Image Source: Mark Kastel Farmers protest during the noon hour on Monday outside of the NOSB meeting in Stowe, VT. They are upset that the National Organic Program (NOP) is certifying hydroponic operations as organic. Soil, soil building and the rich nutrient mix provided by a healthy, vibrant soil are key components of organic farming…. Read more »
Search Results for: NOSB
The Fractured State of the Organic Community
An Open Letter From Jim Riddle (Mr. Riddle is an organic farmer, inspector and current Chair of the NOSB) Dear friends and colleagues, I am very concerned by the fractured state of the organic community. I have farmed organically since 1980 and been an organic inspector since 1986. In 1991, I agreed to serve as… Read more »
Will Someone New at the Helm of the USDA’s National Organic Program Steer the Ship Towards Congress’s Intent — Protecting Farmers and Consumers?
by Linley Dixon, PhD, Senior Scientist and Mark A. Kastel, Codirector, The Cornucopia Institute Miles McEvoy Source: USDA On September 10, Miles McEvoy resigned from the position of Deputy Administrator at the USDA, running the National Organic Program. He has held the post since early in the Obama administration. Included in his resignation letter was… Read more »
Cornucopia Shares Pasture Survey Results With NOSB
To: National Organic Standards Board c/o Arthur Neil Room 4008–South Building 1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC, 20250-0001 From: The Cornucopia Institute Re: Support of the NOSB’s draft pasture guidance document Date: May 20, 2005 Dear NOSB Members, On behalf of The Cornucopia Institute, our Board of Directors, staff, and members, I want to take… Read more »
Organic Administrator Faces Backlash
Capital Press by Mateusz Perkowski Deputy Administrator Miles McEvoy Source: USDA Many organic groups that once praised USDA deputy administrator Miles McEvoy are now fighting his policies in federal court. When Miles McEvoy was put in charge of the USDA’s National Organic Program in 2009, the appointment was strongly applauded by organic and environmental groups. Six… Read more »
Official Comments to the USDA National Organic Standards Board
1. Cornucopia testimony and detailed analysis on Martek Biosciences’ proposed novel DHA/ARA oils can be found at: https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DHApacket_1of4.pdf https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DHApacket_2of4.pdf https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DHApacket_3of4.pdf https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DHApacket_4of4.pdf 2. Cornucopia’s response to the wine industry lobby’s request for artificial preservatives (sulfites) in organic wine can be viewed at: https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CornucopiaHCSulfurDioxideComment.pdf 3. A detailed response from The Cornucopia Institute, to the NOSB livestock committee’s… Read more »
USDA Seeks Nominations for National Organic Advisory Board
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to fill five imminent vacancies on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Vacancies for the 15-member organic advisory board need to be filled for an organic producer, organic handler, consumer/public interest representative, scientist, and environmentalist. The positions are specifically designated to represent various sectors… Read more »
The Case for Soil in Organic Agriculture
Cornucopia’s Take: Organic soil-based farmer Dave Chapman of Long Wind Farm offers this update on keeping the soil in organic. Public comments to the USDA are due by 11:59PM (ET) this Thursday, March 30. The Battle for Soil in Organic Agriculture Long Wind Farm by Dave Chapman Dave Chapman testifies at the spring 2016 NOSB… Read more »
FOIA Reading Room
The Cornucopia Institute has submitted dozens of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests over the years in an effort to shine a light on the inner workings of the National Organic Program. Over and over we have seen the same response from the USDA: frequent delays far beyond what is permitted by federal law, overuse… Read more »
Organic Regulations Should Protect Pristine Environments
This alert is over Close Regulatory Loopholes that Incentivize the Conversion of Wild Land to Organics Comment by October 11 to the National Organic Standards Board 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! Irrigation on an… Read more »
