cornucopia institute

By Dan Nosowitz There has been much concern in recent years about the encroachment of factory farms onto organic territory; with the premium prices organic foods can bring, many larger farms have engaged in a race to the bottom of quality, trying to just barely squeak above the organic regulations to grab that label without […]

Last week the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) rejected the pleas of organic activists, farmers and many businesses to “keep the soil in organic” by voting to allow growers of hydroponic vegetables to label their produce “organic.” The NOSB’s vote did little to shore up consumer faith in the USDA Organic label, especially after well-publicized […]

By Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins A recent series of articles by a Washington Post reporter could have some consumers questioning the value of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organic seal. But are a few bad eggs representative of an entire industry? Consumers are all for cracking down on the fraudulent few who, with […]

By Dan Nosowitz Last month, the National Organic Standards Board met in Denver, Colorado, to discuss what might be the most hotly-debated subject in all of eco-agriculture: What, exactly, does “organic” mean? The U.S. is unlike most countries (or regions, like the EU) in that our organic certification can legally be extended to crops that […]

By Reynard Loki Editor’s note: The terms GE (genetic engineering) and GMO (genetically modified organism) are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are different. GMOs, which are produced when plant breeders select genetic traits that may also occur naturally, have been around for centuries. Common examples are seedless watermelons and modern broccoli. The subject of […]