Happy New Year
and welcome to the inaugural issue of
The Organic & Non-GMO Report
e-news.
This new digital newsletter aims to deliver the latest news in the organic and non-GMO markets—quickly in an easily accessible format.
Similar to the print
Report
, the e-news features categories of news topics including Organic, Non-GMO, GMO, Regenerative Agriculture, Pesticide Hazards, and others. There is a short summary of each article followed by a link to the longer version at our website.
Initially we will publish the e-news six times a year to complement the bi-monthly print version of the
Organic & Non-GMO Report
. Our aim is to publish it more often so you can receive news and information in a faster and timelier way.
The first print edition of
The Organic & Non-GMO Report
, the January-February issue, will be published later this month.
Thank you for your readership of
The Organic & Non-GMO Report
and we look forward to serving you in 2018.
Best wishes,
Ken Roseboro
Editor
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As we begin 2018, it’s a good time to look back at the 10 most significant events in the organic and non-GMO markets in 2017.
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Mercaris announces 30% increase in certified organic grain acreage for 2017
In its 2017 Organic & Non-GMO Acreage Report market data firm Mercaris reports that US acreage for organic grains—corn, wheat, oats, and soy—increased by more than 30 percent over 2016 estimates.
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Should ‘USDA Organic’ animals be treated more humanely? The Trump administration just said no.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently ruled that livestock, including chickens, cows, and pigs, raised using organic agricultural practices do not have to be treated more humanely than animals raised in conventional farming.
For years, the USDA had been developing organic requirements guaranteeing animals minimums of space, light and access to the outside.
The requirements had wide support in the organic community and among consumers. The Organic Trade Association has vowed to fight the USDA’s decision.
Pipeline Foods Breaks Ground on New Grain Terminal in North Dakota
Pipeline Foods LLC, the first U.S.-based supply chain solutions company focused exclusively on non-GMO and organic food and feed, recently announced it is building a new state-of-the-art grain terminal in Bowbells, North Dakota. Construction is underway in preparation for a late summer opening in 2018.
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Thanks to Big Ag, that “organic” label might not mean what you think
Francis Thicke, an organic farmer and former member of the National Organic Standards Board, warns that the integrity of the organic standards is in jeopardy with organic Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, certified organic hydroponically produced vegetables, and pressure from big business.
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Flynn Creek Farms: sustaining the soil and a farmer’s dream with non-GMO seeds and grains
Wisconsin based-Flynn Creek Farms focuses on developing open pollinated, non-GMO varieties of yellow, red, white, and blue corn.
New study could lead to development of non-GMO corn hybrids with corn rootworm resistance
Western corn rootworm can devastate corn fields, and genetically modified corn varieties with rootworm resistance are failing as the insects develop resistance to them. A new study by University of Illinois researchers has uncovered the genetic basis of resistance to western corn rootworm, paving the way for development of non-GMO corn hybrids that can withstand the worm.
Solynta develops a blight-resistant non-GMO potato
Dutch company Solynta has developed a potato variety that is resistant to late blight (
Phytophthora Infestans
). As a result, it could greatly reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture, according to the Dutch newspaper,
Financieele Dagblad
.
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How will GMO labeling law affect non-GMO labeling?
The new GMO labeling law being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture might have some influence on what ingredients and foods qualify as non-GMO. Highly processed sugars and oils are examples. Also, some food industry experts think that it’s time for a national standard for non-GMO labeling.
Top Canadian supplier of food-grade non-GMO soybeans invests in research and seeks partnerships in Asia
Leading Canadian non-GMO food soybean supplier Sevita is capitalizing on the growing worldwide demand for non-GMO foods. Sevita participates in research, production, processing and export of grains and oilseeds to markets all over the world including Japan, South Korea, Western Europe, Taiwan, mainland China and other markets of Southeast Asia.
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Legacy brands Imperial Sugar® and Dixie Crystals® secure Non-GMO Project verification
Imperial Sugar becomes the latest major food brand to earn non-GMO verification. The company recently announced that multiple products under the flagship retail brands Imperial Sugar® and Dixie Crystals® have secured Non-GMO Project verification.
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Agricultural “sea change” forces Midwestern food giants to adapt
Consumers are increasingly demanding healthier, organic, and more sustainably produced foods. As a result, food companies and farmers are responding with initiatives to build soil health and reduce the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
In the Corn Belt, resurgence of small grains offers environmental solutions
A growing number of Iowa farmers are adding oats, rye, and other small grains into their corn and soybean crop rotations to regenerate soils, reduce soil erosion and fertilizer runoff to protect waterways, and provide benefits to family farms.
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GM genes are still getting into native Mexican maize
Genetically modified genes are still getting into native Mexican maize varieties,
a new study
has found. This is in spite of the fact that the cultivation of GM maize is banned in Mexico, which is the genetic center of origin for the crop. The study also identifies the crucial factors that decide whether or not GMO contamination occurs: the social organization and seed management systems of local communities.
Non-browning apples are now in US stores
The controversial genetically modified Arctic Apple is now sold in the U.S. Three varieties—Golden, Granny, and Fuji (with Gala on the way)—were sold for the first time in 10-oz bags, in a dozen American stores this past fall. The GMO apples will not be labeled so consumers will not know they are eating transgenic fruit. There is a Non-GMO Project Verified, non-browning apple called the Opal.
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Gene editing: supporters hope it can it elude the GMO stigma, opponents say it is another GMO
A new technology is being rapidly deployed to create new plant traits, while avoiding government regulations that cover genetically modified plants. Supporters say the new technology offers great possibilities for creating new food plants, while opponents say it is another form of genetic engineering with similar risks.
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This Is How Badly Monsanto Wants Farmers to Spray Its Problematic Herbicide
In the wake of 2017’s dicamba herbicide drift disaster, which damaged 3.6 million acres of farmland, Monsanto will pay farmers a rebate of $6 per acre to spray its proprietary dicamba formula. The company aims to sell enough GMO dicamba resistant soybean seeds to cover 40 million acres in the U.S. this year. Several states including Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, and North Dakota are putting restrictions on the use of dicamba at certain times during the year to prevent the drift problems experienced by many farmers in 2017.
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EU
votes to renew license for glyphosate herbicide for five years
The European Union recently voted to renew the license for glyphosate herbicide for five years. The decision was criticized by both glyphosate supporters, who wanted the herbicide renewed for the full 15 years, and opponents, who have called for a ban on the herbicide.
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It’s a fact: “Peel Back the Label” is bound to fail
A new campaign, “Peel Back the Label,” is attacking companies that label their products as non-GMO. The campaign, which is similar to other PR created campaigns to support GMOs, is fighting inexorable consumer trends and is bound to fail.
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GMO pig tale
Okja
ranked as #10 top movie in 2017 by
New York Times
and Huffington Post
Netflix production
Okja
is the story of a giant genetically modified pig and its owner, a young Korean girl named Mija. Produced by Netflix, the two are forced to leave their idyllic home in rural Korea and must battle a greedy corporation that wants to process Okja and other similar giant GMO pigs into meat products. Along the way, they are helped by animal activists.
Okja
is an indictment against factory farming and genetic engineering. Huffington Post says Okja “is the stuff summer blockbusters
should
be made of.” Both Huffington Post and the
New York Times
ranked Okja as one of the top 10 movies of 2017.
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