Editor’s Note
The coronavirus epidemic has drastically changed life in the U.S. and worldwide. It is impacting all areas of society including food and agriculture. The Organic & Non-GMO Report
will keep our readers up-to-date on these impacts in the coming months.
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Expo West cancellation due to coronavirus called “a huge blow”
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Natural product industry members criticized New Hope Network for cancelling Natural Products Expo West one day before the show started due to the coronavirus threat. Many people had already traveled to Anaheim for the show, and some exhibitors were even setting up their booths.
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Farmers and food groups innovate to keep operations viable as coronavirus spreads
With the spread of the coronavirus and the requirement for social distancing, farmers who sell directly to customers at farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) have to come up with novel solutions to keep their businesses going.
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Congressional pandemic aid package includes funds for farmers
The $2 trillion congressional relief aid bill to respond to the expanding coronavirus pandemic provides $9.5 billion in emergency funding to aid producers impacted by the ongoing crisis—including producers selling into local and regional markets.
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USDA moves organic standards board meeting online
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) recently announced that the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting, which was scheduled for April 29 and 30 in Crystal City, Virginia, will instead be held online as a webinar.
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Brooklyn co-op scrambles to restock amid pandemic food demand
Park Slope Food Co-op says food is plentiful and perishables are flying off the shelves—as members pitch in to help and store awaits more deliveries.
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Non-GMO Project forms task force, publishes interim policies during coronavirus pandemic
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Non-GMO Project has formed a task force to assess and mitigate impacts to the project’s Product Verification Program (PVP) and published interim guidelines and policies to support companies participating in the PVP.
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Organic distillers make hand sanitizer to help fight coronavirus
Two distillers use organic ingredients from local farmers to manufacture the byproducts needed to produce sanitizers.
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Negative press on organic farming stems from simplistic and misleading research, review says
Scientists point out oversimplified studies that fail to address the positive ecological benefits of organic growing—such as increased biodiversity and avoidance of pesticide inputs.
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New study identifies organic farming’s best soil health practices
A new study conducted by the University of Maryland in collaboration with The Organic Center—and supported by the GRO Organic research fund, Annie’s Homegrown of General Mills, and Patagonia—provides a big-picture understanding of the organic techniques that have the most impact on soil health.
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Lawsuit against USDA to defend organic animal welfare rule advances
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) lawsuit against U.S. Department of Agriculture that the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule was withdrawn by the Trump administration based on a flawed analysis.
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Georgia spreads its first organic peanut butter across the state
South Georgia farmers form organic peanut association to roll out premium product, while non-profit Georgia Organics focuses on educating farmers and encouraging people of color to enter the industry.
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Compeer Financial launches organic bridge loan
Sun Compeer Financial has announced the launch of a new loan product that provides financing options for farmers transitioning their conventional grain operations to certified organic.
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Organic farmers and non-profits sue USA over loophole for hydroponics
Center for Food Safety part of coalition fighting back against inclusion of hydroponically grown food (no soil required) in organic label.
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South Dakota man indicted for $71 million organic grain fraud
The second large-scale organic fraud case in the Midwest in under a year has highlighted threats to the organic label and insufficient regulatory oversight in a booming industry.
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Organic Trade Association to hold fraud prevention program
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) recently announced a comprehensive, specially designed anti-fraud online training course, created by Michigan State in partnership with OTA.
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Survey: organic and non-GMO are most important food certifications for consumers
A recent survey has found that USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified are by far the most recognizable and most sought after certifications on food products.
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Is Regenerative Agriculture Profitable? New study says it is
Many farmers are adopting regenerative agriculture practices such as no-till, cover crops, and diverse crop rotations. But is regenerative agriculture profitable? According to new research it is.
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Nature’s Path is the largest organic farm worldwide to earn Regenerative Organic Certification
Global organic breakfast and snack leader implements regenerative practices and launches first Regenerative Organic Certification oat product.
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Survey: farmers who focus on soil health report more profitability, less stress, greater satisfaction than other farmers
A 2019 survey of farmers in South Dakota has found that those who use soil health practices report increased profitability, more resilience to extreme weather, less stress, and greater satisfaction with farming than farmers who don’t use soil health practices.
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General Mills promotes a regenerative renaissance through Soil Health Academy
A $1.65 million grant to Soil Health Academy will mentor wheat and oat producers transitioning from conventional to soil-health focused regenerative agriculture practices.
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Fast-growing, plant-based meat market gets crowded as new players emerge
Plant-based, meat-like burgers are a fast-growing and increasingly crowded market led by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, and many of these products tout their use of non-GMO ingredients such as pea protein.
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Non-GMO breeding and agroecology are helping to save the banana
New Pointe d’Or banana, grown using organic and agroecological production methods, increases genetic diversity and disease protection for the fruit.
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Non-GMO seed-breeding company to open U.S. office
Israel-based non-GMO seed-breeding specialist
Equinom, Ltd. will open offices in the U.S. to serve the North American market.
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Wonder Bread now builds strong bodies the non-GMO way
The iconic Wonder Bread brand has become the first mainstream sliced bread brand to become Non-GMO Project Verified.
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More farmers convert to organic in 2019, beating previous forecast
U.S. farmers harvested nearly 3.3 million acres of certified organic field crops in 2019, driven by 14% more organic field crop operations, according to Mercaris.
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Non-GMO corn acres remain steady in 2019, non-GMO soybean acres down 1%
U.S. farmers planted seven million acres of non-GMO corn in 2019 and 4.3 million acres of non-GMO soybeans, according to Mercaris’s
2019 Organic & Non-GMO Acreage Report.
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Iroquois White Corn Project: Revive, restore, and regenerate with indigenous seed
Iroquois white corn was a staple of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) diet for over a thousand years. Today, the Iroquois White Corn Project has revived this traditional nutritious corn—while fostering job opportunities for Native American youth.
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Farmer awarded $265 million in dicamba drift trial; 2,000 more farmers may also sue over herbicide damage
In February, a jury in a Missouri court found Bayer and BASF liable for plaintiff Bader Farms’ 30,000-plus damaged peach trees due to drift damage caused by dicamba herbicide. Another 2,000 farmers who’ve suffered similar damage from dicamba may file similar lawsuits.
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First map shows global hotspots of glyphosate contamination
Agricultural scientists and engineers have produced the world’s first map detailing global “hot spots” of soil contaminated with glyphosate, a herbicide widely known as Roundup.
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Long-term analysis shows GM cotton no match for insects in India
Supporters of of genetically modified Bt cotton in India have long touted increased yields and reduced pesticides to justify its production. But that argument does not hold up under the first long-term study of Bt cotton impacts in India by Glenn Davis Stone, a Washington University in St. Louis anthropologist, in the journal
Nature Plants.
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About half of U.S. adults are wary of health effects of genetically modified foods
About half of U.S. adults (51%) think GMOs are worse for people’s health than foods with no genetically modified ingredients, while 41% say GM foods have a neutral effect on health. Just 7% say they are better for health than other foods.
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