With organic and natural food demands growing, more companies are trying to meet the certifications required to place desired labels onto their product to validate the source and ingredients within. Many consumers trust that when a certifying agency label is on their product, that the product has undergone strict rules...
Neonicotinoid pesticides, commonly known as “neonics” have been a global debate because of the toxins and effects they have on insects. Experiments have shown neonics to be harmful and dangerous to bees in laboratory conditions which neonic advocates argue are unnatural conditions, force-feeding bees in its laboratory rather observing their...
This is the second post in a series uncovering Palm Oil – what it is, where it comes from, how and where it’s used, the health benefits and the often-confusing controversy around the topic. Given that it’s so prevalent in the supply chain, it’s important to understand the impact of...
In light of recent political decisions to withdraw the nation from global efforts to address climate change, reverting to mother nature may be the simplest way to achieve the goal. The nation's organic farmers are offering an immediate solution to one of the most pressing and challenging dilemmas facing the...
Washington, D.C. — An article in the Washington Post reports that as part of the spending bill passed by Congress this week to avoid government shutdown and fund the government until the end of September, $3 million will be allocated to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) program to...
In recent years, the World Health Organization classified glyphosate (the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup) as a probable carcinogenic. This statement was backed by a number of research studies linking glyphosate to a variety of cancers including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, renal cancers, skin cancers and pancreatic cancer. In subsequent meetings...
Increasing consumer interest in food purity, ecology and environmental protection support the ongoing timeliness of Frances Thicke's book "A New Vision for Iowa Food and Agriculture." Drawing on his lifelong experience as a family farmer, soil scientist and organic dairy farmer Thicke's thesis unites concerns about CAFOs, nutritious organic dairy...
Washington, D.C. — The Organic Trade Organization (OTA) has announced a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that is meant to help guide farmers in transition to certified organic agriculture. The National Certified Transitional Program (NCTP) — using OTA standards — will provide oversight to approved Accredited...
The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has created a Mountain Partnership Product label for products grown in remote mountainous regions, says a report by Reuters. This label would be placed on products such as purple rice from the Himalayas, hairless apricots from Kyrgyzstan and black amaranth grain from...
Baltimore, MD—At Expo East, The Organic Center hosted an education session titled, “Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture” in which Tracy Misiewicz, associate director of science programs for the Center explained how organic farming is a more sustainable approach to agriculture than conventional farming. The most significant difference has to do...
