![]() The chief scientist for The Organic Center says organic farmers shoulder most of the burden when pesticides drift from a neighboring farm. Jessica Shade says organic farmers have little recourse when there’s off-target movement of pesticides being applied on conventional acres. “It’s been stressing their relationships with neighbors (and) costing them money, but also costing them a lot of time. So there are a lot of things that don’t get quantified.”
Speaking to Brownfield at the Iowa Organic Conference in Iowa City Monday, she says the Organic Center is working to change that. “We’ve been doing a national survey to really understand what farmers are experiencing, what strategies they find that work and what they think isn’t working.” Shade says testing methods need to be improved because a large percentage of organic farmers don’t trust the process and think it’s too expensive. Source: https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/organic-crop-farmers-find-pesticide-drift-contentious-and-costly/ Spanish group calls attention to high level of Turkish lemon interceptions over pesticides. The European Commission has informed through the Rapid Alert System for Food of the European Union (RASSF) that in only two months, 10 lots of Turkish lemons have been rejected, prohibiting their entry and commercialization in the EU. The rejection of the Turkish lemons was due to the detection of residues of Chlorpyrifos, Prochloraz and Chlorpyrifos-Methyl in concentrations exceeding up to 75 times the maximum residue limit established by EU regulations, according to a press release from Ailimpo, the Spanish interprofessional organization of lemon and grapefruit. The alerts have been reported by the official inspection services of Romania, Slovenia, Germany and Estonia. The high number of sanitary alerts in the RASFF system at the beginning of the season is an unprecedented record and "confirms the shortcomings of the Turkish official system on the marketing and use of plant protection products". The data below provide key information for distribution chains and European consumers, showing an issue of Turkish lemons in complying with EU food safety standards. "The 10 alerts already confirmed by the EU authorities confirm the existence of serious management problems faced by the Turkish sector, which has proven not to be able to offer European customers food safety guarantees," Ailimpo said. "This situation should certainly be taken into account by European customers when planning their lemon supply schedules from Turkey in the coming weeks," Ailimpo said. Source: Fresh fruit Portal
Have you noticed the comeback of tie-dye? We shouldn’t be surprised. As far back as the Bible, we learned that Joseph had a coat of many colors. Humans have a history of extracting organic dyes from leaves, bark, berries or flowers, insects and sea snails, and more. These colors were added to fiber, which was then woven into cloth. At issue was how to protect the color from fading. In 1856, an 18-year-old chemist discovered a synthetic aniline purple dye while seeking to develop synthetic anti-malarial quinine. It resulted in a fashion to fade. In the early 20th century, sun-resistant dyes were created. The downside is that synthetic polymers contribute to global water pollution. The harmful chemicals are ingested by fish and wildlife and ultimately affect humans. Today, we know that natural organic dyes are safer and kinder to the environment and all living creatures. You can find a source of organic dyes in your own garden. For example, marigolds, calendula, black-eyed-susans, sunflowers and onion skins can yield yellow and orange dyes. Elderberries, blackberries and purple basil give us pinks and lavenders. Black beans can be soaked in water overnight for their juice/dye. Japanese indigo and hollyhock yield shades of blue. You might use red cabbage for purples. There are many choices. It is important to note that natural fabrics like cotton, wool, linen and muslin will hold your dye. Synthetic fabrics will most likely fade. Before you begin, you might gather gloves, old clothes, safety goggles, a dust mask, an apron and closed-toe shoes. Don’t be scared off. This is recommended in anticipation of splashing. Here are the basics: You can prepare your fabric with a mordant to help the dye to adhere. Alum is an example, and you will find it in the spice aisle of the grocery store. Place one or two teaspoons into a large stainless-steel pot of water and add your fabric. Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour. Rinse in warm water. Meanwhile, to prepare the dye bath, add the color plant source to a large stainless-steel pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for an hour or longer, depending on the depth of color you prefer. Strain the pot and submerge the fabric into the dye bath to simmer, allowing room for movement, for at least an hour. Allow the fabric to cool and then rinse and dry. Avoid direct exposure to the sun. You should know that colors may vary based upon many factors, but do persevere and you will find your favorites. Imagine knitting with wools of blended nontoxic color or gifting linen napkins or cotton clothing you have created with your own organic dyes from your own garden. How rewarding is that! Natural organic dyes are safer and kinder to the environment and all living creaturesSource: Mercury News
Soil Association highlights growing ecological concerns of UK consumers, urging retailers to promote the connection between organics and sustainability According to the latest data from NielsenIQ, released at last week’s Soil Association Certification Trade Conference, the organic market in the UK grew by 6.5 per cent in the year to 25 September. This contrasts with non-organic food sales, which have slowed significantly since the peak experienced during lockdown. “The trend for more sustainable and healthier organic foods, which rocketed during the pandemic has persisted and now the supermarkets are also enjoying a surge in demand for organic,” the Soil Association stated. “Online organic sales have continued their strong growth up 33 per cent, while supermarkets, which accounted for 13 per ent of total sales of organics two years ago before the pandemic, have seen their share of total organic sales rise to 22 per cent.” Clare McDermott, Soil Association Certification’s business development director, commented: “Organic sales have shown phenomenal resilience after the unprecedented growth they saw in 2020 at 12.6 per cent. Despite a significant slowing of retail sales overall, the organic market has maintained its strong performance with growth at 6.5 per cent in the year to September. Post lockdown there has been the expected shift back to hospitality with non-organic food sales stalling as consumers look to eat out and stay out.” The main reasons given by consumers for buying organic – that they are pesticide-free, better for the environment and perceived to be of better quality – have all reportedly increased in importance for shoppers. "Consumers are now willing to spend more on organic food in supermarkets and they are demanding ever greater choices and variety across most categories," the Soil Association stated. Covid-19 and the climate emergency have also increased consumers' focus on sustainability. Findings from Organic Shopper Research 2021 showed that 71 per cent of respondents have become more concerned about the environment. The Soil Association called on retailers to help consumers make the connection between sustainability and organic products in order to drive sales. It also identified three big opportunities to grow organic sales: the widening assortment from online retailers, different pack sizes increasing purchase frequency and greater choice across organic categories boosting overall spend. “After the challenging couple of years we have all had to endure, the organic market has proved that it is robust and that today’s consumers are demanding more varied ranges of sustainable products across all categories which offer them significant benefits above non-organic alternatives,” said McDermott. “The latest surge in organic sales proves that the British public want food produced with more, not less, care for the environment and animal welfare,” she added. “Insights show that shoppers are searching out higher welfare products that are produced with the environment in mind and want to support British farmers. We should be looking to deliver more of the benefits that agroecological farming, like organic, can provide for wildlife, soils, people and climate.” Key findings from Organic Shopper Research 2021: • 79 per cent say they are increasingly worried about the natural world and our impact on it • 81 per cent are worried about excess packaging and waste materials • 86 per cent would like their food to be produced in a more natural way without excess processing and chemicals • 84 per cent say trust in food manufacturers and retailers is really important to them • 77 per cent say they want to make more sustainable choices in the products they buy • 71 per cent want to make more ethical choices in the products they buy Main reasons for buying organic – that they are pesticide-free, better for the environment and perceived to be of better quality |
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