In July, the Biden administration issued the Executive Order Promoting Competition in the American Economy, directing the USDA and other federal agencies to develop strategies to improve competition in agricultural markets. Cornucopia responded to the USDA’s request for feedback on meat processing infrastructure, underscoring our belief that small-scale and mobile processing would be a boon… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: Wisconsin lost nearly two dairies a day in 2018, most of them family farms. As factory farm “organic” dairies continue to grow their operations, ethical organic farmers continue to lose their footholds as well. Use Cornucopia’s Dairy Scorecard to choose the best milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy products for your loved ones…. Read more »
Nova Next by Cynthia Graber Ian Sanders Ian Sanders wants to feed the world. A soft-spoken Brit, Sanders studies fungus genetics in a lab at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. But fear not, he’s not on a mad-scientist quest to get the world to eat protein pastes made from ground-up fungi. Still, he believes—he’s sure—that… Read more »
Considering the True Cost of Industrial Beef By Kestrel Burcham The environmental impact of beef production may be the thorniest topic discussed in food circles today. Conflicting messaging only complicates matters. One way to weigh the implications of your own steak or burger is to consider the hidden ingredients of food production. A farm or… Read more »
A look into our work investigating whistleblower complaints. By Kestrel Burcham In 2018, Cornucopia received a complaint concerning potential organic fraud in beef that was worth investigating. From the outset, this appeared to be a case where cattle were being laundered into organic status. I started the investigation as I always do: gathering data. This… Read more »
The future of cattle lies in its genetic diversity By Marianne Landzettel Ninety-nine percent of the roughly nine million Holstein dairy cows in the US can be traced back to two bulls that were born in the ‘60s, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University. Synonymous with milk, the Holstein is favored for its “high… Read more »
Why Small Organic Farms Are Going Under A stated purpose of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) (7 CFR § 6501-6522) is to assure consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent and uniform standard. Currently, there are many issues plaguing the organic dairy industry that make this “consistent and uniform standard” impossible…. Read more »
Why Small Organic Farms Are Going Under A stated purpose of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) (7 CFR § 6501-6522) is to assure consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent and uniform standard. Currently, there are many issues plaguing the organic dairy industry that make this “consistent and uniform standard” impossible…. Read more »
Always read ingredient lists carefully. Carrageenan may be present in the final product but not listed on the ingredients label when it is used as a “processing aid,” for example in cream. We recommend contacting the company directly if you would like to confirm whether carrageenan is in the final product. Read more on processing aids here, and… Read more »
Always read ingredient lists carefully. Carrageenan may be present in the final product but not listed on the ingredients label when it is used as a “processing aid,” for example in cream. We recommend contacting the company directly if you would like to confirm whether carrageenan is in the final product. Read more on processing aids here, and… Read more »
