Tractor Beverage Co. is showing the benefits of organic farming with a customer-facing tracker that details the amount of synthetic pesticides avoided in the creation of its beverages, the brand CMO Justin Herber told FoodNavigator-USA at the Natural...
New legislation that would increase funding for organic agriculture research could help close the expanding gap between growing consumer demand for organic products and insufficient organic supply, according to legislators and industry stakeholders.
Sustainable often pops up in marketing to describe how products are made or packaged, and while consumers increasingly buy these products at a premium, some in the natural products industry fear the concept is becoming greenwashed while others say the...
“Deeply disappointed” by the US Department of Agriculture’s recent decision to eliminate the new organic standard on animal welfare, stakeholders are taking their case to the mainstream public in an effort to pressure the agency to change its position....
Double digit increases in the US acreage for organic grains – and in soy and corn in particular – signal the industry is maturing and America soon could be able to rely on domestic production to meet growing demand for organic products, according to a...
Dean Foods – best-known for dairy brands such as Dean’s, Dairy Pure and Land O Lakes - has acquired organic juice maker Uncle Matt’s Organic for an undisclosed sum as it seeks to expand its presence in organic market.
As part of a larger strategy to reduce the US deficit, the Trump Administration wants to help the agriculture sector “punch above its weight” by promoting trade, providing an affordable workforce, easing regulatory burdens and including it in the infrastructure...
USDA encourages organic poultry farmers in areas where outbreaks of avian flu have been reported recently to bring their birds inside, and reassures them that doing so will not risk their organic status, according to a memo released this week.
Companies from Chipotle to Costco are creatively coming up with ways to keep their organic supplies steady, but mid-sized, natural category veterans are concerned about the big fish jumping into a small and shrinking pond.
Sales of organic food and drink are set to double by 2018 but this is not enough to feed the world – a truly sustainable farming system is needed for future food and ecosystem security, say researchers.
Sales of organic are skyrocketing in the U.S. with demand often outstripping supply, but the Organic Trade Association has a plan to bring into balance by 2030 the market growth, acreage growth and farming profitability of organic.
EU ministers have failed to reach an agreement on proposed changes to EU organic regulation, pushing back a vote until June – a standstill that is welcomed by organic farming associations.
The use of certain biotechnologies could support organic production in the future – although the currently approved ‘cross-species’ GM technologies are the biggest threat to the organic food system, says Christopher Stopes.
The organic industry must overcome substantial hurdles to sustain its double digit sales growth, including the threat posed by genetically modified organisms, limited technological advancements and a dwindling farming population, said organic farmer and...
Sharp increases in imported organic soy beans and corn to the U.S. in 2014 to feed the expanding organic dairy, poultry and livestock sectors is a “‘help wanted’ message for American farmers,” according to Laura Batcha, CEO of the Organic Trade Association.
Demand for organic in the U.S. is soaring with more than 80% of families buying some organic products, pushing sales up to an expected $40 billion last year, according to the Organic Trade Association.
After a years long pilot process, the new label Food Justice Certified is ready for market. The new designation aims to do what the USDA Organic Certification does not, and that is to verify that in every link of the food chain there is fair treatment...
Subsidies have led to high rates of organic certification in Europe – while costs and confusion often prevent US organic producers from certifying their products, according to a new study.
Guest article: Mischa Popoff, author, Is it Organic?
I worked for five years as a USDA-contract organic inspector after growing up on an organic grain farm in Saskatchewan. I had the pleasure of inspecting over 500 organic farms and processors, but I began questioning this career path when I realized the...
Big Interview: Matt McLean, CEO of Uncle Matt's Organic
From one pulp-free organic orange juice SKU in a regional Florida grocery store chain in 1999, Uncle Matt’s Organic is the oldest US organic juice company with 11 organic juice products and national distribution in such chains as Whole Foods, Publix and...
Organic Valley recently announced a plan to distribute more than $1 million in grants to fund research, education and advocacy on the production of organic foods. The grants have long term goals and a near term objective, with one of the biggest individual...
It doesn’t matter whether you support Prop 37 or oppose it; whatever happens in November when Californians vote on whether or not to label GMOs, everyone loses.
Organic production has risen dramatically over the past decade but only a tiny percentage of soybean, corn and wheat crops are certified organic, according to a new report from the USDA.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled new rules for organic livestock production, with the aim of setting consistent standards for pasture use across the dairy industry.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has compiled a report on the marketing of organic food, which it says aims to respond to a dearth of information on the fast-changing sector.
Negative consumer attitudes towards biotechnology (GMOs) and irradiation could be improved through communication and education, a new report has concluded.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the US Department of Agriculture will conduct its first ever large-scale survey of organic farming in the US this spring.
Parry Nutraceuticals has said its organic spirulina product has been certified as GRAS, meaning it can be used to enhance the nutritional value of foods ranging from cereals and snacks to frozen dairy.
Farmers in the US are being forced to leave the organic market because it is too costly, compounding supply shortages already faced by food manufacturers, according to a new report.
Organic food was once seen as a niche market but now major multinationals are offering organic products. In fact it has been one of the biggest trends in the food sector in recent years but do organics have staying power, or will consumers lose interest...
Organically grown tomatoes contain higher levels of beneficial
flavonoids, says a new study from the US that fans the flames of
the debate between conventional and organic foods.
The application of vinasse, a fermented waste product obtained from
sugar processing, could help the organic apple industry eradicate a
major source of disease.
A legal complaint filed against the nation's largest organic dairy
firm has rekindled an ongoing debate surrounding the integrity of
organic production.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) could more than double
funding for its organic research program next year, a move that
highlights the growing importance of the organic industry.
Organic production produces the same corn and soybean yields as
conventional farming, but consumes 30 percent less energy and uses
no pesticides, according to a revealing new study.
There are worries that a district court ruling in Maine banning all
synthetic ingredients in products labeled organic could
significantly slow the sector's growth, writes Anthony
Fletcher.
A new Europe-wide project will devote a £12 million budget to
investigating the added-value that organic farming could bring to
food products. The qualitative approach will give a boost to an
industry starting to slow down in pace.
