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"Responding to burgeoning demand for products made with socially responsible practices, global organic certifier IMO (Institute for Marketecology) introduced a new standard for fair trade certification in the United States dubbed Fair for Life.
The social and fair trade certification program is based on standards from ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions, FLO (Fairtrade Labeling Organization), SA8000 (Social Accountability International), and IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) social criteria, and covers labor rights issues including pricing and premiums.
IMO developed the IMO Fair Trade & Social Responsibility Program after they found a need for it in the market, Kerry Hughes, IMO's new U.S. representative, told Sustainable Food News.
"Currently, other fair trade certifiers are not open to the wide range of products that IMO certification can cover," Hughes told Sustainable Food News. "It is also integral in our program that because we have certifiers all around the world . we can certify operations that already have the systems in place for organic, thus making the certification process smoother."
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Friday, November 2, 2007
Improving the Organic Farming Scheme
"This year’s Wales Organic Conference brought some good news for would-be converters. BARRY ALSTON reports from the Royal Welsh Showground.
THE Organic Farming Scheme is to re-open in Wales next month – with some significant improvements developed in consultation with the industry.
It includes:
• A new payment of £1,000 on the first hectare of land entered into the scheme to help with costs of certification and training.
• A new payment of £200 per ha per year for organic horticulture, specifically to encourage more farmers to grow field vegetables to increase the local supply of fresh organic produce.
• Greater access to the arable payment rate which was previously restricted to AAPS eligible land."
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THE Organic Farming Scheme is to re-open in Wales next month – with some significant improvements developed in consultation with the industry.
It includes:
• A new payment of £1,000 on the first hectare of land entered into the scheme to help with costs of certification and training.
• A new payment of £200 per ha per year for organic horticulture, specifically to encourage more farmers to grow field vegetables to increase the local supply of fresh organic produce.
• Greater access to the arable payment rate which was previously restricted to AAPS eligible land."
Read the article
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Dean Foods Off the Hook?
"Cornucopia, WI., Oct 31, 2007 /Natural Newswire/ -- The Cornucopia Institute sharply criticized the conclusion by USDA that an 8000-head factory dairy in Idaho was operating within the federal organic standards. Cornucopia had requested an investigation based on its site visit to the giant industrial-scale dairy, owned by Dean Foods, and the gathering of evidence from other industry professionals with first-hand knowledge of the operation.
The USDA informed Cornucopia today that it had closed its investigation into Dean Foods’ Horizon dairy in Paul, Idaho and another corporate-owned facility in Kennedyville, Maryland. The USDA investigation was in response to a formal legal complaint filed by Cornucopia in 2006.
"We know from our visit to the Idaho facility that they had no functional pasture meeting legal requirements and were unable to graze their huge dairy herd," said Mark Kastel, codirector of the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. Cornucopia's legal complaint included interviews with the veterinarian and with livestock professionals associated with Horizon’s Maryland dairy indicating that they were not pasturing the animals there, either."
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The USDA informed Cornucopia today that it had closed its investigation into Dean Foods’ Horizon dairy in Paul, Idaho and another corporate-owned facility in Kennedyville, Maryland. The USDA investigation was in response to a formal legal complaint filed by Cornucopia in 2006.
"We know from our visit to the Idaho facility that they had no functional pasture meeting legal requirements and were unable to graze their huge dairy herd," said Mark Kastel, codirector of the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. Cornucopia's legal complaint included interviews with the veterinarian and with livestock professionals associated with Horizon’s Maryland dairy indicating that they were not pasturing the animals there, either."
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Organic Diet to Your Door
"ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthy Chef Creations, a nationwide fresh home meal delivery service, announced today the creation of their Enlightened Cuisine - personalized organic diet meals. This unique combination offers dieters a highly convenient, "no excuses" means to merge the need for better eating habits into their busy lifestyles.
"We didn't start out with the intention to create a diet. However, we noticed that our customers were reporting superior weight loss as a result of eating our portion-controlled organic and whole foods meals, customized to their liking. One of the significant side-benefits of the organic diet is that it addresses some of the food safety concerns consumers are worried about, namely Trans Fatty acids, acrylamide and cloned meats. Our customers don't have to worry as they have our promise that our food is free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), preservatives and hormones. I personally select all the ingredients for freshness and quality." -- The Healthy Chef, John Procacci"
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"We didn't start out with the intention to create a diet. However, we noticed that our customers were reporting superior weight loss as a result of eating our portion-controlled organic and whole foods meals, customized to their liking. One of the significant side-benefits of the organic diet is that it addresses some of the food safety concerns consumers are worried about, namely Trans Fatty acids, acrylamide and cloned meats. Our customers don't have to worry as they have our promise that our food is free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), preservatives and hormones. I personally select all the ingredients for freshness and quality." -- The Healthy Chef, John Procacci"
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Irish Government to Promote Organic
"The Irish government has called on business in the agricultural sector to keep up with the public's growing appetite for organic food.
