Organic Food News

Highlights of organic food news from around the world.

The latest organic food news from around the world; from organic food websites and other resources. From the latest organic food trend to the advantages of organic food; find stories, reports and facts about organics.

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Organic food facts and organic food trends are becoming easier to find in mainstream media. The organic news on this site is a highlight of the information available to you - there is more information available on organic food facts and news worldwide.

WICHITA, KS - The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) today released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that "GM foods pose a serious health risk" and calling for a moratorium on GM foods.

Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health."

The AAEM calls for:

• - A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term safety testing and labeling of GM food.
• - Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods.
• - Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients' disease processes.
• - More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

The original GMO press release in its entirety provides more details on why the AAEM is calling for a moratorium on GM Foods.

Source: Press release issued May 19, 2009 by the AAEM.

Why are Bees Disappearing? What is the City of Vancouver, Canada Doing About It?

VANCOUVER - A $90,000 project to increase the bee population in Vancouver is underway with volunteers now monitoring 53 new colonies of mason bees, living in their own “bee condos” in various parks and public spaces around the city.

The program began last year with 100 mason-bee condos being distributed to homeowners for placing in backyards, said Hartley Rosen, manager of Environmental Youth Alliance, the volunteer organization that is responsible for the initiative.

Residents taking a colony of 36 bees were expected to plant pollen-rich, bee-friendly plants and fruit trees and to garden organically without the use of pesticides, Rosen said.

"They are expected to monitor the colony and see how the bees are doing and how many cavities in the condo are filled," he said. "It’s pesticides which are killing bees, so we want to encourage people to garden organically."

Rosen said the urban apiary project was inspired by the news that bee populations across North America are in decline.

By Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun

Full story on Bee Condos here.

Source: Vancouver Sun, April 7, 2009

organic food news posted on this website 14/02/08 courtesy of Lake Oswego review online.

Even rats prefer organic food

We are always carrying out tests on rats - seems to me we must have a lot of faith in terms of what we can learn from them. So what will the anti-organics come up with to decry the results of this experiment I wonder? The rats chose organic over conventional nibbles because they didn't have to pay more for it?

Full story here

organic food news posted on this website 27/01/08 courtesy of Athens online.

Even more research shows organic is safer

...and FEPA admits that chemicals used on crops cause cancer -

The federal Environmental Protection Agency reports that 60 percent of all herbicides and 90 percent of fungicides are carcinogenic. A growing amount of organic food facts and research shows that organic food contains fewer pesticide residues and is nutritionally superior. Organic foods have higher levels of antioxidants, which fight cancer.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news and views, posted by organic food for everyone, 09/01/08

Update - Soil Association and use of Copper fungicide

The recent story about Soil Association member farmers using chemicals against potato blight resulted in some of us doubting the UK?s biggest certifier of organic produce.

However, it is now clear that we were too quick to judge. We were somewhat misled by the negative spin of certain news publishers.

Now, having researched the facts I am as steadfast in my support of Soil Association as ever (and a little more knowledgeable!)

The fact is that in the UK, non-organic growers are allowed by law to use 314 chemical pesticides. Organic growers are allowed to use only 7. Soil Association goes even further and allows only 4 to be used by its members. Why use any at all though?

As SA explains - Organic farming is a holistic method of farming that works with rather than against natural systems. In doing so the soil is kept healthy, fertile and sustainable, using natural, organic fertilizers and additives, crop rotation, maintenance of biodiversity, and resistant crop varieties.

Unfortunately on some occasions this may not be enough to protect against a certain pest or disease. On such occasions one of the four allowed inputs needs to be used. In the case of Potato Blight, unusual weather conditions caused such an occasion. A Copper fungicide was used to tackle the problem.

Soil Association is, of course, constantly working to develop ways of defeating pests and disease that do not involve chemical inputs. That said, it must be recognised that -

In 2006, [only] 58 organic farmers applied to the Soil Association to use 2.2 tonnes of copper. Last year, out of 300 growers, 85 applied for permission as the wet summer created the right conditions for blight to spread.

