Tag: Organic farming

What Europeans should have read about pathogenic E. coli in 2007 to have helped avoid the current food safety crisis

E. coli can survive for a long time on composted soils Germany is fatally sick. There is a lethal elephant in the room. This is that elephant: “Use of animal wastes in fertilization of fresh fruits and vegetable plots significantly increased the risk of E. coli contamination in fresh produce grown in semi-organic and organic…

Syndicated

The lethal elephant in the room: Real risks in our food

Even as speculation about imaginary risks of GM foods continues, particularly among some organic sector enthusiasts, real food risks in the food chain remain unmanaged. Exposure of fresh vegetable produce to manure is a case in point. Pathogenic Escherichia coli are one of more frequent health dangers of fresh vegetables. These bacteria can be present…

Food

Fair-trade organic coffee certification does not benefit the poor in Nicaragua

Updated prelude: Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorer Lawrence Solomon FP Comment May 14, 2011 – 8:00 AM ET | Last Updated: May 14, 2011 12:10 PM ET Coffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel…

Syndicated

Shock, horror–some organic farmers have been using synthetic fertiliser

One problem with idealistic proposals to expand world acreage devoted to organic farming is there is not enough manure in the world to satisfy the fertiliser needs of organic farmers if they were to attempt to feed more than a few percent of the total number of people. We don’t have enough nitrogen to feed…

Syndicated

Organic food company steps forward with $25k to “protect the sacred natural order for future generations” (and their business)

Nutiva® Pledges $25,000 to CFS for Challenging USDA’s Approval of Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Organic food brand Nutiva® is pledging $25,000 in support of the Center for Food Safety’s effort to halt Monsanto’s spring planting of GMO alfalfa crops. “Nutiva is concerned about the impact that genetically modified organisms are having on our natural world…”Oxnard,…

Syndicated

Today’s Organic, Yesterday’s Yields

Written by Steve Savage In 2008, the National Agricultural Statistics Service of USDA conducted a detailed survey of Organic agriculture in the US. Participation rates were high with Organic growers, so the data is quite reliable. What it showed was probably surprising to many. After at least three decades of “rapid growth,” Organic now accounts…

Science

Stossel comments on E coli denial by natural foods activist

November 19, 2010 10:45 AM UTC by John Stossel ‘Natural’ Foods Activist Gets It Wrong On my show last night, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter debated Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Greg Conko over whether genetically-modified foods tamper with mother nature. Wenonah says yes, Greg says no.

Syndicated

Strong support for organic farming at TV forum. The difficulty is, organic means many different things.

Organic or NotTuesday, 12 Oct 10 SBS TV, Insight current affairs Transcript Organic food is one of the fastest growing industries in Australia, and it is raking in the dollars for some enterprising businesses. Some people are prepared to pay up to triple for organic food in the interests of their health and the environment,…

Syndicated

Organic grown strawberries can taste better

Commercial organic farms have better fruit and soil, lower environmental impact, study finds ScienceDaily (Sep. 2, 2010) — Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse.

Syndicated