PROMOTING ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR FAMILY-SCALE FARMING
NEWS FROM THE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE
JUNE 26, 2018
Report: EU Shuts Down Organic Fraud – Floodgates Open into U.S.
Source: Cengiz Tokgoz, VesselFinder
Cornucopia has released a groundbreaking report, The Turkish Infiltration of the U.S. Organic Grain Market, chronicling how a small number of multibillion dollar agribusinesses came to dominate the U.S. organic grain industry. Approximately 80% of bulk shipments of organic corn and cracked corn imported into the U.S. between January 1 and May 15, 2018 were shipped through Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. imports more “organic” grain from Turkey and former Eastern Bloc countries than can possibly be grown on the reported organic acreage in those nations, casting doubt on the grain’s organic integrity. Cornucopia has again called on the USDA to create an emergency rule curbing the infiltration of questionable organic imports.
Cornucopia Asks DOJ Regulators to Examine Tyson Acquisition of Smart Chicken
Smart Chicken barns in Tecumseh, NE: No birds out
Tyson Foods recently announced its plans to acquire Tecumseh Poultry, including an emerging organic poultry brand, Smart Chicken. Tyson acknowledged the purchase would make them a leading producer of organic branded chicken. The market for organic poultry already has less competition than other agricultural sectors and is more susceptible to monopolization. Livestock raised with true outdoor access and local feed currently carries the same USDA organic seal as birds confined without outdoor access and fed imported grain. Cornucopia has asked federal antitrust regulators to scrutinize the acquisition. Cornucopia recommends purchasing local, organic poultry to ensure you are getting what you pay for. A report on the industry and scorecard, rating brands of organic poultry, is in the works.
Aurora Dairy: Factory Farmed Milk Shipped Long Distances is Not “Organic”
Source: Taber Andrew Bain, Flickr
Aurora Dairy’s corporate-owned factory dairies in Texas and Colorado presently truck “tubes” (semi trailers of raw milk) to their processing plant in Platteville, Colorado. It is then processed and packaged and then trucked across the country, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon, to be stocked as store brands, including Horizon, Aldi’s Friendly Farms, Safeway’s O Organics, Walmart’s Great Value, and many more. Soon, Aurora will be opening a new factory dairy in Nebraska and a new processing plant in Missouri, undercutting the livelihoods of even more family-scale dairy farmers around the country and their regional processing and marketing partners who deliver to stores within a couple hundred miles rather than thousands.
The microbiota in the gut are nurtured or starved, or even wiped out, by the drugs and food we ingest. Recent studies of the human microbiome indicate its ties to our immune system and mental health. Eaters can promote their own microbiome health by enjoying a diverse and organic diet. Many organic farmers are using evolutionary plant breeding to adapt plants to their particular soil and climate in order to resist disease and pests and to improve nutrition. Traditional plant breeding offers true food sovereignty by increasing biodiversity and healthy food in local communities.
India’s Organic State Enjoys Improved Health, Tourism, and Environment
Source: Wasin Waeosri, Flickr
India is home to the largest number of organic farmers in the world, and Sikkim, one of its states, passed legislation in 2003 to allow only organic agriculture. In 2014, they banned the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Bee and wildlife populations have prospered, and Sikkim has seen an increase in tourism. Farmers in the state report lower yields and the need for more training, and Sikkim officials continue to provide support, including increased access to markets. This small state serves as an example and inspiration for the world. We will continue to monitor this story over time.
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The Cornucopia Institute
is a nonprofit organization engaged in research and educational activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom underlying sustainable and organic agriculture. Through research and investigations on agricultural and food issues, The Cornucopia Institute provides needed information to family farmers, consumers, stakeholders involved in the good food movement, and the media.
