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organic agriculture

Research Shows Organic Agriculture Boosts Local Economies

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WASHINGTON (May 25, 2016) – The Organic Trade Association today released conclusive research that for the first time links economic health at the county level to organic agriculture, and shows that organic food and crop production—and the business activities accompanying organic agriculture–creates real and long-lasting regional economic opportunities.

The recently completed White Paper, titled “U.S. Organic Hotspots and their Benefit to Local Economies,” was prepared for the Organic Trade Association (OTA) by Penn State Agricultural Economist Dr. Edward Jaenicke. It finds organic hotspots–counties with high levels of organic agricultural activity whose neighboring counties also have high organic activity–boost median household incomes by an average of $2,000 and reduce poverty levels by an average of 1.3 percentage points.

Organic activity was found to have a greater beneficial economic effect than that of general agriculture activity, and even more of a positive impact than some major anti-poverty programs at the county level.

“We know that organic agriculture benefits our health and our environment,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of OTA. “This significant research shows organic can also benefit our livelihoods and help secure our financial future.”

“Organic agriculture can be used as an effective economic development tool, especially in our rural areas,” said Batcha. “The findings of this research show organic certifiers and the transfer of knowledge and information play a critical role in developing organic. And it provides policymakers with an economic and sound reason to support organic agriculture and to create more economy-stimulating organic hotspots throughout the country.”

Organic is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. food industry. Organic food sales in 2015 jumped by 11 percent to almost $40 billion, far outstripping the 3 percent growth rate for the overall food market. Organic crops command a significant price premium over conventionally grown crops. As a result, interest in organic at the production level has grown as the demand for organic has risen. More farmers are transitioning to organic production, more organic businesses are sprouting.

But what does all this interest in organic and organic activity mean for local economies?

“This research systematically investigates the economic impacts of organic agriculture,” noted Jaenicke. “Its important findings show that organic contributes to the economic health of local economies. The growing market interest in organic agriculture can be leveraged into effective policy for economic development.”

Compelling findings with significant implications

The White Paper summarizes and discusses three research papers that investigate organic agriculture hotspots in the U.S. and systematically assesses the impact of organic agriculture on local economies. It identifies 225 counties across the United States as organic hotspots, then looks at how these organic hotspots impact two key county-level economic indicators: the county poverty rate and median household income.

Organic hotspots are as diversified as the organic industry, and represent the various kinds of organic agricultural activity and accompanying businesses: crop production, livestock production, organic processors. Organic hotspots are found throughout the country, but specific examples of organic hotspots include Monterey County in California, Huron County in Michigan, Clayton County in Iowa, and Carroll County in Maryland.

The White Paper also identifies what factors create organic hotspots, how the effect of organic agricultural hotspots compare with those of general agriculture (combined organic and conventional agriculture), and finally recommends specific policies to foster more organic economic hotspots throughout the nation.

The findings are compelling and conclusive. Specifically, the research finds that:

  • Counties within organic hotspots have lower poverty rates and higher median annual household incomes. On average, county poverty rates drop by 1.3 percentage points, and median income rises by over $2,000 in organic hotspots. The same beneficial results are not found for general agricultural hotspots. Also, organic hotspots were found to have a positive impact at the county level that is comparable to such major anti-poverty programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program and even greater than the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
  • Outreach and knowledge transfer are critical in creating organic hotspots. The prevalence of outreach services by organic certifiers is found to play one of the strongest roles in organic hotspot formation. Also, whether a certifier is government-sponsored, by a state department of agriculture for example, is another key factor in enabling organic hotspots.
  • Organic agriculture can be used as an economic development tool. Policymakers at all levels—local, state and national—have a proven economic reason to support organic agriculture and to create more economy-stimulating organic hotspots.

The research contained five policy recommendations as a result of the findings:

  • Promote organic agriculture at the federal, state and local level.
  • Focus on rural development, organic transition, capital structures and barriers to investment.
  • Expand outreach efforts and facilitate network effects.
  • Target specific geographic areas for development.
  • Build broader coalitions to help promote organic agriculture.

The U.S. Organic Hotspots and their Benefit to Local Economies White Paper is available for download, along with an interactive map that identifies hotspots across the country, at www.ota.com/hotspots.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 8,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

Food waste

How to Feed the World: Four Ways to Reduce Food Waste

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In the U.S., we waste and toss out almost 40% of our food, racking up $165 billion in losses each year.

Right now, chemical and biotech companies like Monsanto are busy manufacturing demand for their genetically engineered products by claiming that we need their products and their portfolio of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers to feed the world. It’s a strong marketing strategy, but it omits a glaring truth.

According to Business Week, “the issue isn’t so much that we can’t grow enough. Rather, existing food supplies are so poorly distributed that those hundreds of millions have too little for their own health, while 2 billion-plus have too much.” On top of that, a third of food is wasted worldwide, spoiled and thrown out before it even reaches consumers.

We are wasting enough food every day here in America to feed the hungry. And while much focus has been on the obesity epidemic, it is becoming increasingly hard to ignore the fact that with advertisements and food access available 24/7, we’ve got more food than we know what to do with.

According to both the USDA and United Nations, 30-40% of food is wasted. MSNBC just reported that “Food Waste is a Massive Problem.”

