What is the difference between organic and non-organic beef? Consider the origin story of your steak. Did the cow live in a crowded, stressful environment? Was its winter feed purchased or raised? Read more to learn about the differences between organic and non-organic beef, and how to properly source organic product. When it comes to… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
NOSB Oral Comments, Spring 2023
DAY 1: April 18, 2023 Deputy Administer, Dr. Jennifer Tucker calls the meeting to order. Welcomes NOSB members and audience. Welcomes w new board members: Lewis and Quarcoo – just recently joined the board. To public commenters – thanks for participation. When the NOSB reconvenes in Atlanta, GA next week there will be a live-stream…. Read more »
Attack of the Mutant Rice
America’s rice farmers didn’t want to grow a genetically engineered crop. Their customers in Europe did not want to buy it. So how did it end up in our food? Fortune Marc Gunther, Fortune senior writer (Fortune Magazine) — Back in the spring of 2001, a 64-year-old Texas rice farmer named Jacko Garrett watched a… Read more »
Thinking Outside the Processed Foods Box—Health and Safety Advantages of Organic Food
I have enjoyed a virtually exclusive organic diet for the past 30 years. But I was deeply unsettled by a September 4 New York Times article and a similar Associated Press story casting doubt on the value of an organic diet. In terms of the extra cost and value of eating organically, I have always… Read more »
Dropping Flies: Over 30% of Insects Now Endangered
Cornucopia’s Take: Insect mass is declining by 2.5% annually. They pollinate plants, recycle waste, and provide food for many species, and humans cannot live without their various ecosystem services. More insects can be observed on organic farms than conventional or GMO farms. Deforestation, pesticide use, and other changes to ecosystems are thought to be major… Read more »
National Organic Standards Board Meeting Report — Tucson, April 2018
Expert Advisory Panel Addresses Imports Fraud and Biodiversity Conservation Fraudulent organic imports and the industrial model of production under the organic seal is hurting the profitability of organic family farmers. Two panels focused on options for better oversight. Despite increased documentation of fraud, the National Organic Program is still lacking systems to monitor imports. The… Read more »
Tribally Supported Agriculture
By Melody Morrell It is likely you have heard of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), but how about Tribally Supported Agriculture (TSA)? The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) in Minnesota started planting their Wozupi (“garden” in Dakotah) in 2010, providing certified organic, locally grown whole foods to the surrounding community using fair labor practices and environmentally… Read more »
New GE Contamination Reported in Washington State Alfalfa
[Note: Cornucopia has been a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the USDA’s approval of genetically engineered alfalfa.] The Center for Food Safety An export shipment of alfalfa from Washington State was rejected after the shipment tested positive for contamination from genetically engineered (GE), herbicide-resistant alfalfa. The news follows on the heels of yet another contamination… Read more »
From One Biotech Governor of the Year to Another: Welcome to the USDA
Cornucopia’s Take: Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary during the entire Obama administration, recently met with Sonny Perdue, the Trump administration nominee for Secretary of the USDA. Under the Bush administration the USDA monkey-wrenched the organic program (mostly through numerous delaying tactics in terms of rulemaking and enforcement). But under the Obama/Vilsack administration they perfected the game… Read more »
Avocado-Fed Pork? Why Animal Feed Is Going Gourmet
NPR By Twilight Greenway Peanuts, flax, sprouts and avocados: It’s not the menu at a health food deli, but the menu inside some barns. What’s more, many farmers experimenting with these gourmet feeds are growing the ingredients themselves. Take Russ Kremer, the Missouri pig farmer whose operation served as the inspiration for the 2011 Chipotle… Read more »
