The US Department of Agriculture recently announced that $50 million in grant money was being made available to farmers who wanted to switch from conventional to organic farming practices.  USDA Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan made the announcement last week of the grant money being made available.

The funding for the program is through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and fulfills an Obama administration promise to encourage organic farming practices.  It could also be a first step in organic agriculture gaining a more widespread acceptance in the federal government and within the farming community.

Read more of this story »

Just a few days after Michelle Obama invited local fifth graders to help plant the White House Kitchen Garden, the MACA, a group which represents and is comprised of former executives from Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto and DuPont Crop Protection, sent the White House a letter (which can be viewed in its entirety here) expressing their disappointment that she had not “recognize[d] the role conventional agriculture plays in the US.”

But that’s not all. The group went on to provide a dose of propaganda educational information, including little known fact that “technology allows for farmers to meet the increasing demand for food and fiber in a sustainable manner.” Drawing a clear line between technology, undefined, and sustainability does not, in the strictest terms, suggest the group’s total disapproval of organic farming methods.

That outright statement came in an email MACA sent their members shortly after sending the first lady aforementioned letter, in which they said that the idea of an organic garden “made Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Coordinator and I shudder.” [italics mine].

Read more of this story »

Merrigan has been hailed by sustainable agriculture advocates, like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; however, Senate Republicans are concerned with her organic ties.

Read more of this story »

As spring is in the air (when the north wind does not blow), I have begun longing for the good times my children and I have at the local farmers’ market and contemplating our participation as vendors this year.  I can’t tell you how much we look forward to our weekly adventures at the farmers’ market, and how excited we are if we happen to visit a neighboring town on the day of their market; however, that could all change.

H.R. 875: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 could end farmers’ markets as we know it by requiring growers to register, be subject to inspections of their gardens by federal agents, and maintain safety records related to food production or face large fines.

Read more of this story »

In two vague bills introduced both in the House and Senate of the US Congress, a vast reorganization of America’s agriculture system aimed at tracking and regulating foods for public safety could endanger organic farms and gardens.

The bills, S.425 and H.R.875, attempt to modernize food safety and regulate and standardize agriculture by creating an agency called the Food Safety Administration, but in the process they could threaten organic farming.

Read more of this story »

A German study found that cows are major contributors to global warming, and it doesn’t matter if they’re raised on a conventional or an organic farm.

[Creative Commons photo by Jelle]

I’m with Stephanie Ernst over at change.org on this one, though: let’s not blame the poor cows. The culprit here is humans’ taste for meat and dairy and the sheer number of cows we have to raise to put beef on all of those plates.

Read more of this story »

Ginger and chilli are among the plants deemed “hazardous” by Thailand’s Department of Agriculture in a recent announcement.

Instead of only regulating the toxic pesticides used by large-scale agriculture, Thailand’s new law mandates that the plants themselves should be treated as hazardous substances. Farmers take this to mean that even their small-scale organic farms must follow expensive safety regulations, or else face risk of jail time.

Organic farmers are fighting back and threatening to sue the government if the list is not removed from the law.

Read more of this story »

Organic, value-added, and specialty production in agriculture are also on the rise.

Read more of this story »

What now? Pepsi isn’t sure. According to a report today in the New York Times:

(PepsiCo) figured that as public concern grows about the fate of the planet, companies will find themselves under pressure to perform such calculations. Orange juice seemed like a good case study.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/01/22/pepsico-announces-half-gallon-of-orange-juice-produces-375-pounds-of-co2/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/05/organic-no-pesticide-but-some-relaxation-of-rules-beg-uk-farmers/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/05/organic-no-pesticide-but-some-relaxation-of-rules-beg-uk-farmers/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:47:04 +0000 Kay Sexton http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/05/organic-no-pesticide-but-some-relaxation-of-rules-beg-uk-farmers/ Many of the UK’s organic farmers are asking the government to relax the strict organic standards that govern their meat and vegetable production regimes.

The plea, from organisations including the Soil Association, is the result of a sales drop and fears for the future of 5,000 organic farmers across Britain. Organic food sales fell by 10% in the three months to the end of November 2008 – at a time when overall food sales rose by 6%

As a result, farmers’ groups have asked for approval to relax the ‘organic’ rules so that they can use conventional animal feed which is half the price of instead of organic food concentrate. The holiday wouldn’t be total – farmers would have to stick to the agreed low stocking densities, minimum use of antibiotics, and no use of fertilisers.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/05/organic-no-pesticide-but-some-relaxation-of-rules-beg-uk-farmers/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/16/boycott-forever-21-say-la-community-farm-supporters/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/16/boycott-forever-21-say-la-community-farm-supporters/#comments Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:39:02 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/16/boycott-forever-21-say-la-community-farm-supporters/

On Saturday a group of protesters gathered in front of a Forever 21 in Pasadena, CA to promote a boycott against the company after they announced plans to build a warehouse on the land of the much-adored South Central Farm, which developer Ralph Horowitz acquired earlier this year despite public outcry.