Nearly one-third of the fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, and packaged foods produced across the globe gets tossed out every year.

Americans throw away an average of 20 pounds of food each month—costing them each between $28 and $43.

Americans throw away 96 billion pounds of food every year, or 27 percent of the total amount of available food. That’s 3,000 pounds of food a second.

But what if we were to figure out a better business model, designed to deliver all of the food we need without wasting over a quarter of it? What if our taxpayer dollars were used to build a distribution model to get this food to people who need it, like the 1 in 4 American children at-risk for hunger, rather than on farm subsidies which are arguably contributing to this mounting waste?

We have an opportunity to actually build a better food system, one that creates less waste and more nutrient-dense foods. Wouldn’t that be in the best interest in the health of our families, our corporations, our economy and our country?

Supermarket Guru, Phil Lempert covers four good ways to reduce food waste. Take a look, and please share. Together, we can build a smarter food system.

 

Photo by USDAgov

Kashi initiative

Kashi Launches a Game-Changing Initiative to Convert U.S. Farms to Organic

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kashi story graphicI have to be honest. When I talk about the acquisitions happening in the food industry, deals like General Mills acquiring Annie’s for about $800 million and Hormel acquiring Applegate for almost the same number, I cite an example of what not to do with an acquisition: what happened when Kellogg’s acquired Kashi.

Kellogg’s changed the brand. They changed the ingredients. They lost consumers.

No one wants to get Kashi’d.

It had been one of my favorite cereals prior to the acquisition, so like other consumers, there was some sentiment in it.

So when the Kashi team reached out and said they had something exciting to share, I responded. “Sounds great. Should we set up a call?”

“We’ve been following your work for years,” they said. “And last year, when you were making the point in your speeches and articles that less than 1% of all U.S. farmland is organic, how crazy that is, the bottleneck it creates, especially when the organic industry is growing at 14%, we knew we had to reach out. You said it makes it hard for food companies who want to grow that part of their portfolio.”

It does, I thought. The cost-benefit analysis is tough. The supply chain is too tight, driving prices too high.

And I listened to the women inside of Kashi, managing their supply chain and their organic initiatives, talk about a new program they wanted to launch.  And again, I thought about how courage is contagious and about the importance of the work being done by parents inside of these companies who see what is happening to the health of our families and know it is real.

The Kashi team went on, “We are launching an initiative focused on expanding that 1%.”

I honestly could not be more thrilled with the companies doing this, I thought. Organic Valley, the first $1 billion organic brand, is doing it. General Mils is doing it. Costco’s CEO just told his shareholders and investors that the team is now working directly with farmers to help them finance the transition.

Kroger launched their Simple Truth organic and free-from product line in 2012, and it grew to $1 billion in revenue in a two year period.

Since 2003, Clif Bar has used some 637 million pounds of organic ingredients. After achieving an initial target of 70 percent organic ingredients, the company today uses 120 organic ingredients in 16 out of its 18 total product lines.

Why? Because 21st century consumers are looking for it everywhere—in Wal Mart, Sams, Costco, Safeway and Kroger.

And because the government isn’t focused on changing their operating system which is genetically engineered and chemically intensive. At the federal level, our taxpayer dollars support agchem’s chemically intensive operating system of GMOs, Roundup Ready crop and the Roundup, pesticides, weedkillers. Organic farmers in the U.S. are charged fees to label their crops, then fees to prove they are safe.

So the change is happening in the marketplace.

But if we had a choice with how our dollars are being spent, which would we choose? To make the chemically intensive operating system cheaper or would we choose to make organic the more affordable option to all?

At the government level, we don’t have that choice, but we do in the marketplace, and Kellogg’s is now joining corporations changing the game.

When I asked the Kashi team if the government was moving on this, they said, “This isn’t on the Government radar—yet. (No surprise, I thought. The FDA head is Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto employee, and the USDA head is Tom Vilsack, voted biotech governor of the year.)

Kashi’s team went on, “The Organic Trade Association has a task force and is planning to take it to the USDA later this year . We have looked at their approach and we have shared our protocol with them as part of the consultation process. Both are similar so we are confident we can get to a unifying certification in the future. We deliberately partnered QAI (Quality Assurance International—QAI is a USDA-accredited certifying agency (ACA), approved to provide organic certification in accordance with the USDA’s National Organic Program) to develop the standard because they are the USDA leading organic certification body so we knew we would follow the NOP guidelines.

I so appreciate the OTA’s leadership, so I asked how the two may be different, and the Kashi team shared, “The only difference we see with the OTA protocol and ours is that theirs is focused at the farm level whereas ours goes all the way through the supply chain to consumers. We think consumers have an active role in changing the 1% stat.”

As of 2014, there were 14,093 certified and exempt organic farms in the United States, with annual sales totaling $5.5 billion—a 72 percent increase since 2008, according to USDA data.

Consumers have a huge role in that stat. We have driven the growth of organic to 14% and pushed companies like Costco, Wal Mart, General Mills, Annie’s, Stonyfield, Nature’s Path and so many more to invest in organic farmland.

Why? Because 78% of all Americans are already purchasing at least some organic food, and Kashi is now calling on that consumer power and inviting other companies and brands to help build the supply chain that we need here in America to support it.

