With the Farm Bill in limbo, the Organic Certification Cost Share Program could disappear. This program was designed to reimburse 75 percent of organic certification costs. Certification costs are the greatest burden for the farmers we value most: those with high dedication to organic integrity on diversified farms. Diversified...
Have you ever picked up an organic tomato in the produce section of a store and wondered whether it was grown in soil? Organic rules and regulations make it clear that soil is a necessary part of organic systems, but disagreements among organic certifiers have resulted in a split...
After years of delays, USDA has nearly finalized a new regulation, the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standard Rule, to strengthen animal welfare standards in organic agriculture. This regulation is broadly supported by consumers and farmers because it would eliminate loopholes that allow some operations to deny organic chickens access...
A massive piece of legislation impacting how we grow our food is on the table. During this fleeting moment of national attention, we’re rallying Cornucopia’s supporters to use their voices, keyboards, and passion to advocate for the inclusion of programs that bolster organic. Those initiatives can be found in...
The Opportunities in Organic Act of 2023, legislation introduced in the House and the Senate, would provide desperately needed financial and technical assistance for farmers transitioning to organic production. With the 2023 Farm Bill focusing the nation’s attention on how we grow our food, the time to stand up...
If you buy meat labeled “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA,” the product may not be what you think it is. Large corporate importers have been allowed to use these voluntary claims on meat, poultry, and eggs that are sourced internationally and then processed or repackaged in...
In 2021 the multi-billion dollar agrochemical industry derailed The Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (PACTPA), which would outlaw several pesticides linked to catastrophic human and environmental health hazards. Now the bill is getting a second chance. The bill, recently reintroduced in the Senate, would also change how...
Your voice is needed by midnight ET on November 10, 2022 (Please note the deadline extension. While this allows more time for consumer and retailer support, industry will take full advantage of this opportunity. Your comment is more important than ever! ) USDA has published the long-awaited Organic Livestock...
Comment before Midnight ET on March 30, 2022 Industrial “organic” operators are able to keep prices low by cutting corners on animal welfare, biodiversity, care for natural resources, and soil health. Their cheap products undercut authentic organic food in the marketplace. A process exists to counter this threat. The...
When most of us think about organic fruits and vegetables, we picture healthy produce springing from soil teeming with life. But your certified organic tomatoes and cucumbers (along with berries, summer squash, and more) may have originated in a sterile, indoor, hydroponic system — fed inputs purchased from organic...
The carton may look the same. But Danone NA devalued all of the Horizon milk on grocery store shelves by dropping contracts with small dairies throughout the Northeast. At a time when authentic organic dairies are disappearing, the brand is doubling down on factory “organic” milk. Despite the happy...
At its fall 2021 meeting, the NOSB decided to keep carrageenan on the list of substances allowed in organic food for another five years. This vote came despite the additive’s known health impacts and the inability of consumers to reliably identify or avoid it in organic food (since it...
The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agriculture and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media.
