Organic News

Clemson aims to boost organic rice production in salty coastal region

Developing salt-tolerant rice cultivars is the mission of the Clemson University-led project iCORP (Increasing Coastal Organic Rice Production). South Carolina’s premier rice, “Carolina Gold”—a culinary staple in Southern regional circles since colonial times—has been in scant supply for years. Its former land has experienced saltwarer intrusion, changing it to marshy wetland unsuitable for agriculture. Clemson […]

Organic food might be getting cheaper than conventional food

Magnify Money recently released a study showing that prices of conventionally grown food items might soon be higher than organic ones. Since 2019, prices for select conventional meats, dairy items, fruits, and vegetables have risen 13.9%, on average—12 percentage points more than the 1.6% increase in organic varieties. Organic foods are still more costly; on […]

National Organic Agriculture Directory lists organic researchers, extension staff

A directory listing researchers and extension staff working in organic agriculture—based on the 2020 survey—is now available through Iowa State University. The National Organic Agriculture Expertise Directory sent surveys to the Land-Grant University (LGU) in each state when the first directory came out in 2005. The growth of organic agriculture is clearly demonstrated in the […]

University of Wisconsin now offers Certificate in Organic Agriculture

Undergraduate students of any major at University of Wisconsin-Madison can pursue the newly launched Certificate in Organic Agriculture. In addition to organic agriculture production, the program’s focus extends to economic, environmental, health, food systems, and policy arenas. The certificate could increase the employment opportunities for UW students in organic agriculture businesses, policy, product and non-governmental […]

Study: Using organic cotton in denim production reduces global warming, improves environmental health

Organic cotton belongs in your jeans. A study from the EurAsia Waste Management Symposium revealed that substituting organic cotton for convention cotton in denim production improved 11 indicators for global warming, human health, and environmental health. Pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are the key drivers of the negative impacts from conventional cotton growing. By tracking the Life […]