It takes three years to convert farmland from the current genetically engineered, chemically intensive operating system to organic. Kashi wants to play a leading role in that, to help U.S. farmers convert their farmland. They are building a marketplace for those products.

So take a look at what Kashi has proposed. Share your thoughts.

If we are going to change the food system, we need to rethink food and the economics of the supply chain.

 

allergy solution

The Allergy Solution: Unlock the Surprising, Hidden Truth about Why You Are Sick

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allergy solutionThe Allergy Solution: Unlock the Surprising, Hidden Truth about Why You Are Sick and How to Get Well by Leo Galland, M.D., and Jonathan Galland, J.D. is going to be published on May 10, 2016.

I can’t wait for this book.

An epidemic of allergies is spreading around the world. One billion people suffer from allergic diseases such as asthma, hay fever, eczema, and food allergies. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In this groundbreaking book, award-winning doctor Leo Galland, M.D., reveals the shocking rise of hidden allergies that lead to weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, depression, joint pain, headaches, ADHD, digestive problems, and much more. Astonishing new research shows how each of these is linked to the immune imbalance that is at the root of allergy.

A brilliant clinician, Dr. Galland has unlocked the power of this breakthrough science to help thousands of patients who have struggled with mysterious symptoms answer the question: “Doctor, what’s wrong with me?” Here, he is joined by his son, Jonathan Galland, J.D., a passionate health writer and environmental advocate, in exposing the truth that just as the earth’s environment is out of balance, our bodies are out of balance. The modern world, with pollution, unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, and excessive exposure to antibiotics, is fueling the rise in allergies.

The Allergy Solution takes an in-depth look at how we can balance immunity through nutrition and lifestyle to reverse allergies without drugs.   It offers an easy nutritional program, starting with a Three-Day Power Wash designed to “clear the tracks,” to help us take back control. Do you suffer from asthma, eczema, or sinusitis? Are you sick of pain, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, depression, anxiety, or wondering what is behind your mysterious symptoms? Let Dr. Galland’s clinical experience and unique insights into cutting-edge science guide you back to health.

Key Messages:

An epidemic of allergies is sweeping the world.

Over a billion people in the world have allergies, making allergic disorders among the most prevalent condition in the world. What makes that so astonishing is that allergies were originally considered to be exceptional and uncommon. The frequency of allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies) for example, has increased in the US from 10 % of the population to 30 % over the past 40 years.

Allergies like disguises and are great mimics.

Although most people think of allergies in terms of symptoms like itching, swelling, and sneezing, allergic reactions can cause a huge variety of symptoms that are not usually considered to be allergic. The science shows there is a role for allergy in causing weight gain, headaches, joint and muscle pain, a range of digestive symptoms, mood problems, poor mental focus, ADD, insomnia and more.

The allergy epidemic is fueled by 3 factors:

Eating fast food or processed food, environmental toxicity—indoor and outdoor— and depletion of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Environmental toxins create vicious cycles that drive the allergy epidemic. In each of these, an environmental toxin, either synthetic or natural, damages a surface of the body (the respiratory lining or the skin or the intestinal lining).

The damaged lining tissue becomes a site where allergy develops. Good nutrition can stop the cycle from snowballing. Yet the standard American diet increases the snowball effect.

Examples: (a) Automotive and industrial emissions damage the lining of our respiratory tracts and increase the inflammation you experience when exposed to pollen. They also make allergenic plants produce more pollen, and it’s a pollen that is more allergenic than normal pollen.

(b) Dust mites are major indoor allergens. But they’re not just allergens, they’re toxic. They secrete an enzyme that damages the lining of your respiratory tract, producing inflammation there that makes allergic sensitization more likely. Chemical toxins run interference for dust mites, preventing our bodies from resisting the dust mite enzyme.

Allergies can be reversed, not just suppressed with drugs

By drilling down into the science of allergy, The Allergy Solution reveals hundreds of new ideas that will change the way the world views allergy and health. It is a scientifically validated approach backed by hundreds of references to research from around the world.

Allergy starts in the gut

The gut is the largest part of the immune system, which is the source of allergies. Proper functioning of the gut protects against toxins and allergens in your digestive system. It contains trillions of bacteria, which play an important role in allergies, and in supporting health, or allowing illness to happen. These aspects of the gut work together to determine your immunity, allergies, metabolism, and mood.

You can pre-order the book here.

About the Authors

Leo Galland, M.D., a board-certified internist, is recognized as a world leader in integrated medicine. Educated at Harvard University and NYU School of Medicine, he won the Linus Pauling Award for his trailblazing vision that created a new way to practice medicine for thousands of doctors. Dr. Galland has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Self, and Men’s Fitness and has appeared on the TODAY show, Good Morning America, the Dr. Oz Show, PBS, CNN, and Fox. He is the author of The Fat Resistance Diet, Power Healing, and Superimmunity for Kids and the director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine. Join his natural health community at drgalland.com and on facebook.com/leogallandmd and twitter @LeoGallandMD

