The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Taking the pulse of the global organic movement

By Markus Arbenz, Organics4Development and FiBL, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland. The Organic World Congress (OWC) held in Taiwan last December was not the biggest of its kind. However, the conference marks an invaluable milestone and perfectly managed to take the pulse of the remarkable progress towards Organic 3.0. The last 20 years have […]

Organic farmers, certifiers express concerns about USDA Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule

USDA official says rule is closing the gap on organic fraud According to interviews conducted by Farm Progress, the U.S. organic food supply chain has been under pressure to come into compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s March 19, 2024, Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule (See Daily News here). “We are now seeing up to 95 […]

Glyphosate levels are dropping in oat-based products—from baby foods and whole oats to cereals, snack bars

Although still found in popular cereal brands and oat products, levels of the toxic pesticide glyphosate are going down in oat-based products, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Nonetheless, 30 percent of items still show high amounts. The chemical has been linked to cancer. It may also be associated with lower birth weight and […]

Victory! Federal Court Strikes Down Lax GMO Rules, Halts GE Crop Introductions Without USDA Oversight

Court Ruling holds 2020 regulations exempting most GE crops from oversight contradicted the agency’s own prior conclusions and are unsupported by science. In a precedential victory for food and environmental safety, a federal district court recently ruled that genetically engineered (GE) organisms must be regulated. The Court’s ruling overturns the 2020 rule overhaul by the […]

Mexico’s new president will introduce constitutional safeguard for non-GMO corn

If supporters of the U.S.’s hardline stand against Mexico wanting to import only non-GMO corn were hoping the country’s new president would be more likely to kowtow to U.S. agribusiness demands, they are dead wrong. In November, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government would present a plan to protect the country’s non-GMO white […]