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Regenerative Earth Summit: Food + Climate + Culture in November 2017

International_EN North America

On 6^th and 7^th of November 2017, At the Epicenter, a US nonprofit organization, is hosting the Regenerative Earth Summit: Food + Climate + Culture in Boulder, Colorado.

USA: Organic Fast-Food Restaurant opened by Walmart

International_EN North America

Recently, the US super store chain Walmart has opened its first so called “farm-to-fork” fast food restaurant in Orlando, Florida. The new restaurant is an outpost of a chain known as Grown, founded by Ray and Shannon Allen and designed to serve organic food such as smoothies and falafel in environmentally friendly containers – if possible, sourced from local suppliers.

Amazon-Whole Foods: alliance is perfect - massive price cuts

International_EN North America

Since 28 August, Amazon is the owner of Whole Foods. Several media report about massive price reductions on the first day of the new ownership and that this could strain the organic supply chain.

USA: price and authenticity still obstacles for organic

International_EN North America

Mintel market research analysed in a recent report that 21% of the consumers agree that organic foods are worth the extra cost. Nearly 40% purchase half of their grocery organic.

USA: Export and Import balance

International_EN North America

According to a report by the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft – the Agricultural Market Information Company – the USA accounts for more than half the sales of organic products worldwide, and they are growing apace. As a consequence, the USA has become the biggest importer of organic food in the world, with organic making up a large proportion of the imports of particular products. The main US exports are fruit and vegetables.

USA: three states restrict the use of Monsanto´s Dicamba

International_EN North America

Farmers from Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee have sent almost 600 complaints regarding the misuse of Monsanto herbicide Dicamba to the state authorities. Now the use of the pesticide is restricted.

USA: Campbell to acquire Pacific Foods

International_EN North America

The US-based Campbell Soup Company announced on July 6 that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Pacific Foods of Oregon for $700 million in cash.

USA: CRISPR-Cas technique without labelling

International_EN North America

As TestBioTec, the German organisation critical of genetic engineering, has reported, mushrooms in the USA have been manipulated using new genetic engineering techniques (CRISPR-Cas). No label shows that to the consumers.

The Amazon - Whole Foods deal: searching for the Holy Grail

International_EN North America

The internet giant Amazon has made a takeover bid for the American retail food chain Whole Foods Market. This constitutes a direct attack on the established retail food corporations. Looking at the deal from a European and German perspective, it is unlikely that the reaction will be takeover bids for German organic supermarkets.

USA: OTA is setting up Integrity Task Force

International_EN North America

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is setting up a Global Organic Supply Chain Integrity Task Force to address a vulnerability recently revealed in the organic supply chain.

Amazon acquires Whole Foods Market

International_EN North America

Friday June 16 Amazon and Whole Foods Market annouced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Amazon will acquire Whole Foods Market for approximately $13.7 billion.

BioFach America: 28,000 visitors expected

International_EN North America

Records in U.S. sales 2016 - the $40-billion mark is cracked

International_EN North America

End of May the Organic Trade Association OTA published its 2017 Organic Industry Survey at the Annual Policy Conference in Washington D.C.. The survey shows that total sales in 2016 increased to $47 billion US-Dollar. The robust American organic sector stayed on its upward trajectory in 2016, gaining new market share and shattering records, as consumers across the United States ate and used more organic products than ever before, explains OTA.

USA: organic frontrunners in east and west

International_EN North America

The  east and west coasts in the United States have always been the country's organic strongholds. Especially in California, customers buy organic food more frequently than their counterparts in other federal states.

USA: States sue EPA

International_EN North America

As the German TV reported, Attorneys-at-Law from the states of New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Washington and Maryland are suing the American environmental protection agency EPA.

Up to now no GMO potatoes in Canada

International_EN North America

There will be no commercially grown GMO potatoes on Prince Edward Island this year, according to Simplot Plant Sciences, the company that developed the Innate potato. Innate potatoes bruise less and have fewer black spots than conventional potatoes.

Takeover of Monsanto forces Bayer to sell assets

International_EN North America

From media reports we learn that, in order to get the green light from the cartel authorities for mega merger by the end of the year, the German corporation Bayer must divest a part of its plant protection business.

Fraud cases in the US: how conventional became organic

International_EN North America

The Washington Post reports the case of three shipments of so-called organic corn and soy to the USA. After thorough research, it established the origin of the shipments and revealed organic fraud on a massive scale. After the article was published the Organic Trade Association (OTA) calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Organic Program to thoroughly and immediately complete investigations of any reports of fraudulent imported organic livestock feed either alleged in the story or otherwise reported by trade.

USA: the Environmental Protection Agency and chlorpyrifos

International_EN North America

Nominated by President Trump in December 2016, Scott Pruitt was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in February 2017. One of his first major decisions was to abort the Agency's proposed ban on the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos for use on food crops.

New York: "Live Organic from Farm to Home"

International_EN North America

America's Organic Trade Association has just published an article on a show in New York that went beyond organic food.

US: glyphosate and reproductive problems

International_EN North America

In an article posted this month by Sustainable Pulse, the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN, a national multi-disciplinary organization whose mission is to protect the developing child from environmental health hazards and promote a healthier environment) said there is new evidence regarding  sharply rising herbicide use and risks to pregnant women and children living in the rural Midwest of the US.

New York: protesters seek clarity from TIAA

International_EN North America

An article posted last week by Friends of the Earth explains how FOE and a coalition of environmental, human rights and family farm organizations recently delivered a letter with over 100,000 signatures to pension fund management company TIAA. 

USA: millennials and organic – a winning combination

International_EN North America

In North America the so called-generation of millennials is adopting organic in a big way: on the farm and on the internet, in the kitchen and in the board room.

Safer North American organic products

International_EN North America

In a press release the German-based Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz (GfRS) (engl. Resource Protection Ltd) has announced that an IRM-Organic team is going to train Canadian and US-American organic inspectors in risk-oriented organic controls.

USA: Organics on the rise in US households

International_EN North America

The Organic Trade Association has released data showing that organic products are now used in more than 80% of kitchens in US households.