Tag: organic
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Cornucopia Institute Claims Target Corp. Failing to Comply with NOP Standards
An organization that seeks to advance the interests of organic and family farmers has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) and state officials in Wisconsin and Minnesota, asking for an investigation of Target Corp. for alleged violations of federal organic regulations. The Cornucopia Institute contends that Target advertised…
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Paul Voosen, “Agriculture: Courts Force U.S. Reckoning with Dominance of GM Crops,” Greenwire, October 8, 2009
In the first of a series of reports, this article discusses the sugar beet growers from Oregon’s Willamette Valley involved in litigation that has, to date, successfully challenged U.S. Department of Agriculture decisions to deregulate genetically modified (GM) sugar beets without conducting appropriate environmental impact assessments. Organic farmers risk the loss of their EU markets…
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Consumers Confused About “Natural” and “Organic” Food Labels
According to a recent Orlando Sentinel article, consumers do not understand the difference between food products labeled as “natural,” which, for the most part, is an unregulated term, and those labeled “organic,” which carries extensive government regulation and requires certification. Some food producers are apparently taking advantage of consumers’ mistaken belief that “natural” is a…
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Cornucopia Institute Renews Charges About Aurora Dairy Organic Practices
The Cornucopia Institute, which represents the interests of small organic agricultural operations, has called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate charges that Aurora Dairy’s High Plains facility is operating in violation of National Organic Program (NOP) standards. In its August 31, 2009, letter, the institute refers to a similar complaint it filed…
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Washington Post Report Questions Integrity of Organic Labeling Practices
“Relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest segment of the food industry,” claim Washington Post writers Kimberly Kindy and Lyndsey Layton in a July 3, 2009, investigative report alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its…
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Aurora Dairy Plaintiffs Appeal District Court’s Preemption Dismissal
Multidistrict litigation plaintiffs who sued Aurora Dairy Corp., an accredited organic certifying agent and a number of food retailers have appealed the district court decision dismissing their claims to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. In re: Aurora Dairy Corp. Organic Milk Mktg. & Sales Practices Litig., MDL No. 08-1907 (E.D. Mo., appeal noticed July 2,…
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United States and Canada Reach Agreement on Organic Equivalency
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have agreed to recognize each other’s organic certifications. As of June 30, 2009, Canada will have national organic standards in place that have been determined to be the equivalent of U.S. National Organic Program requirements. Thus, products meeting U.S. standards can be sold…
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MDL Court Dismisses Aurora Dairy Litigation with Prejudice
The multitdistrict litigation (MDL) court in Missouri before which nearly 20 putative class actions against Aurora Dairy Corp., an accredited organic certifying agent and several retailers had been consolidated for pre-trial proceedings, has dismissed the lawsuits with prejudice finding that federal organic food laws preempt the claims. In re Aurora Dairy Corp. Organic Milk Mktg. &…