By Rachel Zegerius This past Memorial Day marked the 100-year anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riots. Generally known as the single worst incident of racial violence in American history, the massacre decimated the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma — once the wealthiest Black community in the United States, referred...
A trip to New Moon Natural Foods in Lake Tahoe, California yields some of the best produce in a 200-mile radius. It’s also a small act of resistance. New Moon’s two locations stock their shelves with certified organic produce, exclusively. They refuse to carry Driscoll’s or other industrial organic...
The Summer 2021 Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter, is now available online. Download the PDF. In it you’ll find: A Portrait of Better Beef Celebrating Berry Season The New Editor of the Cultivator The Living Soil Campaign A Spirit of Resilience Hot on the Tracks of Organic Beef Fraud
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to reinstate the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) Rule through new rulemaking, after the previous final rule was withdrawn by the Trump administration. In his statement on June 17, 2021, USDA Secretary Vilsack noted that the new rulemaking would address the...
The National Organic Program (NOP) recently re-opened the comment period on the 2015 Origin of Livestock rulemaking, soliciting stakeholder input on a few questions that will likely inform the rule’s next iteration. Despite the clear intent of organic law, some organic certifiers allow dairies to transition conventional cows into...
A newly published report from The Cornucopia Institute tells a story few are writing about: Underneath the dark cloud looming over the beef industry is a commendable sector that’s vital to retailers, chefs, eaters, and local farming communities. Published at the very moment magazines, restaurants, and the public are...
In March of 2019, when General Mills made a commitment to “advance regenerative agricultural practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030,” organic enthusiasts gasped – and we have been holding our breath ever since. No doubt these acres would include some organic production, necessary to fuel the...
By Patrick Myers and Kestrel Burcham The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently stated its commitment to climate change mitigation. If true, the USDA must focus on improving and supporting authentic organic farmers—systems thinkers who farm with the ecology of the land in mind and work with natural systems...
Building capacity for change at Kalamazoo People’s Food Co-op An iconic mural in downtown Kalamazoo paints the picture of community: food, farming, music, intergenerational work and play. The artist was commissioned to create a scene that would proudly display the vision and values of the People’s Food Co-op (PFC), housed...
Authentic organic farmer and former NOSB member Francis Thicke appeared before the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) during the public comments webinar on Thursday, April 22 to share concerns regarding the integrity of the national organic standards. He was speaking on behalf of 40 former NOSB members who served...
The Cornucopia Institute is focused on community resilience; access to clean, nutrient-dense food; and supporting the farmers who produce organic food and contribute to the health of the planet. But there’s no rulebook for the common good. Corporations consistently erode the boundaries of organic regulations, hurting authentic organic farmers...
On March 19 a California court delivered a gut punch to the USDA organic label, betraying the trust of consumers and demoralizing authentic organic farmers. The ruling announced by the Northern California federal district court allows soilless produce operations to remain certified organic under the law. The lawsuit filed...
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.
