Here’s a quixotic scenario: a secretary of agriculture who is cozy with farmers, not corporations. Instead, we are preparing for the return of Tom Vilsack, who served as secretary of agriculture in the Obama administration between 2008 and 2016. Most recently, Vilsack worked in the private sector, as president and CEO of the US Dairy… Read more »
After a long, painful wait, The Cornucopia Institute’s full-court press to compel USDA to address the influx of fraudulent organic imports is finally yielding action. The department held a virtual Town Hall on July 8, unveiling a draft of the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. Meant to address organic fraud, the proposed rule, which has… Read more »
Cornucopia’s Take: Three Nebraska farmers sold their conventional as organic grain to a Missouri man who subsequently marketed it as organic—to the tune of $140 million. The farmers are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in October. Randy Constant, the grain marketer and alleged leader of the scheme, was charged with wire fraud and is due in… Read more »
Join The Cornucopia Institute as we keep you informed via live tweet and web updates from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in St. Paul, MN October 24-26. We will be sharing the play by play both below and with our Twitter followers, at #NOSB or by simply following our stream. For background on issues up… Read more »