Jonathan Galland, J.D., a leader in integrated health education, is a health writer for the Huffington Post and MindBodyGreen. He holds a degree in Law, which supports his research and presentation of the environmental health aspects for The Allergy Solution, expanding the book to include a strong environmental message. He is founder of pilladvised.com, which brings together integrated medicine and environmental health. Jonathan created the recipes and meal plans for The Fat Resistance Diet, featured in Fitness, Woman’s World, on The Dr. Oz Show, and in The Washington Post. He has appeared on Martha Stewart Living Radio and given dozens of radio interviews. In addition to his degree in Law, he holds a degree in Asian Studies, speaks Chinese, Japanese and Italian and brings an international understanding of the worldwide nature of health and environmental and issues. To help educate the public on the impact of allergies in their lives, Jonathan co-wrote the script for the upcoming public TV special on The Allergy Solution. Join the movement to save your health and protect nature on facebook.com/jonathangallandjd and twitter @JonathanGalland

paul hawken

The Unforgettable and Utterly Inspiring Paul Hawken

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In May 2009, I was on a book tour when I first met Paul Hawken. He has been a visionary and leading voice in sustainability for decades, a founder of Smith & Hawken.

After I spoke, he took me by the shoulders and shared some powerful and inspiring insight, and it’s been an incredible friendship ever since.

When he sent me his book, Blessed Unrest, I fell in love with the way that he describes this global movement to bring sustainability to our world in the way in which he described it. It was the deep understanding that we are all moving this forward together.

But nothing more eloquently describes the hope he has for our future than a commencement address he gave that same year.

I reread it as I prepare to give my first commencement address this May, in part for the inspiration and in part because it is such an elixir of hope.

Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy. And if you don’t already know him, please meet the amazing Paul Hawken

The Unforgettable Commencement Address 2009.

By Paul Hawken

When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” No pressure there.

Let’s begin with the startling part. Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation… but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. Basically, civilization needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food—but all that is changing.

There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring. The earth couldn’t afford to send recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. The poet Adrienne Rich wrote, “So much has been destroyed I have cast my lot with those who, age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world.” There could be no better description. Humanity is coalescing. It is reconstituting the world, and the action is taking place in schoolrooms, farms, jungles, villages, campuses, companies, refuge camps, deserts, fisheries, and slums.

You join a multitude of caring people. No one knows how many groups and organizations are working on the most salient issues of our day: climate change, poverty, deforestation, peace, water, hunger, conservation, human rights, and more. This is the largest movement the world has ever seen. Rather than control, it seeks connection. Rather than dominance, it strives to disperse concentrations of power. Like Mercy Corps, it works behind the scenes and gets the job done. Large as it is, no one knows the true size of this movement. It provides hope, support, and meaning to billions of people in the world. Its clout resides in idea, not in force. It is made up of teachers, children, peasants, businesspeople, rappers, organic farmers, nuns, artists, government workers, fisherfolk, engineers, students, incorrigible writers, weeping Muslims, concerned mothers, poets, doctors without borders, grieving Christians, street musicians, the President of the United States of America, and as the writer David James Duncan would say, the Creator, the One who loves us all in such a huge way.

There is a rabbinical teaching that says if the world is ending and the Messiah arrives, first plant a tree, and then see if the story is true. Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity’s willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider. “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice,” is Mary Oliver’s description of moving away from the profane toward a deep sense of connectedness to the living world.

Millions of people are working on behalf of strangers, even if the evening news is usually about the death of strangers. This kindness of strangers has religious, even mythic origins, and very specific eighteenth-century roots. Abolitionists were the first people to create a national and global movement to defend the rights of those they did not know. Until that time, no group had filed a grievance except on behalf of itself. The founders of this movement were largely unknown — Granville Clark, Thomas Clarkson, Josiah Wedgwood — and their goal was ridiculous on the face of it: at that time three out of four people in the world were enslaved. Enslaving each other was what human beings had done for ages. And the abolitionist movement was greeted with incredulity. Conservative spokesmen ridiculed the abolitionists as liberals, progressives, do-gooders, meddlers, and activists. They were told they would ruin the economy and drive England into poverty. But for the first time in history a group of people organized themselves to help people they would never know, from whom they would never receive direct or indirect benefit. And today tens of millions of people do this every day. It is called the world of non-profits, civil society, schools, social entrepreneurship, non-governmental organizations, and companies who place social and environmental justice at the top of their strategic goals. The scope and scale of this effort is unparalleled in history.

The living world is not “out there” somewhere, but in your heart. What do we know about life? In the words of biologist Janine Benyus, life creates the conditions that are conducive to life. I can think of no better motto for a future economy. We have tens of thousands of abandoned homes without people and tens of thousands of abandoned people without homes. We have failed bankers advising failed regulators on how to save failed assets. We are the only species on the planet without full employment. Brilliant. We have an economy that tells us that it is cheaper to destroy earth in real time rather than renew, restore, and sustain it. You can print money to bail out a bank but you can’t print life to bail out a planet. At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product. We can just as easily have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it. We can either create assets for the future or take the assets of the future. One is called restoration and the other exploitation. And whenever we exploit the earth we exploit people and cause untold suffering. Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich.

The first living cell came into being nearly 40 million centuries ago, and its direct descendants are in all of our bloodstreams. Literally you are breathing molecules this very second that were inhaled by Moses, Mother Teresa, and Bono. We are vastly interconnected. Our fates are inseparable. We are here because the dream of every cell is to become two cells. And dreams come true. In each of you are one quadrillion cells, 90 percent of which are not human cells. Your body is a community, and without those other microorganisms you would perish in hours. Each human cell has 400 billion molecules conducting millions of processes between trillions of atoms. The total cellular activity in one human body is staggering: one septillion actions at any one moment, a one with twenty-four zeros after it. In a millisecond, our body has undergone ten times more processes than there are stars in the universe, which is exactly what Charles Darwin foretold when he said science would discover that each living creature was a “little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars of heaven.”

