Organic dairy farmer and lifelong social-justice activist John Kinsman passed away January 20 on his family farm near Lime Ridge, Wisconsin. He was 87. A founder and the longtime president of Family Farm Defenders, John touched the lives of thousands of people, worldwide, for decades as a grassroots proponent of organic sustainable agriculture and a… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
Seventy–Eight Percent of U.S. Families Say They Purchase Organic Foods
Consumers vote with their dollars despite economic difficulty Organic Trade Association Contact: Barbara Haumann Brattleboro, VT (Nov. 2, 2011)—Seventy eight percent – more U.S. families than ever before – say they are choosing organic foods, according to a study published today by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). “In a time when the severity of the… Read more »
Grasslands Get Squeezed As Another 1.6 Million Acres Go Into Crops
NPR, The Salt by Dan Charles CRP Land in Idaho Credit: Glenn Shea, USDA NRCS As the year winds down, we here at NPR are looking at a few key numbers that explain the big trends of 2013. Today’s number: 1.6 million. That’s 1.6 million acres — about the area of the state of Delaware…. Read more »
Got Marketing? Organics Face Quandary
Food Politics Marion Nestle Q: I read that the new farm bill is going to establish a checkoff program for organics. What’s that? Is this good for organics? A: As with everything in food politics, the answer depends on who you are. If you are a big producer of organic foods, it’s good news. If you are… Read more »
IAFP 2015: Interview with Mitchell Weinberg, CEO of Food Fraud Firm INSCATECH
Food Safety News by James Andrews Food Safety News recently sat down with Mitchell Weinberg at IAFP 2015 in Portland, OR, to discuss the extent of global food fraud and how we can combat it. Weinberg is the founder, president and CEO of INSCATECH, a food fraud investigation firm. Watch the video interview here or find… Read more »
India’s Organic State Enjoys Improved Health, Tourism, and Environment
Cornucopia’s Take: Sikkim, a small state in India, passed legislation to practice only organic agriculture in 2003. In 2014, the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers became a criminal offense. Plasticware has likewise been banned. Farmers in the state report lower yields and the need for more training and market access. Sikkim officials have since… Read more »
5 Food Policy Lessons the U.S. Could Learn from Latin America
CivilEats by Andy Bellatti Source: John When it comes to nutrition and public health, the U.S. can learn a lot from Latin America. Over the past year, Mexico, Brazil, and several other countries in South and Central America have passed some very progressive policies, often placing public health interests above those of the food industry…. Read more »
Rural Water Across America Poisoned by Agricultural Runoff
Cornucopia’s Take: Conventional and GMO crop farming and concentrated animal feeding operations create runoff of excess pesticides and fertilizers into watersheds and, ultimately, wells in rural America. The runoff contains nitrates from manure, bacteria from sick animals, and a host of toxic chemicals and antibiotics. Learn more about the crisis below. Sustainable farming practices prevent… Read more »
Should Cities Be Banning Herbicides & Pesticides & Going Organic?
Sustainable Cities Collective by David Thorpe Parks and city green spaces and school grounds are safe, pleasant and healthy places, right? Perhaps not, if they are sprayed with dangerous pesticides and herbicides. Cities are gradually waking up to the idea that they may be putting their populations at risk by using these chemical-containing pesticides and… Read more »
Are Organic Standards in Jeopardy? Watchdogs Say Yes
Roger Blobaum: Organic Policy Pioneer Speaks Out on Organic Controversy PRWatch by Rebekah Wilce Alexis Baden Mayer arrested and removed from NOSB Meeting When organic activist Alexis Baden Mayer of the Organic Consumers Association was arrested after leading a “spirited protest” against watering down organic standards last month, she wasn’t at a rally on the street… Read more »
