Organic News

USDA grant to support intensive research on ecological processes affecting organic farming

Purdue University has received a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to explore the ecology of organic cropping systems in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Purdue, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Western Illinois University in Macomb, will assess weed, insect, and pathogen pressure […]

New program will reward organic farmers for conservation practices

The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), SLM Partners, and Carbon Yield are pleased to announce a project to reward corn and soy farmers in Illinois and Michigan for conservation practices that result in measurable climate impacts. The project will test and streamline the creation and sale of environmental credits from organic farming systems—ESMC’s first project […]

Tuskegee University receives a $1 million organic research endowment from Clif Bar & Company

Tuskegee University recently announced it had received a $1 million endowment from Clif Bar & Company. The funds will support the advancement of organic agriculture and farming practices through the University’s College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences (CAENS). With this investment, Tuskegee University becomes the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to receive a Clif Bar […]

New organic food and farming report recommends policies for upcoming Farm Bill

Three organic agriculture advocates have created a report that provides a roadmap for lawmakers to unlock the potential of organic agriculture in the 2023 Farm Bill and beyond. NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University (ASU), and Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR) wrote to highlight the […]

U.S. organic crop acreage increased by 3% in 2022

Non-GMO corn and soybean acres declined USDA-certified organic land is expected to reach nearly 8.7 million acres across the U.S. during 2022, according to organic and non-GMO market data firm Mercaris. “Following a decline in certified organic pasture and rangeland, area dedicated to organic field crop production is expected to account for the largest share […]