Fruits without Borders

Growing organic fruits beyond climatic limitations thanks to greenhouses

Canada and other countries with climate zone 3, 4 or 5 can grow locally the majority of the fruits needed for their population – all delicious and organic, says engineer Dan Bostan, founder and president of the Montreal-based Human Wisdom specialized in sustainable solutions. Countries with temperate…

Getting off the plastic treadmill

Over the 16 years I have worked in horticulture there has been an ongoing discussion around plastics use, which has hugely intensified as public opinion has caught up with the science. Perhaps one of the starkest warnings of how bad the situation is, came with the announcement that 83% of drinking water…

India: Jeevani for production of pesticide-free vegetables

There is a need to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of healthy and nutrient-rich vegetables, Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunil Kumar has said. He was inaugurating Jeevani, an initiative of the Agriculture Department to encourage organic farming and to ensure the availability of pesticide-free…

UK: Organic Research Centre starts 40th year at new headquarters

The Organic Research Centre (ORC) begins its 40th year at new premises. Committed to organic sector scientific excellence and knowledge exchange, the organisation is now…

"Trade deals to dictate success of new Agriculture Bill"

Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G), the largest certifier of UK organic land has reacted to the new Agriculture Bill introduced to Parliament on 16 January 2020. OF&G welcomes the direction of the legislation prioritising environmental enhancement but warns the prospect of trading arrangements allowing…

New fertilizer treats and prevents calcium deficiency in organic crops

BioWorks has launched ON-Gard Calcium, an organic liquid fertilizer with plant derived protein hydrolysate and calcium chloride for the treatment and prevention of calcium deficiency in organic crops. The calcium formulated fertilizer increases the uptake efficiency of calcium by plants at reduced application…

Danish organic Ø brand celebrates 30 years; demand has never been this high

This year, the red ‘Ø’ organic label has been in existence for 30 years. This label can be found on an increasing number of products in Denmark. Since this brand's…

No major wave movement in the organic greenhouse vegetable market

The end of a year is not the busiest for organic greenhouse vegetable growers, so the activities at the sales offices were also somewhat less. Yet that does not mean that people are not proactive. The financial balance for 2019 has been drawn up and the plans for 2020 were being finalized. Across the…

EU organic rules criticized for ignoring energy use

The next challenge of organic farming, according to many authors, is to overcome the horizon of a method of agricultural production towards a wider agroecological perspective whose main objective is to change the dominant agri-food system. In parallel with the discussion on the future of organic farming,…

CDFA awards $1 million grant for biologically integrated farming systems program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded funding for a project to be administered through the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA)…

Ellepot introducing new paper for organic production

Ellepot has developed and patented a new technology for their Ellepot propagation papers, and the first product in a new line to come is Ellepot Organic 2.0. New patented technologyThe new propagation paper - Ellepot Organic 2.0 consist of 100% fully compostable and degradable materials. The new patented…

Organic Trade Association sees robust global export promotion drive in 2020

The Organic Trade Association will be showcasing American organic products at events throughout the world next year, from the world’s biggest organic trade show in Germany and the largest trade show in the Gulf Region, to the leading retail shows in the Pacific Rim, Australia and Canada. Bolstered by…

Christian Gimperlein: "Up to 80% of our winter products end up in regional grocery stores or discount stores".

Slow market for organic cress, Christmas business only to start in week 51

Regionally cultivated cress are well received by German consumers all year round. In spring in particular, more cress is sold, while demand in winter is usually somewhat lower. During the cold season, the sale of cress shifts more from wholesale to supermarkets. "From Christmas onwards, sales of various types…

Denmark: Prices organic exports dropped for first time in 2018

Danish organics have been very much in demand abroad for a number of years now, but exports fell for the first time in 2018, reported national statistics keeper Danmarks Statistik. The figures showed that Danish organic exports decreased by 46 million kroner between 2017 and 2018 and now account for just…

US: The 2019 Organic Survey is arriving soon

This month, more than 22,000 organic producers are expected to receive in their mailboxes letters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS is conducting its 2019 survey of certified or transitioning to certified organic farmers, asking for…

Canadian organisations once again rule out hydroponics as an organic method

The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), in partnership with the Canadian Organic Growers (COG), the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC), and the Organic Value Co-Chair Industry rep co-signed a joint letter to the Canadian Government on the issue of hydroponics on why hydroponics are not permitted in…

Philippines: Tools for improved plant growth production for organic farming

Aligned with the goal of sustaining the country’s biodiversity, an event in Valencia City, Bukidnon (Philippines) was held to promote the use of chemical-free and organic tools to improve plant growth production. Titled, Biofertilizer and Biopesticide Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and…

Delivering organic seeds for varying climates and legislation

Bejo Seeds Inc. has a robust network of organic dealers. In 2019 there are 25 dealers purchasing organic seed. These dealers cover the US and Canada with a geography of 18 million square kilometers, 6 time zones, and a 50 degree swing in latitudes from 25 up to 75 degrees, with countless biomes in…

Cleaning glass with AR coating 100% organically

AG-clean+ from Agrona is a cleaning product for cleaning glass with and without AR coating. The cleaning product is organic, composed of natural plant extracts. It is suitable…

US: Hearing highlights challenges and opportunities for organic producers

The Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on October 30, 2019 to review the state of organic agriculture from the perspective of the producers. This is the Subcommittee’s second hearing on organic agriculture this year; the first convened…

US: Court battle to defend organic standards advanced

The Organic Trade Association on Thursday asked the U.S. District Court to rule in its favor on its organic livestock welfare lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In its motion for summary judgment, the trade association stated that USDA acted in an unlawful, arbitrary and capricious way…

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