So I have two questions for you all: First, can you feel your body? Stop for a moment. Feel your body. One septillion activities going on simultaneously, and your body does this so well you are free to ignore it, and wonder instead when this speech will end. You can feel it. It is called life. This is who you are. Second question: who is in charge of your body? Who is managing those molecules? Hopefully not a political party. Life is creating the conditions that are conducive to life inside you, just as in all of nature. Our innate nature is to create the conditions that are conducive to life. What I want you to imagine is that collectively humanity is evincing a deep innate wisdom in coming together to heal the wounds and insults of the past.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.

This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hope only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.

smoothie-ebook

Stress-Busting Raspberry Smoothie

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April is Stress Awareness Month, as with the school year winding down, most parents can feel it!  But it’s not just parents that are feeling the stress.  Across the board, Americans are living with more and more stress. Thankfully, there is a lot that you can do with diet and nutrition to help manage it.

This Raspberry “Cream” (dairy-free!) Smoothie packs a nutritional punch, as it is brimming with antioxidants, healthy fats, magnesium and probiotics! It takes care of you from the inside out. It’s a great snack for between meals and also makes a quick breakfast that you can take on the go. This recipe uses coconut-milk yogurt for the base, which is perfect for those who are sensitive to dairy or have digestive issues, but you can also substitute any non-dairy milk or yogurt of your choice.

Serves 1

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup organic raspberries, frozen
6 ounces vanilla-flavored coconut-milk yogurt with probiotics
1 teaspoon Raspberry-Lemon Flavor Natural Calm
1 cup ice

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Enjoy immediately.

Our friends over at Natural Vitality actually put together a little book to help manage stress, this month or anytime. You can grab your FREE copy of the Calmful Living book here.

organic farming

Organic Farming Isn’t Just for “Hippies” Anymore

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An old adage says that solving a big problem requires attacking it from all sides. That is what organic industry players—large and small—are doing to overcome organic crop supply shortages in the United States. Organic supporters have launched a range of initiatives to increase organic farming acreage—from big company initiatives and smaller company collaborations to a new organic transition certification and long-term contracts to help farmers transition to organic.

These initiatives aim to address a fundamental problem facing the organic industry: while demand for organic food continues to soar, the supply of organic crops to meet that demand is falling short, forcing companies to import organic crops from overseas. Organic food currently accounts for about 5% of all food sales in the U.S., but organic farming acres make up less than one percent of total U.S. farmland. The U.S. imported $184 million in organic soybeans and $35 million in organic corn in 2014.

The supply-demand situation was even worse in 2015, according to Laura Batcha, executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA). “The supply shortage is holding back the market; 2015 was the peak of the supply shortage,” she says.

“Not Just for Hippies Anymore”

On the bright side, Batcha sees new business coming into the organic market. “Organic certifiers are seeing record months for applications (for organic certification),” she says.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, there were a record number of certified organic operations—19,474—in the U.S. in 2014. OTA reported that there were another 3,000 farms transitioning to organic.

Annie’s president John Foraker recently predicted that organic food will ultimately account for 20% of the U.S. food market.

Current market conditions are leading many conventional farmers to consider transitioning to organic. “Farmers are taking a second look (at organic) with commodity grain prices being low,” Batcha says.

Nate Lewis, OTA’s senior crop & livestock specialist, agrees. “There is a tremendous amount of interest from conventional producers who are really looking at organic as an option,” he says. “This marks an underlying shift from organic being a four-letter word to being a viable economic option for farmers. It’s not just for hippies anymore.”

Big Company Organic Initiatives: General Mills and Ardent Mills

Larger companies are putting their resources into increasing organic acres. General Mills recently announced plans to more than double the organic acreage from which it sources ingredients. General Mills plans to meet its goal of 250,000 acres by 2019, the same year the company aims to achieve $1 billion in sales from its natural and organic products.

Since 2009, General Mills has increased the organic acreage it supports by 120% and is now among the top five organic ingredient purchasers—and the second largest buyer of organic fruits and vegetables in North America.

Another big player with ambitious organic goals is Ardent Mills, which supplies wheat flours, mixes, blends and specialty products. The company aims to double organic wheat acres in the U.S. from the current 260,000 to 520,000 by 2019.

“About a year ago, we started getting inquiries from our flour customers who wanted to introduce new organic products and were concerned about supply,” says Shrene White, Ardent Mills’ director of specialty grains risk. “We saw there was a big gap in the supply of organic wheat.”

Since announcing their organic initiative last December, Ardent Mills has held farmer education meetings to discuss the project. “We talked to farmers about what they need to transition, what to expect during certification and the market for organic wheat,” White says.

The response from farmers has been positive, White says, not only from conventional farmers but also from existing organic farmers who want to add wheat to their crop rotations.

There are challenges for farmers transitioning to organic. “The biggest challenge is educating farmers,” White says. “They have to look at a whole new way of farming.”

