Weekly Top 5: Organic News You Need to Know #58
April 5, 2018
How Organic Wine Finally Caught On
In the United States, the world’s largest consumer of wine, only 1% of wine sold by volume was organic. The paltry market for organic wine around the world belies the fact that over the past half century, countless organic winegrowers and vintners have dedicated great effort to creating a larger market for the category, without much success.
USDA Publishes 2018 Sunset Review Notice
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the renewal of 17 substances on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. These substances are used in organic crop and livestock production and organic handling/processing. USDA concurred with The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendation to renew 16 substances, except for removing carrageenan from the National List. USDA is renewing carrageenan because there is sufficient evidence that the substance continues to be necessary for handling agricultural products.
OTA Announces ‘Organic Week’ in Washington, D.C.
Organic Week in Washington, D.C. is the Organic Trade Association's signature event and the only one of its kind. It is a celebration of the organic supply chain. Join discussions on federal policy issues critical to our nation's nearly $50 billion organic sector. Take action on issues at the forefront of organic food, agriculture and trade priorities. Through keynote speeches by national thought leaders, inspiring moments from the business sector, and intimate networking opportunities, you will experience the impact of the organic sector in one powerful week.
Cal-Organic Farms Launches First-Ever Consumer Brand Campaign
Cal-Organic Farms, a pioneer of organic farming, launched an innovative, integrated marketing campaign designed to bridge the gap between organic consumers and organic farmers. Cal-Organic is a fully owned subsidiary of parent company Grimmway Farms, the largest producer of carrots in the world. The campaign, coined ‘Handled with Care,’ is designed to raise awareness of the Cal-Organic brand among health-minded, food-forward consumers.
Organic Vegetables in Australia Under Threat
Fairfax Media reports organic vegetable growers are warning the range of organic vegetables available in Australia could be drastically reduced if the federal government introduces a proposed change to the nation’s import rules to make a fungicide treatment compulsory for a range of vegetable seeds entering Australia.
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"California is a leader in organic, and home to 19% of organic farms and 38% of organic fruit and vegetable production. (USDA Census of 2012). In Monterey County, organic acreage has increased by 70% in five years and sales have more than doubled."
Patricia Carrillo
Executive Director at Agriculture & Land Based Learning