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Court overturns approval of controversial dicamba herbicide
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Federal court holds Monsanto’s dicamba herbicide unlawful, citing unprecedented drift damage to millions of acres
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COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
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Most farmers in the Great Plains don’t grow fruits and vegetables. The pandemic is changing that.
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Some regenerative farmers in the U.S. are growing vegetable cover crops to build soil health and provide food for people.
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As food supply chain breaks down, farm-to-door CSAs take off
While some American farmers have been forced to dump milk or plow under crops due to loss of markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers of community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are thriving.
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Organic produce sales up 18% in April; volume soars over 20%
Total organic fresh produce sales continued to soar in April, increasing 18% from last year, and outpacing conventional produce products in both dollars and volume according to the
April 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report released by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.
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Consumers embrace local, organic foods amid pandemic
According to Stonyfield Farm chairman Gary Hirshberg, the “silver lining” in the COVID-19 pandemic is that people are learning that “we are what we eat,” which is driving demand for local and organic foods.
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Organic farmers fill national food system holes revealed by COVID-19
Mobile veggie trucks, CSAs, online farmers markets, and work trades are ways the organic sector is coping with loss of food service accounts and pandemic food shortages.
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We have plenty of food, so why are grocery store shelves so empty?
Food supply chain deficiencies are being exposed in dramatic ways during the coronavirus pandemic—as farmers, distributors, and consumers navigate a bumpy, unpredictable terrain.
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Frontier Co-op CEO leads by example through pandemic
Tony Bedard’s people-centered business model, along with the advantages of cooperatives, are steering his company gracefully and effectively through challenging times.
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Organic groups ask Congress, USDA to protect organic food and agriculture during COVID-19 pandemic
The National Organic Coalition (NOC), Organic Farmers Association (OFA), and Organic Trade Association recently called on Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help organic farmers, farmworkers, retailers, certifiers, and other businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Organic, natural grocery chains see Q1 sales jump 16% to 20% on pandemic shopping
Organic outlets Natural Grocers and Sprouts enjoy surge in sales as consumers stockpile essentials.
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Artisan Grain Collaborative launches program to benefit bakeries, farmers and local communities
Initiative fosters regenerative agriculture while supporting local bread making industry and communities in need during pandemic.
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Organic food companies, representing both coasts and Canada, are targeting generous donations to those in need
Cascadia Organic Flour, Mayorga Organics, Nature’s Path, and Kate Farms are setting the bar for companies’ response to coronavirus victims.
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AgriSecure’s “boots on the ground” experience helps farmers transition to organic
Transitioning to organic farming can be a major challenge for farmers who must adopt a completely new farming system without chemical inputs. But AgriSecure organic advisory service is providing the knowledge and experience to help farmers go organic.
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Poll shows consumers value organic more than ever in pandemic
A new poll by the Organic Trade Association finds that for shoppers who prioritize organic, their commitment to the label remains strong amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New report shows organic meat better for people and planet
The Organic Center recently released a report that shows that when you eat meat, choosing organic can make a difference for our health, the health of our communities and the health of our environment.
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Organic dairy highlights health, sustainability, and transparency during pandemic
Companies create organic dairy products emphasizing immunity, digestion, and reduced sugar—and new ways to distribute them—to satisfy consumer preferences during a time of crisis.
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EU releases plan to triple amount of organic farmland by 2030
The European Commission released ambitious goals in May to redesign the way the EU produces, distributes, and consumes food—with organic agriculture playing a key role in building a sustainable food system.
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Buying an organic farm through a co-op structure could regenerate rural ag
Co-op forms to buy a prized organic farm in Alberta, hoping to spur more such purchases and revive farm communities on the Prairie.
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Ohio creamery meeting customer demand with high-quality non-GMO products
Ohio-based Buckeye County Creamery produces A2 milk products, which contain the A2 protein, a natural protein in cows that is said to produce milk that is easier to digest than other dairy products. The creamery’s products are also non-GMO certified.
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The Non-GMO Project asks: What’s YOUR butterfly effect?
Delightful domino art project and #BeTheButterfly campaign highlights how small choices can create big changes.
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Cherokee Nation is first U.S. tribe to send heirloom seeds to global seed vault
Nine samples of heirloom crops have been deposited in Norway’s Svalbard vault, preserving the tribe’s sacred White Eagle Corn for perpetuity.
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Fismer Lecithin GmbH, Totalfoods join forces to lead Brazil’s non-GMO lecithin market
Two leading companies, Totalfoods and Fismer Lecithin GmbH, are now working together to bring their experience and expertise to the Brazilian non-GMO lecithin market.
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Ray Archuleta: man on a soil health mission
Ray Archuleta, a soil scientist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is one of the nation’s leaders in emphasizing soil health to farmers. His message is that many modern farming practices are hurting the soil and farmers’ pocketbooks.
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Cargill-led fund to pay U.S. farmers for carbon capture, advance conservation efforts
Grain processing giant
Cargill, Inc. has launched a new program to pay U.S. farmers for capturing carbon in their soils and reducing fertilizer runoff.
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Nature’s Path advances regenerative organic agriculture with new product launch, certification of family farm
Nature’s Path is pioneering regenerative organic agriculture after launching their first line of Regenerative Organic Certified Instant Oatmeal while the company’s Legend Organic Farm became the largest organic farm in the world to obtain Regenerative Organic Certification
®.
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April organic poultry processing plummets 24% year-to-year
The U.S. saw a “massive” reduction in organic broiler processing in April, creating serious implications for the rest of the organic food supply chain, according to the Monthly Market Update from Mercaris.
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NY organic soybean processing factory and refinery for sale
An organic soybean processing facility in New York state owned by AgProSoy is for sale. The facility has produced organic soybean meal and oil.
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Bayer reaches agreement to settle Roundup lawsuits
Bayer AG has reached verbal agreements to settle a significant amount of an estimated 125,000 lawsuits over the link between the company’s Roundup weed killer and cancer.
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Glyphosate linked to Parkinson’s disease
Toxic herbicide exacerbates neurotoxicity, study finds, interfering with dopamine production and transport essential for motor function.
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National Institutes of Health study links dicamba to increased cancer risks
Dicamba continues to receive EPA approval despite connection to liver and bile duct cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma.
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EU to halve pesticides by 2030 to protect bees, biodiversity: draft
European Commission sets goal to aid pollinators, but organic organization calls for even more—an 80% pesticide reduction, with total ban by 2035.
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Trump Administration’s USDA further weakens oversight of genetically engineered and gene edited crops
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Unvetted GM mosquitoes soon to hover in Florida, Texas
The EPA has approved trials to help eliminate dangerous viruses carried by mosquitoes—with no risk assessments conducted. Scientists raise major concerns.
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EU farm to fork strategy: genetic engineering is not sustainable
The European Commission’s new “Farm to Fork” strategy calls for the possible use of new genetic engineering technologies. But the German Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) criticized this idea, saying “Genetic engineering is not sustainable. Europe does not need genetic engineering, neither old nor ‘new genomic technologies.’ ”
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