Batcha says initiatives by large companies like General Mills and Ardent Mills are positive. “When big companies make investments in organic acres, it means there is confidence that the market is there and will stay there,” she says. “The more relationships there are with producers and end users, the less likely it will be that farmers will come and go in organic.”

US Organic Grain Collaboration

In addition to the big company initiatives to increase organic acreage, there is a collaborative effort involving several leading organic companies. The US Organic Grain Collaboration was launched in 2014 to address the supply shortage of organic grains. Participating companies include Annie’s, Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, Clif Bar, Whole Foods Market, Nature’s Path, Grain Millers, and Pete & Jerry’s Eggs.

“We have a progressive group of companies committed to growing the organic grain supply,” says Elizabeth Reaves, program director at the Sustainable Food Lab, which helped facilitate the collaboration.

The fact that companies that normally would compete with each other are working together is unique and necessary, Lewis says. “What’s needed is collaboration and relationship building. We all need to come together,” he says.

In 2015, the group launched pilot projects in Aroostook County, Maine and in the Northern Great Plains to test approaches needed to grow the supply of organic grain.

This year, group’s activities will be coordinated under a new Grain, Pulses, and Oilseed council sector within the Organic Trade Association. “It makes sense to coordinate strategy through the existing industry platform of OTA,” Reaves says.

Activities planned for this year include creating a strategic plan and holding organic opportunity events in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Great Plains, Midwest, and New England for all members of the organic supply chain.

Collaboration member Nature’s Path may be taking the most direct route to increasing organic acreage by buying land and converting it to organic. To date the company has purchased 6,600 acres of land in Saskatchewan and Montana to grow organic grains.

Nature’s Path, along with Clif Bar, Grain Millers, and General Mills, are also members of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative, a similar collaborative industry effort to increase the supply of organic grains in Canada.

Certified Transition program

Perhaps the biggest challenge to increasing organic farming acres is the three-year transition farmers must make to become organic. During those three years, a conventional farmer cannot use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and options for farmers to sell their transitional crops are often limited.

OTA is trying to ease that challenge by working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a Certified Transition label program. Certified Transition food and animal feed products will contain ingredients made from crops harvested one year after the transition to organic has begun, but before the three-year transition period is completed.

Lewis says the standard for the Certified Transition program will be submitted to the USDA in early April. Existing organic certifiers will then apply to the USDA to be accredited to certify transitional farms and processing facilities.

Many organic certifiers already have some type of transition program for farmers. These will be harmonized under the USDA program.

Lewis hopes the program will be available to farmers by the end of this year’s harvest.

The Certified Transition program offers advantages for both farmers and processors. “This could really help farmers overcome the three-year transition barrier,” Lewis says. “For processors, having a transitional market is a way to pull farmers into organic. Instead of dangling the organic carrot (premium) three years down the road, they can dangle one-half of the carrot in one year.”

Batcha agrees. “It will help facilitate market connections during the transition period,” she says.

Long-term Contracts Help Farmers

Another incentive to help organic farming grow is for companies to offer long-term contracts to transitioning farmers. Ardent Mills is offering long-term contracts to farmers that cover the transition period and the first few years of organic certification. Clif Bar contracted a conventional fig producer for seven years to produce organic figs, which covered the three-year transition and another four years of organic production. Oregon-based Hummingbird Wholesale has purchased rice, beans and cranberries at premium organic prices from farmers transitioning to organic.

“People that invest in transition want to secure the supply,” Batcha says. “It’s a different model than conventional farming, which rides the highs and lows of the spot market. An organic farmer with a long-term contract may be passing up a higher price on the spot market but they may also be passing up a lower price.”

Originally published at the Organic and Non-GMO Report.

blue dasher farm

USDA Whistleblower Demonstrates Farming Without Dangerous Chemicals

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Jonathan Lundgren built an international reputation as a leading entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, after filing a whistleblower complaint against the USDA for blocking his research on negative impacts of insecticides, Lundgren is applying his science to regenerative agriculture at Blue Dasher Farm, a new research and demonstration farm in South Dakota.

Research showed neonicotinoids harmed butterflies

Lundgren has worked as a senior research entomologist at the USDA for 11 years, conducting risk assessment research on pesticides and genetically modified organisms. Last fall the agency suspended Lundgren, claiming he made an error in a travel authorization for a speaking engagement. Lundgren says the agency suspended him over his research showing negative effects on monarch butterflies from neonicotinoid insecticides.

“We discovered things that weren’t particularly convenient,” he says. “I saw there was a clear link to pesticide use.”

Lundgren filed a whistleblower complaint against the USDA, detailing attempts by USDA managers to block publication of new research, bar discussion of results with the media, and disrupt his lab’s operations.

Laura Dumais, staff counsel for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which filed the complaint, said: “Dr. Lundgren is suffering the proverbial professional death by a thousand cuts precisely because of the implications of his scientific work for agribusiness.”

Lundgren says he had no research agenda. “If our data showed neonics had not caused problems with monarchs, I wouldn’t have any problems publishing that,” he says.

The USDA tried to dismiss Lundgren’s complaint, but in December a judge rejected the request, allowing it to move forward.

The legal battle may take months or years to be resolved.