The group hopes to discourage Forever 21 from building a new factory on the property, and in turn discourage Horowitz from attempting to develop on the land. The South Central Farmers and student groups California Statewide MEChA and D-Q Unity issued an invitation to the rally that detailed the logic behind a boycott of Forever 21:

Read more of this story »

]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/12/16/boycott-forever-21-say-la-community-farm-supporters/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/13/reports-show-less-water-used-in-organic-farming/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/13/reports-show-less-water-used-in-organic-farming/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:52:11 +0000 Nayelli Gonzalez http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/13/reports-show-less-water-used-in-organic-farming/

Note: This article is part of EcoWorldly’s series on food and agriculture around the world. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this week EcoWorldly writers are exploring environmental issues related to bringing food from the farm to your dinner plate.

Sellers of organic products all say the same thing: their products are better for our health and for the environment. So if you’re planning on chowing on organic cranberries, yams and free-range turkeys this Thanksgiving, rest assured that your meal is good for you and Mother Earth on a different level. Organic farming also uses less water than commercial farming methods.

Large quantities of water are used for farming around the world, and some environmentalists argue this has contributed to the global water crisis. According to PeopleandPlanet.net, over two-thirds of the freshwater used by humans annually around the world is used for crop irrigation. In Africa, for example, the Nile River loses 90 percent of its water for irrigation purposes before it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. In Asia, which contains two-thirds of the world’s irrigated land, 85 percent of available water is used for irrigation. And in California, 80 percent of the water withdrawn for state water projects is used for agriculture. The remaining 20 percent is used for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial use, according to a report released by the environmental research and advocacy group Pacific Institute.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/13/reports-show-less-water-used-in-organic-farming/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/11/13/organic-farmer-murdered-after-protesting-toxic-dumpsite/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/11/13/organic-farmer-murdered-after-protesting-toxic-dumpsite/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:33:45 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/11/13/organic-farmer-murdered-after-protesting-toxic-dumpsite/ An Indian organic farmer and anti-pollution advocate was shot to death on Monday while in the midst of exposing an illegal dumpsite on his property to the media.

Challa Krishnamurthy started a 20-acre organic farm in Gowribidanur, India with the intention to make it a model for how others should treat the land. But despite his efforts to keep his property free of toxic chemicals, he discovered that a local distillery and sugarcane factory had been dumping untreated waste onto his property as well as others.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/11/13/organic-farmer-murdered-after-protesting-toxic-dumpsite/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/12/indias-alphonso-mango-the-king-of-fruit/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/12/indias-alphonso-mango-the-king-of-fruit/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:42:17 +0000 Reenita Malhotra http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/12/indias-alphonso-mango-the-king-of-fruit/

Alphonso Mangoes in Crawford Market, Mumbai

The mango is so widely available in India, that the fruit itself is named Aam which translates from Sanskrit as ‘common.’ Even though the Indian subcontinent is home to more than a thousand varieties of mango, most Indians identify the fruit with the Alphonso variety. Popularly regarded as the reigning king among Indian mangoes, the Alphonso has a unique flavor - sweet and sumptuous with an aromatic citrus overtone. Cultivated primarily in the state of Maharashtra, along the verdant shores of Konkan coast, the Alphonso mango fruit fills the narrow lanes of Crawford Market in Mumbai every year from March to May.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/11/12/indias-alphonso-mango-the-king-of-fruit/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/11/11/growing-up-green-how-to-raise-an-eco-aware-child/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/11/11/growing-up-green-how-to-raise-an-eco-aware-child/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:57:26 +0000 Gennefer Snowfield http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/11/11/growing-up-green-how-to-raise-an-eco-aware-child/

For parents committed to green living and environmental concsiousness, the greatest gift we can bestow upon our children — and to the world in which we live — is the spirit, passion and commitment to keeping our planet flourishing. 

We all want to ensure that our children are safe, happy and protected, and what better way to do that than by helping them preserve the earth, freeing the air from harmful contaminents and pollution, decreasing our dependence on — and wastefulness of – fuel and finding eco-friendly alternative energy sources.

Between in-home teaching and associations and resources committed to educating children about environmental protection and conservation, it’s easy get your kids out of diapers and off the grid!

Read more of this story »

]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/11/11/growing-up-green-how-to-raise-an-eco-aware-child/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/24-african-countries-double-their-yield-using-organic-farming/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/24-african-countries-double-their-yield-using-organic-farming/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:27 +0000 Robin Shreeves http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/24-african-countries-double-their-yield-using-organic-farming/ A recently released UN report on the effects of organic, or near organic, farming methods in 24 African countries has some interesting, and encouraging, findings. 114 projects in the 24 African countries were analyzed and the results found that yields more than doubled where the organic, or near organic, methods were implemented. In East Africa the results were even more impressive.

The study

found that organic practices outperformed traditional methods and chemical-intensive conventional farming. It also found strong environmental benefits such as improved soil fertility, better retention of water and resistance to drought. And the research highlighted the role that learning organic practices could have in improving local education.

