NOSB Votes to Disallow Material in Apple and Pear Production After 2014 By Pamela Coleman, PhD The headlines predicted a “Food Fight” over the use of antibiotics in organic agriculture at the spring meeting of the National Organic Standards Board in Portland, Oregon. Some orchardists who wanted the option to use antibiotics for plant disease… Read more »
Search Results for: NOSB
Keep Fragile Ecosystems Wild
[The comment period for this issue is now closed.] [Read Cornucopia’s comprehensive comments on this issue.] Comment to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) by March 30 Though organic agriculture promotes and enhances biodiversity, organic regulations do not explicitly protect sensitive native ecosystems from being converted into organic production – in fact, they incentivize it!… Read more »
NOTICE: USDA Keeps Organic Stakeholders in the Dark — Incompetence or Corruption?
Dear organic advocates, The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the governing board created by Congress that serves as a protective buffer and reviews all synthetic and non-organic materials proposed by corporate agribusiness and food processing interests before they can be used in organic farming or food production, meets twice a year. For 30 days before… Read more »
Organic Hooligans
Organic Farmers, Nonprofits Maligned by Government Officials/Corporate Lobbyists [This article was previously published in the summer issue of The Cultivator, Cornucopia’s quarterly newsletter.] Mark Kastel by Mark Kastel, Codirector at The Cornucopia Institute I’m not sure what is worse; being dubbed an organic “hooligan” or an organic “purist.” There’s no doubt that the recent semiannual… Read more »
Former Chair of National Organic Standards Board Writes Resignation Letter to the Organic Trade Association
The esteemed former chairman of the National Organic Standards Board, James Riddle, responds to comments from the board president of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) by resigning his long-time membership with the OTA. In his resignation letter, Mr. Riddle corrects the OTA’s new president Melody Meyer, who is a vice president of the $6 billion… Read more »
2018 Farm Bill May Include “NOSB Reforms” Benefiting Industrial Organics
Cornucopia’s Take: Natural Grocers’ Alan Lewis recently visited Capitol Hill to discuss the upcoming Farm Bill with lawmakers. He shares his experience, insight, and disturbing commentary below about what this may mean for organic food and agriculture. Will Coming “Reforms” at the USDA Spell the End of Organic? LinkedIn by Alan Lewis Source: Douglas Simkin… Read more »
Follow the National Organic Standards Board Meeting in Denver, CO #NOSB
Last Updated: April 21, 2017 at 1:45PM CT Join The Cornucopia Institute as we live tweet from the National Organic Standards Board meeting in Denver, Colorado. We will be sharing the play by play with our Twitter followers under #NOSB or simply follow our stream. For background on issues up for discussion at the meeting,… Read more »
Trump/Perdue Draining the Swamp at the USDA?
[Read Cornucopia’s letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.] Trump/Perdue Draining the Swamp at the USDA? In an expression of “profound disappointment,” the nation’s most aggressive organic industry watchdog, The Cornucopia Institute, today sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue criticizing the department’s rejection of guidance from its expert advisory panel. The National Organic Standards… Read more »
National Organic Standards Board Meeting Report — Tucson, April 2018
Expert Advisory Panel Addresses Imports Fraud and Biodiversity Conservation Fraudulent organic imports and the industrial model of production under the organic seal is hurting the profitability of organic family farmers. Two panels focused on options for better oversight. Despite increased documentation of fraud, the National Organic Program is still lacking systems to monitor imports. The… Read more »
Keep the Soil in Organic
by Dave Chapman This is my effort to keep you up to date on what has been happening. Our efforts to keep hydroponic produce out of organic certification continues. There are now several lawsuits against the NOP (National Organic Program), brought by a number of national organizations that fear we are losing the integrity of… Read more »
