Search Results for: GMO

In Trial Run, Chipotle Heads to the Farm

For Chains, Buying Locally Still Means a Long Journey The Washington Post By Jane Black, staff writer CHARLOTTESVILLE — When Chipotle Mexican Grill executives decided to begin serving local pork from one of the most famous farmers in America, they did the opposite of what most big companies would do when jumping on the latest… Read more »

Warning Signs: How Pesticides Harm the Young Brain

The Nation by Susan Freinkel The pathbreaking CHAMACOS study has detected developmental problems in children born to mothers who toiled in California’s treated fields—but will anything change? This story was produced by the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent nonprofit news organization. Driving along Highway 101 through California’s Salinas Valley, it’s hard to miss the… Read more »

NOP Allows Glyphosate in “Organic” Hydroponic Production

Cornucopia’s Take: The Real Organic Project has brought to light a shocking practice in large-scale, “organic,” hydroponic production. Many of these facilities are being built on land that has been compacted and doused with herbicides, including glyphosate. While the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) uncomfortably insists that this practice is legal because the prohibited substances… Read more »

Biopesticides Show Promise for Modern Agriculture

Cornucopia’s Take: Medical cannabis use has brought more attention to the issue of pesticide residues. People with compromised health want to ensure they are not subjected to toxic residues on the plant, and some companies have stepped in to offer effective pesticides in the form of living microorganisms and natural chemicals. These biopesticides are often… Read more »

Scientist Speaks Out About Pesticide Companies’ Criticism of Study

Cornucopia’s Take: As has become the industry standard when any research uncovers pesticide harm to pollinators, Syngenta and Bayer have accused the authors of bias, despite providing funding for this particular study. Lead study researcher Dr. Ben Woodcock noted that both Syngenta and Bayer have put out “statistically flawed” studies in recent years. In response to… Read more »

Real Organic Milk Being Dumped, Cheap Industrial “Organic” Dominates Big Box Stores

Cornucopia’s Take: Cornucopia has been filing formal complaints about Aurora Dairy, and several other giant certified “organic” operations in the west, for over 10 years. The USDA has sometimes refused to investigate their alleged lack of grazing and confinement conditions, even when Cornucopia provided aerial images of ungrazed, sometimes hayed, pasture. When the USDA has… Read more »

North Carolina Lawmakers Seek to Protect CAFOs

Cornucopia’s Take: Big Ag seeks legislation to minimize so-called “nuisance lawsuits” brought forth by neighbors of huge factory farms who are finding their wells, air, health, and property values adversely affected by pollution from the facilities. N.C. BILL TO SHIELD CAFOS’ LIABILITY WOULD CURB LEGAL RIGHTS FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS EWG (original article contains all images)… Read more »

Industry Watchdog: USDA Allowing Illegal “Organic” Produce Production

Corporate Interests Lobbying to Approve Hydroponics — Growing without Soil Hydroponic Pepper Operation (c) Dario Sabljak/Adobe Stock An organic industry watchdog contends the USDA has quietly allowed a flood of hydroponically-produced fruits and vegetables, largely imported, to be illegally labeled and sold as “organic.”  This produce is generally grown under artificial lighting, indoors, and on… Read more »

At White Oak Pastures, Grass-Fed Beef Is Only the Beginning

The New York Times by Kim Severson Will Harris Source: Southern Foodways Alliance BLUFFTON, Ga. — Here in the cab of a muddy pickup truck, with a stubby Ranch Hand rifle on the console and windows so fogged it’s hard to see the ruts in the pasture, you tend to believe anything the driver says…. Read more »

Policing Milk: A Cop’s Take on the Lake View Natural Dairy Case

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund by Greg Gentz Source: Aline Tavernier The two most important roles that I hold in life are that of a husband and that of a father to two small girls. My daughters will inherit my legacy, the society we live in and the rules by which it is governed. I want to make that… Read more »