Cornucopia’s Take: Although the FDA banned the use of antibiotics solely as a growth-promoter for livestock in 2017, the agency did not establish any real tracking of antibiotic use by ranchers. The FDA rule also allows veterinarians to prescribe antibiotics for disease prevention, even when no animals in the herd are ill. Overuse of antibiotics… Read more »
Search Results for: gmo
Editing Genes at Home
Cornucopia’s Take: As gene editing technology has moved ahead, it has become a cheap hobby for the science-minded. Meanwhile, little attention has been paid by government entities around the world, and anyone can buy self-cloned DNA fragments online for their at home scientific experimentation. The main concern is the creation of dangerous organisms, deliberately or… Read more »
Spring 2018 NOSB Meeting – Webinar: Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Cornucopia staff members attended the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) pre-meeting webinar today, where the NOSB heard comments from the public. Cornucopia’s notes from this meeting are below. You can also view our notes from the Thursday webinar. Thirteen NOSB members present: (note: environmentalist and handler NOSB positions have not been filled) The NOSB at… Read more »
Microbes in the Soil and in Our Guts
Cornucopia’s Take: Please enjoy this review of The Hidden Half of Nature by David Montgomery and Anne Biklé. Given the science and practical work of microbes in soil, it is clear that soil is crucial to our health. Our friend Fred Kirschenmann suggested this book. The scientists whose garden unlocked the secret to good health The… Read more »
Is Biodynamic Farming for Real?
Cornucopia’s Take: Biodynamic farmers are sometimes accused of being unscientific, and Demeter, their certifying agent, has now begun collecting topsoil samples from their biodynamic farms for further study. Biodynamic farmers must follow federal organic rules as well as additional practices, including off-farm input restrictions. Biodynamic farming is on the rise – but how effective is… Read more »
A Rush of Americans, Seeking Gold in Cuban Soil
New York Times by Kim Severson Source: David Williams HAVANA — Being an agricultural official in Cuba these days is like living in a resort town all your friends want to visit. You rarely get a moment to yourself. For months, Havana’s government offices and its prettiest urban farms have been filled with American bureaucrats,… Read more »
Chefs Collaborative on a Sustainable Mission
Connecting to Southern Agriculture in Charleston [Previously printed in Acres USA] By Julie Ann Fineman Co-authored by J. Lee Glenn Photography courtesy of Julie Ann Fineman Around the world people are waking up to the negative impacts of our industrialized food system as alarming stories continue to flood the news: a loss of biodiversity, degraded… Read more »
The Elders of Organic Farming
New York Times By Carol Pogash BIG SUR, Calif. — Among the sleek guests who meditate and do Downward Facing Dog here at the Esalen Institute, the farmers appeared to be out of place. They wore baggy jeans, suspenders and work boots and had long ago let their hair go gray. For nearly a week,… Read more »
Ractopamine: The Meat Additive on Your Plate That’s Banned Almost Everywhere But America
[Note: Don’t panic, go organic! This additive is not allowed in organic foods.] The asthma drug-like growth additive has enjoyed stealth use in the US food supply for a decade despite being widely banned overseas. AlterNet By By Martha Rosenberg Have you ever heard of ractopamine? Neither have most US food consumers though it is … Read more »
Full and Fair Farm Bill NOW
The Rural Coalition The undersigned 243 groups from all parts of the country have joined together today to demand that Congress develop and pass a full and fair Farm Bill this summer, without further delay. A full and fair Farm Bill must include farm, food and nutrition, conservation and rural economic development programs and commodity… Read more »