Responding to research finding that organic foods often contain high levels of beneficial compounds, Food and Horticulture Minister Trevor Sargent said: "Ireland's production must keep up with growing consumer demand if Irish farmers are to reap the benefits of organic conversion and if Irish consumers are to have access to affordable organic foods.
"Therefore, I am urging Irish farmers to examine the commercial opportunities that exist with organic conversion."
Mr Sargent said that the new Organic Farming Scheme would increase payment rates for producers of such food, and that other grants were available."
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Responding to research finding that organic foods often contain high levels of beneficial compounds, Food and Horticulture Minister Trevor Sargent said: "Ireland's production must keep up with growing consumer demand if Irish farmers are to reap the benefits of organic conversion and if Irish consumers are to have access to affordable organic foods.
"Therefore, I am urging Irish farmers to examine the commercial opportunities that exist with organic conversion."
Mr Sargent said that the new Organic Farming Scheme would increase payment rates for producers of such food, and that other grants were available."
Read the article
Yorkshire Provender Company Launches Organic Soups
"The organic soup category warms up for winter as the Yorkshire Provender Company (formerly known as the Yorkshire Soup Company) enters the organic market with the launch of five organic vegetable soups.
The range has specifically been developed around the seasonality of British farmed vegetables and unlike some other organic soups, is made from fresh vegetables only.
Initially three soups will be launched - Root Vegetable and Pearl Barley, Caramelised Onion with Aspall Cyder Vinegar and Beetroot and Celeriac with Ginger, quickly followed by Parsnip with Honey Vanilla and Mace and Savoy Cabbage and Puy Lentil. A ‘soup of the month’ will complete the organic winter range.
“Our new organic soups are the smoothies of the vegetable world and the recipes reflect the contents of an organic vegetable box as we buy directly from what is being harvested right now. We prepare all our own vegetables and then cook them sympathetically to preserve the colour, flavour, texture and nutritional value of the original ingredients,” said co-founder Belinda Williams."
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The range has specifically been developed around the seasonality of British farmed vegetables and unlike some other organic soups, is made from fresh vegetables only.
Initially three soups will be launched - Root Vegetable and Pearl Barley, Caramelised Onion with Aspall Cyder Vinegar and Beetroot and Celeriac with Ginger, quickly followed by Parsnip with Honey Vanilla and Mace and Savoy Cabbage and Puy Lentil. A ‘soup of the month’ will complete the organic winter range.
“Our new organic soups are the smoothies of the vegetable world and the recipes reflect the contents of an organic vegetable box as we buy directly from what is being harvested right now. We prepare all our own vegetables and then cook them sympathetically to preserve the colour, flavour, texture and nutritional value of the original ingredients,” said co-founder Belinda Williams."
Read the article
40 Groups Against Weakening Organic Standards
"WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of concerned advocates from 44 organizations have sent a message to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), urging caution as that body considers whether or not to weaken USDA Organic Standards, it was announced today. The NOSB is meeting in late November of this year to consider the report of their Aquaculture Working Group. If acted upon, their recommendations would allow fish to carry the USDA Organic label - despite being raised under conditions that fail to meet basic USDA Organic principles.
In their letter, the groups - which collectively represent more than one million stakeholders and concerned citizens -comment on the Aquaculture Working Group's recommendations to allow use of fishmeal from wild fish (which has the potential to carry mercury and PCBs) and open net cages (which promotes pollution from fish waste, can spread disease and parasites killing wild fish and allows escapes of farmed fish into the wild). The coalition letter to the NOSB can be found at: http://www.puresalmon.org/pdfs/nosb-letter.pdf."
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In their letter, the groups - which collectively represent more than one million stakeholders and concerned citizens -comment on the Aquaculture Working Group's recommendations to allow use of fishmeal from wild fish (which has the potential to carry mercury and PCBs) and open net cages (which promotes pollution from fish waste, can spread disease and parasites killing wild fish and allows escapes of farmed fish into the wild). The coalition letter to the NOSB can be found at: http://www.puresalmon.org/pdfs/nosb-letter.pdf."
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