Blue Dasher Farm to showcase regenerative agriculture practices

In the meantime, Lundgren is launching Blue Dasher Farm, which, according to the farm’s website, aims to be “the first of a network of research, education, and demonstration farms to bring scientific support to biodiverse food production.”

“There are certain topics for the food system that I can better address outside the USDA,” Lundgren says. “That drives what I am doing with Blue Dasher Farm.”

Inspiration for Blue Dasher Farm came from Lundgren’s research work with farmers who he says are on “the leading edge of food production,” and regenerating soils.“They didn’t need a lot of inputs, fertilizers, pesticides, and GMOs,” he says. “They were creating farming systems that are so much more resilient to pests and climate change. I came to realize that these farmers are leading the science.”

Lundgren wants to showcase regenerative agriculture methods on Blue Dasher Farm. These include cover crops to reduce weeds and insect pressure, diversified crop rotations, soil fertility practices, and conservation crops to increase pollinators, such as bees, among others.

Blue Dasher Farm aims to bridge the gap between farmers and researchers.

“We want to pair agroecologists with producers and train the next generation of farmers, ranches, beekeepers, and scientists,” he says. “We have so much we can learn from each other.”

Blue Dasher Farm won’t be organic, but will encompass organic methods. “A lot of what we are doing fits into the organic model,” Lundgren says. “But I don’t think farmers will need to be organic to be more profitable using regenerative practices.”

Changing agriculture from the ground up

Lundgren believes that changes in agriculture and food production will come from the grassroots and not from top-down approaches of government, universities, and corporations.

“Transformational changes need to be done to food systems and these changes come from the bottom up,” he says. “We need science to innovate agriculture and not maintain the current paradigm. We want to give scientific support to grassroots efforts in regenerative agriculture.”

Lundgren’s project has struck a chord at the grassroots level with a successful Indiegogo crowd-funding effort for Blue Dasher Farm. His goal of $75,000 was surpassed to more than $81,000. Lundgren has also received donations of equipment and even bees.

“The response we’ve had so far has been so positive,” he says. “Consumers and independent scientists can support the kind of research they want, instead of research that is traditionally done by government and universities, which can be easily controlled by major corporations.”

National network of research demonstration farms

The 53-acre farm in Deuel County, South Dakota will be a fully operational farm that Lundgren aims to make a model of regenerative agriculture.

“Farmers can come and see the practices being used on an operating farm,” he says. “We want to show how a farm can be profitable on a small acreage.”

Blue Dasher Farm will initially focus on three areas: helping to solve the challenges facing honey bees with pesticides and mites, improving diversity on cattle grazing lands, and enhancing soil health and crop production.

The first project will be to grow seeds for cover crops and conservation mixes.

“There’s a strong need for these seeds,” Lundgren says.

Looking to the long term, Lundgren aims to help establish similar research, education, and demonstration farms like Blue Dasher around the U.S.

“We need a national network of research demonstration farms that are adapted to local needs,” he says. “That’s the vision, that’s the goal.”

Lundgren and his wife Jenna, who has a degree in biology, recently completed the purchase of the farm and will launch Blue Dasher Farm this spring.

“We’re excited to get started,” he says. “Things are happening at a fast pace.”

Originally published at the Organic and Non-GMO Report.

organic agriculture

Research Shows Organic Agriculture Is the Key to Feeding the World Sustainably

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Washington State University researchers have concluded that feeding a growing global population with sustainability goals in mind is possible. Their review of hundreds of published studies provides evidence that organic farming can produce sufficient yields, be profitable for farmers, protect and improve the environment and be safer for farm workers.

The review study, “Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century,” is featured as the cover story for February issue of the journal Nature Plants and was authored by John Reganold, WSU regents professor of soil science and agroecology and doctoral candidate Jonathan Wachter. It is the first such study to analyze 40 years of science comparing organic and conventional agriculture across the four goals of sustainability identified by the National Academy of Sciences: productivity, economics, environment, and community well being.

“Hundreds of scientific studies now show that organic ag should play a role in feeding the world” said Reganold, lead author of the study. “Thirty years ago, there were just a couple handfuls of studies comparing organic agriculture with conventional. In the last 15 years, these kinds of studies have skyrocketed.”

organic salesOrganic production currently accounts for only one percent of global agricultural land, despite rapid growth in the last two decades.

Critics have long argued that organic agriculture is inefficient, requiring more land to yield the same amount of food. The review paper describes cases where organic yields can be higher than conventional farming methods.

“In severe drought conditions, which are expected to increase with climate change, organic farms have the potential to produce high yields because of the higher water-holding capacity of organically farmed soils,” Reganold said.organicagHowever, even when yields may be lower, organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers because consumers are willing to pay more. Higher prices can be justified as a way to compensate farmers for providing ecosystem services and avoiding environmental damage or external costs.

Numerous studies in the review also prove the environmental benefits of organic production. Overall, organic farms tend to store more soil carbon, have better soil quality, and reduce soil erosion. Organic agriculture also creates less soil and water pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions. And it’s more energy efficient because it doesn’t rely on synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. It is also associated with greater biodiversity of plants, animals, insects and microbes as well as genetic diversity. Biodiversity increases the services that nature provides like pollination and improves the ability of farming systems to adapt to changing conditions.

