Super Tuesday was also the day that several US states voted for legalizing recreational marijuana in four states, and medical marijuana in three others.
Two weeks after the legalization, the 5th edition of the annual Marijuana Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas was surrounded by excitement. The sold-out event which attracted more than 10,000 visitors housed a serious number of exhibitors from the greenhouse and controlled environment agriculture industry. Click here for the photo report of the MJBiz Conference in Las Vegas.
But there was more voting in November! Because the National Organic Standards Board had a hard time discussing if growers of hydroponic and container grown crops could continue to label their produce as certified organics. Well, they can, at least for a while. To be more precise; until the next meeting of the advisory board in April 2017, because the board decided to postpone the controversial vote.
On November 25, another Canadian grower made headlines in HortiDaily. Because Roelands Plant Farms opened another phase of their propagation nursery. The propagator in Lambton Shores is now operating on a total of 12 acres and is fully prepared to serve the growing North American greenhouse vegetable industry.
Last but not least in our highlights from November 2016 was the article we made with East-West Seed. Ever since this seed breeder opened the gateway to Asia and laid the foundation for the adaptation of hybrid seeds, large multinationals have been eyeballing the company. We asked current president and CEO Bert van der Feltz why the company still turns down every bid, weathering the storm of mergers and takeovers in the global seed industry. And more importantly, how their quest for independence plays a crucial role in making a difference to Asian farmers.