After a long, painful wait, The Cornucopia Institute’s full-court press to compel USDA to address the influx of fraudulent organic imports is finally yielding action. The department held a virtual Town Hall on July 8, unveiling a draft of the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. Meant to address organic...
Withdrawn animal welfare rule still under USDA analysis An unusual action by the USDA has left us scratching our heads. In April of this year, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) requested public comments on the economic analysis of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) Rule—despite the...
The Cornucopia Institute stands in solidarity with Black people and those organizations that condemn racism. Black Lives Matter. Institutional racism is woven into the story of our nation, into the story of agriculture. Oppression, discrimination, and violence underpin farming for profit in the United States. The wisdom of Black farmers is foundational to organic farming. Leah Penniman,...
Skillshare sessions connect diverse communities to hope and knowledge By Michele Marchetti, Co-Director of Development and Communications at The Cornucopia Institute On a Sunday evening in March, Rowen White Zoomed in from her home, remotely joining...
Empowering a consumer response to the “factory-farm takeover” of organic agriculture The Cornucopia Institute is launching a new campaign to showcase dairy producers who use the most ethical, authentic organic farming practices. The “Organic Innovators: Top-Rated Farmers You Can Trust” Dairy Campaign will empower consumers and wholesale buyers to...
The Spring 2020 Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter, is now available online.
“Get big or get out” has been the rallying cry for US food policy since the 1950s, leading to the ever-increasing centralization of conventional food production and processing. The quest for unyielding growth, consolidation, and the cheapest ingredients has made our food supply brittle. Activists have noted for decades...
by Marie Burcham, JD, Domestic Policy Director and Melody Morrell, Operations Director As five new National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) members attended their first meeting, the petitioned emergency use of fenbendazole in poultry sparked vital discussion. (Fenbendazole is currently allowed for emergency use in other organic livestock.) The National...
By Melody Morrell, Operations Director As a grandmother, I pay careful attention to what my family eats. I grow nutrient-dense produce in my garden, and I seek out authentic, certified organic food from local farmers whenever...
Join The Cornucopia Institute as we keep you informed via web updates and live tweets from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting online. We will be sharing the play by play of public comments on April 21 and 23 and the meeting itself on April 29 and 30...
The National Organic Program (NOP) has closed The Cornucopia Institute’s formal complaint regarding alleged violations of the organic standards by Natural Prairie Dairy and their organic certifier, Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). Cornucopia submitted the complaint in response to egregious animal welfare abuses and violations of the organic standards...
I am a vegetable farmer who has been running my farm for 30 years. Every time I have planted a seed in the last 2 weeks, I’ve felt that it is an act of faith and hope. I’m also scared. Where will I sell my food? How will I...
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.
