Cornucopia’s Take: A study of 33 farm sites in Germany, the UK, and Hungary leaves little room for doubt that both domestic and wild bees see negative reproductive and survival effects when they forage on crops and nearby plants treated with neonicotinoid insecticides. Neonicotinoids are not allowed in organic...
Cornucopia’s Take: Chemical drift sickened 24 California farmworkers over one week, and state agencies regulating pesticide and workplace safety are not investigating. In fact, growers are receiving a modicum of protection from authorities. Conventional agriculture is damaging the soil, poisoning the water, sickening the farmworkers, and putting synthetic chemicals...
Cornucopia’s Take: Economy of scale is a practice perfected by the online behemoth Amazon, a company known for driving prices down. While some are hopeful that organic food would become less expensive under Amazon’s Whole Foods, many farmers, activists, and organic industry analysts, including Cornucopia, are concerned that small...
Cornucopia’s Take: The genetically engineered male Diamondback moth causes death to native female Diamondback moths it mates with. This trait has been bioengineered to reduce populations of the native moth, a pest to brassica plants. Cornucopia concurs with NOFA-NY that a comprehensive, independent health, safety, and environmental review must...
Cornucopia’s Take: Cornucopia has been filing formal complaints about Aurora Dairy, and several other giant certified “organic” operations in the west, for over 10 years. The USDA has sometimes refused to investigate their alleged lack of grazing and confinement conditions, even when Cornucopia provided aerial images of ungrazed, sometimes...
Trump/Perdue Draining the Swamp at the USDA? In an expression of “profound disappointment,” the nation’s most aggressive organic industry watchdog, The Cornucopia Institute, today sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue criticizing the department’s rejection of guidance from its expert...
Cornucopia’s Take: Scientists have determined that some plants attract ants with nectar, but only to the outskirts of the flowers. Ants are thought to deter herbivores. Meanwhile, the flowers do not seem to attract ants, but remain prime territory for pollinators. Whatever the plants’ plans, recognizing the complicated relationships...
Cornucopia’s Take: Riboflavin for conventional animal feed is now commonly made using commercially fermented genetically engineered (GE) strains of bacteria. German and Italian regulators found unapproved GE bacteria in animal feed supplements from China. Tracking the strains, which antibiotics are resistant to, has proven onerous. GE ingredients are not allowed in...
Cornucopia’s Take: France’s Agriculture Minister had been pressing for the easement of a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides taking effect in 2018, but the Environment Minister refused to be convinced. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe then interceded to allow the ban to stand. President Macron has indicated he will likewise uphold...
Cornucopia’s Take: When French dairy giant Danone proposed the acquisition of WhiteWave, Cornucopia campaigned for requiring Danone to sell its holdings in Stonyfield. We argued that farmers and consumers would be best served by more competition and less monopolization in the organic dairy market. Regulators listened and made the...
When Certified Organic Is Not Available, Ask the Right Questions at the Market Source: Corey Templeton As market season kicks into high gear, farm stands beckon shoppers with signs: Local! Organic! Natural! No Spray! Sustainable! Organic is defined by strict federal standards. But what do these other claims really...
The Cornucopia Institute is seeking a full-time employee to join our team. The Development Manager will oversee the organization’s revenue development and member stewardship efforts. A heartfelt passion for protecting the environment, the good food movement, human health, humane livestock husbandry, and social/economic justice for family farmers is essential. ...
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.