Africa has been a continent where many have advocated the use of GMO crops and factory farms that use unsustainable methods to stop the food shortage that many parts of Africa are experiencing at the moment. But this study shows that perhaps these modern farming techniques are unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/10/23/24-african-countries-double-their-yield-using-organic-farming/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/17/green-role-models-finally-an-organic-princess-i-want-my-daughter-to-adore/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/17/green-role-models-finally-an-organic-princess-i-want-my-daughter-to-adore/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:35:12 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/17/green-role-models-finally-an-organic-princess-i-want-my-daughter-to-adore/ Little girls love princess, but eco, feminist parents lament the adoration of helpless females who need rescued by princes.  My daughter has thankfully moved away from the princess phase, no matter how much I tried to shield her from its influence from the start, but she often still asks about real princesses.  I tell her that yes they exist, but that royal families aren’t necessarily role models.  Now, I have found a princess that is inspiring her subjects to grow organic vegetables.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is calling on residents of Nan to plant organic gardens. Her own Thong Noi palace, which she visits once or twice a year, is a model of organic farming.  Somsak Yasang, the princess’ gardener, explains:

Sometimes the princess cuts vegetables in the backyard herself. The vegetables grown in the palace are served on her table.  The princess also sells home-grown vegetables at reasonable prices. Some of the surplus produce is processed and sold. Fruit including jackfruit, tamarind and papaya were donated to the nearby Nan Panyanugul school for mentally challenged children.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/07/17/green-role-models-finally-an-organic-princess-i-want-my-daughter-to-adore/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/30/good-clean-fair-food-on-the-web/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/30/good-clean-fair-food-on-the-web/#comments Fri, 30 May 2008 17:13:29 +0000 Carla Wise http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/30/good-clean-fair-food-on-the-web/

For someone who loves information, the internet can be both a wonderful temptation and and a hopeless disappointment. The good, the bad, the well-researched and the total garbage all sit side-by-side out there in cyberspace. Information on food and farming is plentiful, but not all of it is accurate, informative, or useful. One site that I have found is really worth keeping an eye on is the Organic Consumer’s Association.

If you are interested in things like organic standards, genetically engineered foods, food safety, worker rights, fair trade, hunger, supporting small farms or nearly any other current food/farming issue, take a look at this web site. The Organic Consumer’s Association was started in 1998

Read more of this story »

]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/30/good-clean-fair-food-on-the-web/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/15/what-about-the-food-in-the-farm-bill/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/15/what-about-the-food-in-the-farm-bill/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 15:34:44 +0000 Megan McWilliams http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/15/what-about-the-food-in-the-farm-bill/ I’m relatively new to this crazy Farm Bill thing. I was invited last Summer to an event at Paul Newman and local food activist chef Michel Nischan’s restaurant, the Dressing Room in Wesport CT, to listen to an amazing panel of speakers and participate in a dialog about the 2007 Farm Bill. This incredibly informative and passionate panel included, US Representative Rose DeLauro (D-New Haven, CT); Gus Schumacher, the undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services during the Clinton Administration; Daniel Imhoff, author of Food Fight: A Citizen’s Guide to the Farm Bill; and Annie Farrell an advocate for sustainable and organic farming and manager of Millstone Farm in CT.

I was stunned by what I learned last year - more importantly, I was stunned by what I didn’t know, and I consider myself a sustainable agriculture supporter! I’ve been trying to track the progress of this Bill in its fits and starts and controversial moments, but still find myself quite ignorant and ever-more surprised when I hear or read another piece of this hulking bulk of legislation.Today is my ‘recipe’ day, not that I’ve kept up with the schedule lately AT ALL, but after reading the NY Times article about the latest on the Farm Bill, I just had to write something about this. Sorry. Look for some lighter fare (perhaps easier to digest than the Farm Bill) Monday!

Read more of this story »

]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/15/what-about-the-food-in-the-farm-bill/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/03/03/spanish-literature-and-religious-environmentalism-a-green-lent-update/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/03/03/spanish-literature-and-religious-environmentalism-a-green-lent-update/#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:45:35 +0000 Chad Crawford http://sustainablog.org/2008/03/03/spanish-literature-and-religious-environmentalism-a-green-lent-update/ A barefoot woman learns the language of the local indigenous tribe, and cultivates her own spirituality based on their deep spiritual connection to the Earth. This woman was a highly educated Mexican nun and playwright who lived during the 17th century.

The Boston Globe published an article today about Nina M. Scott, a retired University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of Spanish Literature. Instead of chocolate, Scott has chosen to give up carbon this Lent. She is doing a few extra things to reduce her carbon footprint, such as hanging her clothes up instead of using a drier and carpooling to use less fuel.

“For me it’s that connection between protecting nature and faith,” she says. She and a dozen of her friends at Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst first got the idea when they heard about two Church of England bishops who encouraged parishioners to go on a low carbon diet for Lent. (Check out my article, “What Does Lent Have to Do With Sharpening Green Habits?”)

The Globe article also mentioned this past weekend’s Yale Divinity School’s conference “Renewing Hope: Pathways to Religious Environmentalism.” This is the conference that screened the film Renewal, which I wrote about last week. The Globe pointed out the conference to illustrate the movement that is taking place, that religions are becoming enlightened to their environmental responsibilities.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/03/03/spanish-literature-and-religious-environmentalism-a-green-lent-update/feed/