“Organic without soil is like democracy without people.” Organic farmers from all over New England rallied in Vermont on Sunday, October 30, to protest the eroding organic standards of the USDA—particularly the federal government’s decision to permit labeling of hydroponic fruits and vegetables as “organic.” Senator Leahy speaking U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a long time… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
Stop the USDA Political Bureaucrats and Corporate Lobbyists from Hijacking the Independence of the National Organic Standards Board
This Action Alert is over. [See Cornucopia’s comprehensive analysis, including a side-by-side comparison of the new draft and existing PPM] Act by 11:59 PM (Eastern) this Thursday, April 14 Fall 2015 NOSB Meeting Tell NOSB members to table changes to their policy and procedures manual (PPM) The National Organic Standard Board’s (NOSB) Policy and Procedures Manual (PPM) was… Read more »
Raising the Bar
Choosing the Healthiest Organic Snack Bar Brands [This article was previously published in the summer issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] by Linley Dixon, PhD, Senior Scientist at The Cornucopia Institute Source: Adobe Stock Snack bars are a highly profitable $8 billion industry, posting double-digit annual growth rates. A small, but growing, percentage of the… Read more »
Conventional Dairy Image Belies Toxic Reality
Cornucopia’s Take: The image of tranquil cows gladly giving their healthy milk is only PR spin hiding the reality of many conventional cows living on concrete and eating toxins. Consumers’ first choice should be organic dairy. Will Allen & Michael Colby: Dairy Marketing vs. Reality VT Digger by Will Allen and Michael Colby Editor’s note:… Read more »
Food Issues Still Not on Politicians’ Radar
Cornucopia’s Take: With the public increasingly concerned with food quality, sustainability, and food safety, these issues don’t grab much attention from elected officials (outside of GMO labeling and ethanol). But food politics cuts across political lines and may yet provoke more attention from lawmakers. When Will Food Issues Be on Politicians’ Plates? The New York Times… Read more »
Cornucopia Response: Washington Post Opinion Writer Misses the Mark on Organics
Tamar Haspel’s recent opinion piece on organic versus conventional agriculture missed the handicap that organics has in documenting its many benefits to society. Ms. Haspel suggested she was using “neutral” scientists to make an (organic) apple to (conventional) apple comparison. However, relying on the USDA, overwhelmingly committed to biotechnology and agrochemicals, or land-grant university researchers,… Read more »
Senate Defeats Attempt to Study Genetically Engineered Salmon
SF Gate By Carolyn Lockhead The Senate Thursday defeated an amendment, 45-50, by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, to require comprehensive environmental study of what she called a “test tube” salmon before the government approves it for the food supply.
Monsanto Bt Crops: Genetically Modified Corn Linked To Soil Ecosystem Threat
International Business Times By Ryan Villarreal Bioengineering agricultural giant Monsanto has touted the safety of genetically modified crops, but a new study has found that insecticide-containing corn can be harmful to the overall health of soil ecosystems. Genetically modified corn has been linked to a decrease in a subterranean fungus that forms a symbiotic bond… Read more »
Weeding out Monsanto
The fight is on to keep Monsanto alfalfa out of Canada The Briar Patch By Cathy Holtslander You might have missed it, but this spring thousands of people across Canada came out to 38 rallies organized by farmers and their supporters. In addition to these April 9 rallies, people inundated their MPs with letters and… Read more »
Nebraska Farmers Caught, as Part of a Wider Conspiracy, Selling GMO Grain as Organic
Cornucopia’s Take: These farmers and their accomplices who marketed and sold the GMO grain as organic, over eight years, were thankfully caught and are on the hook for almost $11 million. While that is a substantial sum, fraud in U.S.-grown crops is a much smaller business than import fraud. Domestic organic fraud of this kind… Read more »
