute Examines Plant-Based Beverages
June 5, 2019

The Cornucopia Institute Examines Plant-Based Beverages

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...

National Organic Program Releases Clarification Regarding Glyphosate in “Organic” Hydroponic Production
June 3, 2019

National Organic Program Releases Clarification Regarding Glyphosate in “Organic” Hydroponic Production

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...

Do We Have To Shun Meat to Save the Planet?
May 31, 2019

Do We Have To Shun Meat to Save the Planet?

Factory farms focus on producing cheap food for huge profit gains. This comes with severe environmental and animal welfare costs that are not accounted for in the price of the meat product. Source: Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, Flickr Conventional beef production has one of the largest impacts on global...

Critical Conversations About the Future of Organic
May 30, 2019

Critical Conversations About the Future of Organic

The integrity of the USDA organic seal is in jeopardy. As noted by Doug Crabtree of Vilicus Farms in the article below, we have to be more creative if we are to correct its course. The organic standards were written to be the “gold star” in agriculture. It was...

Deadly “Super Fungus” Bred on Conventional Farms
May 30, 2019

Deadly “Super Fungus” Bred on Conventional Farms

The majority of antibiotics in the U.S. are utilized in the livestock industry, both as  growth promoters and to control diseases that are common in the crowded, dirty, stress-filled environments where most conventional livestock spend their short lives. This kind of use is linked to the growth of antibiotic-resistant...

Opponents of Pesticide Ban Receive Big Contributions from DowDuPont
May 24, 2019

Opponents of Pesticide Ban Receive Big Contributions from DowDuPont

Source: PNASH, Flickr EPA management first approved the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos for use in conventional agriculture based on data from the pesticide industry declaring its safety. EPA scientists later determined chlorpyrifos is linked to lower IQs and levels of gray matter in children exposed prenatally, and the Ninth Circuit...

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