Retail perspective: strong organic and non-GMO sales are “silver lining to catastrophic dark clouds” of pandemic
Sales of both organic and non-GMO products have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Errol Schweizer, advisor to the natural food industry and board member of the Non-GMO Project.
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Upcycled Food Association aims to provide innovative solutions to food waste
A new association, Upcycled Food Association, has been established whose members are eliminating food waste by upcycling it into nutritious foods and ingredients.
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Many countries around the world doubt safety of genetically modified foods
Concern about genetically modified foods is widespread globally, with about half of people in 20 countries around the world saying these foods are unsafe to eat, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted between October 2019 and March 2020.
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Pandemic spawns new channels bringing farm-fresh food direct to consumers
Village Farmstand gathers fresh produce and meats from 60 farms to supply households, creating a supply model that may be here to stay.
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Organic food companies, distributor donate meals, dollars to alleviate pandemic-driven food scarcity
Nature’s Path, Mayorga Organics, and KeHE Cares are feeding the needy in U.S. and Canadian cities and food banks, and in Central America, hard hit by hurricanes.
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Iowa sees organic growth as demand for the state’s crops, produce, milk, meat, and eggs grows
Iowa’s farmers are growing more organic crops, including corn, soybeans, hay, and oats, which are driving a 30% spike in organic acres from 2016 to 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Organic Survey.
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Rodale invests $2 million to increase land access for organic farmers
Rodale Institute is using “impact investing” by putting $2 million with Iroquois Valley Farmland Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), a farmland finance company that provides organic and regenerative farmers land security through long-term leases, mortgages, and lines of credit.
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Clemson grant addresses soil challenges for southeastern organic farmers
Rodale’s Southeast Organic Center joins Clemson to put the USDA $500,000 grant to work, exploring organic management strategies and the dynamics and nutrient processes of healthy soil.
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Millennials will change the way you farm
Transparency, socially responsible claims on products, and organic/natural are qualities consumers want in food—and they’re willing to pay for them.
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Grimmway Farms donates $5 million to Cal Poly to research organic production
Fertile fields will yield knowledge for organic growers relating to soil structure, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, composting, and technology advances, strengthening California’s organic industry.
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Quebec dominates organic farming growth in Canada
While organic acreage in Canada overall is slowing down, the province of Quebec increased organic acreage 65% between 2017 and 2019. Quebec now represents over 40% of organic farmers countrywide, with 2,337 producers in 2019.
GOTS uncovers organic cotton fraud in India
Fake certificates, false QR codes, and a fictitious government website were behind 20,000 metric tons of cotton being wrongly labeled as organic.
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U.S. becomes biggest buyer of India’s non-GMO soybean meal
The United States, which is the world’s second-leading soybean producer, is now the biggest importer of India’s non-GMO soybean meal.
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EU consumers want more non-GMO foods, not more genetic engineering
Europe should focus on building the fast-growing non-GMO food market and not allow deregulation of products produced by risky new genetic engineering technologies like gene editing. This was the message of a recent statement published by the German Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).
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LifeLine Foods completes $12 million expansion of non-GMO masa mill
Masa, the corn flour ingredient in tortillas, chips, tamales, and other Mexican foods, is on LifeLine Foods’ product menu in a big way. The company recently completed a $12 million expansion of its masa mill, a 780,000-square-foot building employing 150 workers in St. Joseph, Missouri, heart of the U.S. Corn Belt.
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ChickP launches non-GMO chickpea starch
Israeli food tech start-up introduces ChickP Native Starch, with thickening properties useful for soups, sauces, baked goods, plant-based meat and dairy.
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Practical Farmers of Iowa receives $1.1 million grant, partners with leading food companies to help Midwest farmers improve their farms with small grains
Practical Farmers of Iowa has received a $1.1 million Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to help farmers in five Midwest states use small grains to improve fertilizer and manure management in extended crop rotations.
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Kentucky’s tuition-free sustainable agriculture program honors Wendell Berry
Students motivated to farm sustainably and strengthen rural communities will learn hands-on agroecology, holistic livestock husbandry, and business management, while earning a Sterling College (VT) degree.
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Prairie strips see strong and growing interest
The Iowa State University STRIPS project (Science-based Trials of Row-crops Integrated with Prairie Strips) is gaining traction among a growing number of Midwest farmers who are seeing benefits such as reduced soil erosion and nutrient loss and improved water quality and wildlife habitat.
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Alter Eco® commits to regenerative agriculture with new charitable foundation and packaging design
Sustainable chocolate maker Alter Eco recently announced its new charitable arm, the Alter Eco Foundation, which will work directly with cacao farmers to help them transition their crops to regenerative agriculture, a next-generation approach to farming that is already showing significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Oat milk surges to second most popular plant-based milk
Sales of oat milk rose to $213 million in the past year, making it second behind almond milk ($1.49 billion in sales). This marks an increase of 350% for refrigerated varieties and 106% for shelf-stable products.
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‘Let’s get growing,’ Scoular launches new brand and web site
The 128-year-old Scoular recently debuted a new corporate brand identity, including a bold blue and gold logo and a redesigned web site.
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Sustainable Foods Summit goes online
The 2021 Sustainable Foods Summit will discuss the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on production and consumption of sustainable foods.
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GMO Bt crops are failing, and farmers are angry about it
Proponents of genetically engineered crops have often pointed to insect resistant Bt crops as a great success. Now it appears that success is turning south as more insects are developing resistance to the crops, forcing farmers to use more toxic insecticides.
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Organic & Non-GMO Report editor featured on Acres USA podcast
Ken Roseboro, editor of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, was recently featured on “Tractor Time,” an Acres USA podcast.
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GMO pink pineapple launched, at $49 each, won’t be labeled GM
Del Monte’s genetically modified Pinkglow Pineapple is being touted as “Jewel of the Jungle,” exotic not only for its color but also for its sweeter, juicier taste. But GMO Free USA says it’s “Not wanted. Not needed. Not proven safe.”
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Gene-edited alfalfa claims to be non-GMO
S&W Seed touts new, more digestible “non-GMO” alfalfa variety produced by the TALEN gene editing tool. Disagreement exists on that label as well as the technology’s safety.
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Swiss council aims to extend GMO ban to 2025
Farmers and consumers want to continue the moratorium on GMOs in Swiss agriculture that has been in effect since 2005.
Does Kenya Need GMO Cassava? Ask the World Food Prize-winner Who Saved Africa’s Cassava
Dr. Hans Herren had a lot to say about Kenya’s recent announcement to allow trials of genetically modified cassava, mainly that it’s not needed. Dr. Herren had received the World Food Prize in 1995 for successfully stopping a mealybug infestation threatening cassava crops.
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GMO Free USA campaigns to block Scotts’ GM Roundup-Ready Grass
Major retailers are being asked not to sell two GM grasses requiring Roundup, to protect families and pets from the harmful herbicide glyphosate—and to prevent environmental pollution.
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Glyphosate weedkiller found in seven famous Italian spaghetti brands
Laboratory tests have detected glyphosate, the main ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup herbicide, in seven brands of Italian spaghetti, according to the Italian food industry website il Salvagente.
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Bayer settles with three law firms over Roundup cancer claims
Bayer AG has completed final settlement terms with three law firms representing over a hundred thousand plaintiffs, who claim development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide.
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