Some fresh produce from hydroponic growers has been approved for and is being sold under USDA’s organic seal, but farmers who grow their organic crops in the soil don’t like the competition.
The litigious Center for Food Safety two weeks ago filed a rule-making petition with U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Continue Reading Organic industry is not giving hydroponic, aquaponic growers a warm embrace
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is tweeting about his plans “in coming weeks” to “put out more detailed information about what different terms mean on food packaging, to help consumers best use claims like organic, antibiotic free-etc.”
Gottlieb said he wanted to share “a few initial thoughts” because
Continue Reading FDA Commissioner Gottlieb tweets about plans to review some of those labeling claims
The USDA’s National Organic Program completed more complaint reviews and investigations that it received in 2017. It finished work on 462 reviews and investigations while receiving 379 incoming complaints during the fiscal year 2017 ending last Sept. 30.
Under the jurisdiction of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the organic program recently
Continue Reading USDA’s organic enforcement efforts find fraudulent certificates
And By Jay Lehr
President Obama tripled the budget and staffing at the offices of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), only to see American organic acreage flatline during his tenure.
The $9.1 million might seem like a rounding error for Washington D.C. But what 43 organic staffers actually did
Continue Reading Should the boost in funding for organic farming survive in the new administration?
In advance of the National Organics Standards Board meeting in April, the board’s Crops Subcommittee shared a draft proposal calling for the end of organic certification for hydroponic and aquaponic growers. This proposal, if enacted, will have far reaching and damaging effects on hundreds of producers, thousands of retailers and
Continue Reading Sustainable organics group urges support for soil-free growing
The National Organic Standards Board has voted 10-3, with one abstention, to remove carrageenan from the list of substances approved for use in food items labeled “USDA Organic.” The vote came Thursday afternoon during the board’s three-day fall meeting in St. Louis.
NOSB members were tentatively scheduled to make a
Continue Reading Board nixes use of carrageenan in organic food production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this year reviewed almost half of the so-called “certifying agents” for its organic program and ended up citing 62 percent for failing to correctly enforce certification requirements on organic farms they audit, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. 
The nation’s largest daily newspaper stated
Continue Reading Audit of Organic ‘Certifying Agents’ Suggests Program May Need Overhaul
