Organic production has risen dramatically over the past decade but only a tiny percentage of soybean, corn and wheat crops are certified organic, according to a new report from the USDA.
A 22,000-head beef and dairy cattle farming operation based in Nebraska and Missouri, Promiseland Livestock, will lose its organic certification for four years, a Washington, DC judge has ruled.
There’s a perfect storm building for food prices. You don’t have to scan the horizon to see the signs; the clouds are developing all around us - at a faster rate than anyone expected.
Everybody wants food to be safe - but the recent slugging match over how best to protect US consumers from E.coli-tainted meat highlights whether legislation or self-regulation is the answer to mending the country's flawed safety system.
A major shift towards organic agriculture in the UK would cause a shift in the commodity mix – and subsequently be accompanied by healthier eating options, concludes a new report.
A study is underway is in the US to offer what researchers claim will be the most comprehensive insight yet into the impacts of organic farming on the health of livestock in attempts to ensure better practices for suppliers.
Who likes pesticides? Misunderstood by consumers and misrepresented by pressure groups, pesticides are a soft target for legislators. The latest blow to that soft target could have hard consequences for the European food industry and for developing countries.
“Four legs good, two legs bad.” When the pigs take over the land in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, they have no hesitation; any creature with four legs is beyond reproach and any human is bad, mad and dangerous to know.
The vast offer of aid to China following its devastating earthquake in May reflects the food industry’s increasing move towards displaying strategic corporate responsibility.
A leading organic dairy processor in the US has announced a new
research initiative for reducing its carbon footprint, as part of a
new funding program designed to improve efficiency in sustainable
production.
A leading Australia-based dairy processor has become the latest
company to incur the wrath of Greenpeace over allegations that it
is using genetically modified (GM) feed in its supply chain.
A snack bar which can stay moist and chewy for up to 24 months
without the need for artificial preservatives has been developed by
scientists in California.
A naturally epoxised oil from Ethiopia's vernonia weed could
provide food and drink processors with a safe and sustainable
substitute for the resin used to line packaging.
Two groups representing organic farmers are at loggerheads over the
release of a new report that claims to rate the nation's organic
dairy brands and products.
The latest IT systems on offer to help dairy farmers have been
displayed at a major farming event in Ireland amid concerns that
Irish dairy farmers are not making full use of the IT equipment
available to them, reports Chris Mercer.
The US will host its first international symposium on the
burgeoning threat of agroterrorism to discuss ways of reducing the
US food supply chain's vulnerability to terrorist tampering, Tom
Armitage reports.
The value of the UK agricultural industry's gross output including
subsidies directly linked to product increased by 2.5 per cent to
£16.9 billion while intermediate consumption rose by 5.4 per cent
due in part to the rise in...
An innovative Australian scheme to recycle thousands of tonnes of
fish processing waste could dramatically cut down the need for
landfill space, save food processors money and, in the end, produce
a useful product.
This year's Czech harvest has been hailed as the best since 1993,
producing almost nine million tonnes of crops, showing that the
farming industry has recovered well from a poor 2003 and the
disastrous floods of 2002 - just in...
Law makers, consumer groups and industry continue to clash over the
use of GM ingredients in the European food chain, but a major
UK-based food science body asserts this week that genetic
modification has the potential to offer strong...
In the face of rising meat and dairy prices, animal disease
outbreaks and consumer health concerns, world agriculture policy
makers, meat traders, dairy experts, veterinarians and private
sector producers have attended the 20th session...
Transboundary animal diseases are on the increase, say the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). As a result, both bodies
have decided to strengthen their...
Measures to soften the impact of poor cereal harvests in Europe and
boost the grain market were introduced by Europe's agriculture
commissioner this week.
The UK's Co-operative Group's farming business, Farmcare, has this
week decided to withdraw from the dairy farming industry. The group
has said that the move will give it the opportunity to concentrate
on arable, fruit and...
The UK's Cereals Industry Forum is to receive a £1.4 million
government grant over the next three years in an effort to improve
efficiency and competitiveness in the grain chain.
In his budget proposal for fiscal year 2003, President Bush will
include $131 million (€152m) in new spending to protect the
nation's food supply from animal and plant pests and diseases,
strengthen food safety programs and support...