Cornucopia’s Take: The longest running study on flavonoid levels and antioxidant activity in onions defies a 2012 study showing little or no nutritional difference between organic and conventional. As it happens, new research reveals that the level of key nutrients in organic is nutritionally superior. Organic conditions boost flavonoids and...
Cornucopia’s Take: Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s flagship herbicide Roundup, is not apparently lethal to ants but does change ant behavior. Behavior changes like those found by researchers below are alarming, and, in aggregate, may cause larger changes in the ecosystem. Roundup caused lab ants to stop digging...
Cornucopia’s Take: Food allergies and intolerances are a terrible burden to the afflicted. Cornucopia has reported on carrageenan, a common food ingredient which makes people ill, and DHA which sickens some infants from formula. Pesticide exposure is another possible culprit for food sensitivity. Cornucopia recommends a whole food, organic...
Cornucopia’s Take: Solo vegetable farming is a dicey business, big growers have made it more difficult to find buyers, and the Amish lifestyle cultivates separation from the world, making internet advertising and timely phone calls impossible. Against these odds, a group of Amish farmers sell designer produce to restaurateurs...
Cornucopia’s Take: It is unknown what the implications will be of this purchase. It could help make organic food more widely available, or it could place other retailers, including co-op grocers, at a competitive disadvantage. There are serious unanswered questions. Interestingly, the owner of the Washington Post (Jeff Bezos) owns...
Cornucopia’s Take: Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), as their name implies, are feedlots where livestock are kept in large numbers and stressful tight confinement, causing less-than-ideal health in the animals. In close quarters illness spreads quickly, and CAFO animals are increasingly likely to carry antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria,...
Cornucopia’s Take: Seed patents have made it increasingly difficult for plant breeders to find traits that are not the intellectual property of someone else. German plant breeders have become the first in the world to receive open source licenses on seeds to ensure breeding rights remain in the public...
Cornucopia’s Take: Indigenous people growing native crops have generations of knowledge about seeds, growing food, and even weather patterns. Where biotechnology is used to make money for Big Ag, indigenous traditions are practical, based on the health of the entire food web, and available to farmers willing to learn....
Cornucopia’s Take: Scientists at Purdue University found that corn seeds coated in neonics release dust containing the poisons into areas bees frequent during pollinating season. They further found that the neonic seed coating had no effect on crop yields. Neonics are not allowed in organic agriculture. More Neonic Buzz:...
Cornucopia’s Take: Because the European Parliament requested Monsanto’s data on glyphosate be made public, independent scientists are now able to analyze it. After seeing the raw data, questions have been raised about the data evaluation previously done by government agencies. Inconvenient data buried as ‘confidential business information.’ Environmental Health...
Cornucopia’s Take: Even when Monsanto’s chloroacetanilide herbicide is used correctly by conventional corn and soy farmers, it hangs in the air and can damage oak and hackberry leaves. It can also travel in the atmosphere and come down in rain in non-agricultural areas. This herbicide is not allowed in organic...
Cornucopia’s Take: Small farmers are cooperating to economize on efforts and expenses. Farm networks give small farmers access to knowledge, machinery, distribution channels, and more. Better together: 5 ways small farms work together to achieve big goals Farm and Dairy by Ivory Harlow Source: Rebecca Siegel According to 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.