Further - Despite last year being the worst for blight in 50 years, fewer than 30% of Soil Association organic farmers resorted to the use of copper. Two-thirds managed through the use of blight resistant varieties [1], crop rotations [2] and burning or chopping infected vegetation [3] - this is good news, contrary to the Daily Mail's doom and gloom report yesterday ["Thousands of tons of organic food produced using toxic chemicals", 1 January 2008]. Read the full report. Source PR Newswire.

The unbalanced, uninformed and negatively spun tabloid reports strike me as a cheap shot by the anti-organic lobby.

Keep up the good work, Soil Association!

organic news posted on this website 05/12/07 courtesy of Xpress News online.

Organic in the UAE Desert

Sands in the United Arab Emirates can be turned into fertile land growing organic crops. This would reduce UAE reliance on importing food, says Dave Friend, founder of friendly organics

Indeed, the UAE's abundant natural resource "the desert sands" can be turned into fertile cultivable beds for growing organic foods, without using any chemical fertiliser, herbicide or even pesticide, says a food educator.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news posted on this website 05/12/07 courtesy of The Northern Rivers Echo online.

Australia awaits GM contamination

Organic farmers and consumers in New South Wales and Victoria fear the end of organic food production because of contamination by GM crops. The use of GM crops there has been okayed by the government.

Opponents have labelled the move as "letting the genie out of the bottle" with fears that the wide use of GM crops will lead to irreversible contamination of non-GM crops including organic food.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news posted on this website 04/12/07 courtesy of Marketwire online.

Organic agriculture gets $1.3 million in Canada

Recognising the massive growth in the organic food market, the Canadian government has given $1.3 million to its organic agriculture industry. Gerald Keddy, speaking on behalf of Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, said -

Our financial support of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada and the Organic Federation of Canada, demonstrates our Government's commitment to support research, production and partnerships that help our farmers develop organic food market opportunities.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news posted on this website 01/12/07 courtesy of Organic-market info.

Defra GM proposals rejected

...a significant majority of the 11,700 responses to Defra's proposals to control the contamination of GM crops have opposed them, according to a summary of the results of the consultation recently published by Defra.

This confirms that British consumers are extremely concerned at the apparent threat to organic food production imposed by the prospect of GM crops being permitted into the UK.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news posted on this website 21/11/07 courtesy of Soil Association

Soil Association report on GM animal feed

The Soil Association has published the findings of its investigation into the use of GM animal feed. We have been shocked to find that very large quantities of GM feed are being used in the UK to produce our food. Around 60% of the maize and 30% of the soya is GM in the feed used by dairy and pig farmers. This means that most of the non-organic milk, dairy products and pork being sold in the UK is from GM-fed animals.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news courtesy of Soil Association

Organic milk cuts eczema in children and boosts breast milk

PRESS RELEASE 09/11/2007 (version 2)

A newly published scientific study shows that the incidence of eczema in infants fed on organic dairy products, and whose mothers also consumed organic dairy products, is 36% lower than in children who consume conventional dairy products. [1] [2]

Whilst there is a significant body of evidence showing that organic food contains higher levels of beneficial nutrients than non-organic foods [3], this is the first example of a definite health impact (i.e. isolated from other potential beneficial factors) of organic food consumption being published in a peer reviewed journal.

Source PR Newswire.

organic food news courtesy of Times Online

Official: organic really is better

The Sunday Times October 28, 2007

The biggest study into organic food has found that it is more nutritious than ordinary produce and may help to lengthen people's lives. The evidence from the £12m four-year project will end years of debate and is likely to overturn government advice that eating organic food is no more than a lifestyle choice.

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain?s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

For more organic food facts and the full story here. Source PR Newswire.

organic food news courtesy of The Independent

Organic food helps revive fortunes of Europe's farmers

By Adam Mitchell in Brussels and Rachel Shields Published: 14 June 2007

The organic revolution is sweeping across Europe, with the area of land dedicated to environmentally-friendly, pesticide-free food production more than doubling in the last decade.

Organic farming now accounts for more than 4 per cent of agricultural land in the EU, more than double its 1998 share, according to a new report from its official statistics agency, Eurostat. And organic land is likely to make greater inroads, as the consumer appetite shows no sign of slowing.

This is more than just an organic food trend; "Organic almost certainly will continue to grow and we think it's a good thing," Michael Mann, an EU agriculture spokesman said.

Full story here. Source PR Newswire.

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