The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Organic farmer wanted. Successful organic farm in western Pennsylvania is closing after 42 years because no one wants to run it

Don Kretschmann, a 71-year-old farmer in Beaver County, PA, had advertised for ten years inviting someone to carry on the successful track record of Kretschmann Family Organic Farm. He was offering lease of the land (80 acres), equipment, and his house, so the right person could keep alive the business he and wife Becky had […]

Missouri man pleads guilty in huge organic fraud scheme

A $142 million scheme selling non-organic grain as organic ended in five people being ordered to prison. A sixth man, Steven N. Whiteside of Chillicothe, MO pleaded guilty to falsely signing a document stating he owned or farmed parcels of land he wasn’t connected with. He also claimed in a Land Use History Verification that […]

New research reveals measurable benefits of organic cotton production

Study by Iowa State University with The Organic Center finds important environmental benefits Conventional cotton is a chemically intensive crop with serious consequences for the Earth’s air, water, soil, and climate—as well as the health of farm workers and cotton processors. By contrast, organic cotton is grown, processed, dyed, and finished with methods that focus […]

National Organic Program ends Organic Recognition Agreement with India

Indian organic exporters to the U.S. must now be USDA-NOP certified The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) recently ended its Organic Recognition Agreement with India due to concerns over the organic integrity of Indian products coming to the United States. In announcing the change on its website, NOP said: “Currently, USDA does […]

Number of organic farms continues to grow in the U.S. and worldwide

The number of organic farms and processing facilities certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) rules continues to grow in the United States and the world, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2020, there were 28,454 organic operations in the U.S. NOP-certified, a growth of less than 0.69% over the 27,494 certified organic […]