Organic Change, Organic Life, Eco-Friendly Water

GM-Free Ireland Means More GM-Free in the U.S. The U.S. imports large amounts of Irish diary products, including casein for cheese production, so the move will mean more Americans are getting GM-free foods. Ireland's move will also provide a significant source of GM-free agricultural products for North American food product manufacturers, says Megan Thompson, executive director of the  Non-GMO Project , a non-profit group that works to ensure GM-free foods are available to consumers who want them. Ireland has taken a truly inspiring step to ensuring consumers' right to choose non-GMO products... As more and more companies in the USA and Canada are looking for non-GMO ingredients, this is a very timely move and we look forward to developing sourcing opportunities with GM-free producers in Ireland. Bleak News for Monsanto So far, Monsanto has been mum on Ireland's move, but odds are they're going to have a corporate version of a hissy fit--they'll sue. It would...

High levels of pesticide exposure in pregnant women have been linked to lower IQs in their children, according to three separate US studies. Two studies were done in New York City and a third was in Salinas, a farming area of northern California. All spanned nearly a decade, tracking levels of pesticide in expectant mothers and testing nearly 1,000 children up to age nine. Researchers looked at exposure to a family of pesticides known as organophosphates, which are commonly used on fruit and vegetable crops. The reports are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. In the California study involving 392 kids, "researchers found that every tenfold increase in measures of organophosphates detected during a mother's pregnancy corresponded to a 5.5 drop in overall IQ in the seven-year-olds." The differences held even after researchers accounted for factors such as education, family income, and exposure to other environmental contaminants, the study, released...

1.  Guaranteeing the Right to Food.  Guaranteeing the human right to adequate food—now and for future generations—requires that policymakers incorporate this right into food security laws and programs at the regional, national, and international level. Governments have a role in providing the public goods to support sustainable agriculture, including extension services, farmer-to-farmer transmission of knowledge, storage facilities, and infrastructure that links farmers to consumers. 2.  Harnessing the Nutritional and Economic Potential of Vegetables.  Micronutrient deficiencies, including lack of vitamin A, iodine, and iron, affect 1 billion people worldwide. Promoting indigenous vegetables that are rich in micronutrients could help reduce malnutrition. Locally adapted vegetable varieties are hardier and more dependable than staple crops, making them ideal for smallholder farmers. Research organizations like AVRDC/The World Vegetable Center are developing improved ...

Times have changed since the 1920′s with the manufacturing of toxic chemicals and more cost effective ways of harvesting salt. Most of the salt harvested back then was natural salt from the sea or from natural salt deposits and contained the beneficial trace mineral iodine was added. Table Salt or “Iodized Salt” is not a healthy naturally occurring rock, crystal or sea salt. It is a manufactured type of sodium called  sodium chloride  with added iodide. Iodine in salt available at grocery stores, restaurants and in practically all processed foods, have synthetic chemicals added to them. These chemicals may include manufactured forms of iodide, sodium solo-co-aluminate, fluoride sodium bicarbonate, toxic amounts of  potassium iodide , anti-caking agents and aluminium derivatives. Table salt has also been bleached. Unfortunately, most table salt is not only unhealthy, but is toxic to the body and should never be considered as a source of healthy iodine. Believe it or not...

Thirty-two nutritious, high yielding, and disease-resistant varieties developed from AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center lines have the potential to extend harvests, increase incomes, and improve health in sub-Saharan Africa. From disease-resistant tomatoes to nutrient-packed indigenous leafy greens that produce over longer periods,  32 new vegetable varieties developed from AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center lines  will diversify food production in sub-Saharan Africa and help farmers and communities become more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to food price shocks.  In early March, the National Variety Release Office in Mali announced the release of 23 improved vegetable varieties developed from AVRDC germplasm. The varieties were published in Volume III of the  Catalogue Officiel Des Espèces et Variétiés maintained by the Seed Laboratory of the National Directorate for Agriculture. Tanzania’s Horticultural Research and Training Institute (HORTI-Tengeru) and the ...

By Clara Paz In view of growing demand for organic cacao beans and derivates, Peruvian leading cacao processor Machu Pichu Trading inaugurated a new plant last month to process only organic, fair trade, kosher parve and free allergen cacao ingredients and chocolate. It is located in the city of Pisco. “The plant will produce chocolate drops, chocolate, cocoa butter and liquor waffles, cocoa nibs and coffee toasted beans covered with chocolate”, says export manager Esther Paredes. Other products will be gradually added. This plant will allow Machu Pichu to increase its capacity for processing specialty chocolates and to further develop unique formulations for its clients demanding cacao and chocolate with the all certifications. Peru is the second largest producer of organic cacao and ranks fourth with regard to its biodiversity. Peru grows Trinitary, Amazon foreign and Creole cacao varieties and has won recognition among chocolate experts. Last year at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, ...

By Janeen Madan - Nourishing the Planet A recent  article  in  Time Magazine  discusses how small-scale farmers are finding ways to turn the threat of climate change into an opportunity to build a more sustainable future for themselves and for communities around the world. In Africa’s Sahel region, innovative initiatives led by small-scale farmers are re-greening the once barren and dry land. (Photo credit: Bernard Pollack) The innovative efforts of these farmers are  re-greening the once barren and dry land of Africa’s Sahel region. Dr. Chris Reij, natural resource specialist with the Center for International Cooperation   (and an author in the upcoming  State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet ), who has worked extensively in the region, told  Time Magazine , “In areas that used to be completely barren, where you could see villages miles away, suddenly the view was blocked with green.” Beginning in the late 1980s, farmers st...