Reganold said that feeding the world is not only a matter of yield but also requires examining food waste and the distribution of food.

“If you look at calorie production per capita we’re producing more than enough food for 7 billion people now, but we waste 30 to 40 percent of it,” Reganold said. “It’s not just a matter of producing enough, but making agriculture environmentally friendly and making sure that food gets to those who need it.”

Reganold and Wachter suggest that no single type of farming can feed the world. Rather, what’s needed is a balance of systems, “a blend of organic and other innovative farming systems, including agroforestry, integrated farming, conservation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock and still undiscovered systems.”

Reganold and Wachter recommend policy changes to address the barriers that hinder the expansion of organic agriculture. Such hurdles include the costs of transitioning to organic certification, lack of access to labor and markets, and lack of appropriate infrastructure for storing and transporting food. Legal and financial tools are necessary to encourage the adoption of innovative, sustainable farming practices.

Source Washington State University via Science Daily

Photo by scott1346

detoxing app

Detoxing Your Life: There’s an App for That

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What do you get when you combine 20 years of research, an innovative postdoctoral researcher and mobile technology? A handy new tool to empower change.

What we recognize,we can change.

The handy tool is Detox Me, a new smartphone app aimed to help the average consumer recognize potentially toxic chemicals found in many household and personal care products. Once hazards have been identified, users are encouraged to make simple changes that will decrease exposure and possibly prevent long term, harmful effects. The innovative scientist  behind this project is Jessica Helm, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Silent Spring Institute. She’s determined to bring the Institute’s research findings to a broader audience.

Since its founding in 1994, the Institute’s mission has been to pursue science for the public interest while encouraging people to take action to protect their own rachel carsonhealth. The Institute is named in honor of Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, the book that is often credited with starting the modern environmental movement.  As one of the few people who actually wrote a book that really did change the world, Carson’s belief that “what we can recognize, we can change” is carried on through the Institute’s work.

A Savvy Women’s Alliance founding partner, Silent Spring Institute’s research based findings provide the public with a reliable source of information—something that is often in question when Googling for answers. Silentspring.org has long been a place for trustworthy exploration and Silent Spring facebook posts frequently provide another level of learning through videos, articles and research recaps. The recent launch of the Detox Me app allows the Institute’s work to be easily utilized by an even broader audience.

Well, if the product is for sale on the grocery store shelves, it should be safe … right?

According to Helm, when it comes to personal care products, most people assume the government has a regulatory process in place to keep consumers safe—after all, if a product is  for sale on the grocery store shelves, it should be safe … right? Hmmm … not quite true. Unfortunately, most chemicals are not tested for health effects before being placed in personal care products.

Recognizing an opportunity, Helm took the lead to develop Detox Me. Based on 20 years of research by Silent Spring Institute, the app highlights health risks associated with ongoing exposure to chemicals in consumer products. By providing easily accessible tools, users can  learn more, take action, and even consider advocating for change. Anticipating that advocacy may be new (and possibly scary) to some, the app suggests options easily attempted by even the most tentative advocate. Beginner possibilities include “joining the parent-teacher organization” and “setting up an edible school garden.”

The aim is to nudge, not judge

detoxmeWith more than 270 tips divided into six categories, the app covers a wide range of activities that increase exposure to chemicals—including purchasing habits, how we store food and how we clean house.

With the aim to nudge, not judge, users can learn at their own pace. Why remove skin from meat? Why choose glass or stainless baby bottles? What is castile soap? The answers are all easily accessible. The possibility of simply rushing through the tips or being overwhelmed by information is offset by rewards. The virtual handshakes and earned badges build in stopping points and provide a reminder that this isn’t a game to beat, but a tool to implement.

The Label Guide & Simple Substitutions make shopping easier—no need to rack your brain to recall an ingredient list—the app provides suggestions on what to purchase and what to avoid. Users can even scan barcodes to instantly check a product’s safety information and recipes are suggested for those ready to do-it-yourself.

The app launched in January with the goal of 10,000 downloads within the first year. According to Helm, more than 3,000 people have downloaded so far. With no budget for advertising the aim is to develop partnerships to reach new audiences, to utilize social media to spread the word and to rely on friends to share, share, share (hint, hint, hint.)

Every small change makes a difference

Helm notes that the Institute’s research provides much data on the links between chemicals, cancer and prevention. The research not only identifies sources of exposure, but also shows that efforts to reduce exposure actually work. While it is not possible to completely avoid chemicals, the science does confirm that every small change does make a difference.

Dr. Helm’s shared her top Detox Me tips:

  1. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter—Potentially harmful chemicals that accumulate in household dust are easily sucked up, leaving tidy floors and a cleaner environment.
  2. Eat fresh food—Simply switching to fresh food lowers levels of hormone disruptors in just days.
  3.  Avoid fragrance—Fragrance is everywhere…and is unregulated. Go fragrance free, or choose products with milder scents.

Convinced to give Detox Me a try? We hope so!  The app is available for free through Apple’s app store and Google Play for use on your iPhone or Android device. Visit detoxmeapp.org for more details. We’ll be posting occasional Detox Me updates on the Savvy Women’s Alliance facebook page. Follow us, post your comments and invite others to join the Detox Me journey!

Remember…what we recognize, we can change!

Originally published at Savvy Women’s Alliance.

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