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 »
By combining traditional plant breeding with ever-faster genetic sequencing tools, researchers are making fruits and vegetables more flavorful, colorful, shapely and nutritious Scientific American By Ferris Jabr Armed with toothpicks and sour cream, Michael Mazourek and three friends marched into the field of 600 chili pepper plants. One by one, they pierced the habaneros and… Read more »
SF Weekly By Anna Roth You’re here, so you’re probably a foodie (whether you like it or not). You’ve read everything there is to know about local sourcing and seasonal menus and the advantages of grass-fed beef. You’ve endured the rolling eyes of friends who can’t believe the prices you’re willing to pay for bacon,… Read more »
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 below and with our Twitter followers… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: The story below details the medical horrors visited on poultry plant workers subjected to dangerous antimicrobial sprays at work. The sprays include peracetic acid (PAA), which is used to kill bacteria, like salmonella and campylobacter, commonly found on birds raised in factory farm conditions across the U.S. Many undocumented immigrants work at poultry… Read more »
Is carrageenan bad for you? When considering the answer to that question, it’s useful to follow the money. For example, industry consultant TOXpertise, LLC has painted research pointing to the potential health risks of this controversial food additive as faulty science. However, the company’s analyses were funded by FMC Corporation, which has “over 60 years of experience in the development and production of carrageenan products…” Yet in… Read more »
Cornucopia’s director of domestic policy, Kestrel Burcham, JD, attended the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) pre-meeting webinars on October 15 and 17, where the NOSB heard comments from the public. Our notes from this meeting are below. Tuesday, October 15 NOSB members present: Harriet Behar (January 2016 – January 2020) – NOSB Chair Steve Ela… Read more »
This article was commissioned for the PLoS Medicine series on Big Food that examines the activities and influence of the food and beverage industry in the health arena. PLoS Medicine By Carlos A. Monteirol, Geoffrey Cannon Introduction Throughout human history, traditional food systems and dietary patterns have been intrinsic to social, cultural, and economic life,… Read more »
[NOTE: Coordinated by the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, this letter outlines a number of concerns with the FDA’s new proposed food safety rules and their applicability to family-scale farmers and ranchers. The Cornucopia Institute is among the 70 organizations that co-signed, and the 12,000 farmers, food and agricultural business leaders and individual signers.] Click… Read more »
