Consumers need permission to live as hypocrites

Following the success of Proposition 2 in California earlier this week, livestock farmers are wondering how to accommodate or simply to understand the demands of their customers.

Prop 2, which passed by more than 60 percent, requires livestock farmers to supply certain livestock with a minimum of space for movement. Most notably, the proposition was also directed toward poultry production, a first in the United States.

The increasing interest in animal welfare, including the welfare of agricultural livestock destined for slaughter, is not a passing fad, according to Dr. Wes Jamison, a researcher at the University of Florida specializing in agricultural politics. Jamison spoke with a reporter for Brownfield Ag News at a conference in Lincoln, Neb. Friday.

"The other side has figured out the language to sell these initiatives," Jamison said, and it's important that agriculturalists learn this language as well.

For urban consumers, animals have assumed an entirely new role and are widely regarded as members of the family, Jamison said. That viewpoint has been extended to agricultural animals, and farmers need to understand that and respond in kind. They must demonstrate to consumers its OK to love animals and to eat them.

You have to give them permission to live as hypocrites, Jamison said.

For the full story at Brownfield click here and here.

Consumer groups object to proposed organic standards for seafood

Pushing your cart through the grocery aisles, it's difficult not to notice the sheer number of organic products that have hit the shelves in the past decade. With more and more mainstream grocers and food producers hoping to cash in on the wide interest in organic food, the selection has probably never been so good: meats, dairy products, snack items, fruits and vegetables, and grains. You name it, and it's probably available in an organic version.

Well, almost.

Seafood is notable more for its absence than its strong presence in the organic foods section, but there are those who hope to change that. Increasingly, many US seafood producers are fighting to acquire the organic label, but the problem is that the United States Department of Agriculture has yet to actually produce any guidelines for organic seafood. If they did it for eggs, why can't they do it for crabs?

It isn't that easy. Do wild fish, which consume other wild fish, qualify as organic? If the fish they've eaten are exposed to mercury or other pollutants, doesn't that pose a few problems for organic labeling? It gets even more complex.

Many of the species of fish and other aquatic life processors are hoping to label organic are grown on fish farms, or open ocean net pens, which critics insist are unhealthy not only for the seafood in question, but for consumers. According to the organization Food and Water Watch, "Fish wastes, excess food, fish escapes, antibiotics, and various chemicals from fish farms can all result in water pollution and harm surrounding habitats by poisoning wildlife and causing other disturbances."

Farmed fish grown in crowded conditions are vulnerable to disease, and many growers – like their landlubber counterparts – dish out high levels of antibiotics to keep them "healthy" although use of antibiotics has decreased. Farmed fish are also particularly vulnerable to parasites such as sea lice; wild fish swimming through areas with heavy concentrations of farmed fish are then exposed themselves to disease, wastes, and parasites from the farms. Some producers have even suggested using old off shore oil rigs as anchors for fish farms. It sounds like a nice way to reuse rigs, but the fish are quite possibly exposed to mercury or other wastes from the rigs. Environmentalists object to the idea on additional grounds: such use of oil rigs could very well give oil companies a free ticket to avoid the responsibility of dismantling the rigs once they're no longer in service.

Next week, the National Organics Standards Board is meeting to discuss standards for organic fish. Consumer groups are very concerned about the proposals which would allow the use of wild fish as food for farmed fish. As the recommendations from the NOSB Proposed Organic Aquaculture Standards suggests:

To ensure that diets are nutritionally complete at the inception of USDA certified organic aquaculture, the NOSB proposes that the carcasses, viscera, and trimmings from wildcaught fish be allowed to provide for fish meal and fish oil in a limited, prescribed fashion. This will allow the nascent USDA certified organic aquaculture industry the needed time to establish a critical mass of basic feed resources for itself. OFPA Section 2107(c)(1) supports this.

Consumers Union, the consumer watchdog group that publishes Consumer Reports, replied rather incredulously, "The board recommends that fish can be labeled 'organic' even if they've been fed wild fish, which come from polluted environments and are high in mercury and PCBs. Potentially toxic organic fish? That defeats the whole purpose."

Chickens win over gay rights

In one of the more odd moments in what has been nothing shy of an earth-shaking election, California's chickens have come out on top in a race that has left gay and lesbian Californian's feeling like second class citizens.

Voters in California have approved Proposition 2, or "Standards for Confining Farm Animals". Prop 2 would require “that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely”.

Proposition 8 would require an amendment to California's constitution defining marriage as being between one man and one woman. As of this writing, Prop 2 had support from about 70 percent of voters (or a ratio of 3-2, according to the San Francisco Chronicle). Prop 8 also appears to have won, 52 to 48 percent.

The results of Prop 2 won't be fully implemented for more than six years. The lawsuits stemming from Prop 8 should begin just about any moment now.

Encouraging news for West Coast salmon

It's not an end to the disaster of this year's closure of the West Coast salmon fisheries, but it's an encouraging sign.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported today that a small, but healthy community of coho salmon have been found in the Garcia River watershed in Mendocino County, California. The coho, the core of the Alaskan salmon fishery, is endangered here in California although it was once enjoyed an abundant presence. Even more significant, however, is that the Garcia River watershed has been clear cut not once, but twice, and is now part of a cutting edge experiment by the Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Fund to find ways to promote natural development while permitting selective logging.

'Fingerprinting' Helps Make Great Grapes

ScienceDaily -- At about this time next year, nearly all of the 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated grapes in a unique northern California genebank will have had their "genetic profile" or "fingerprint" taken. (Full story here)

Hard Times Ahead for Whole Foods?

Seventy-four percent of US consumers say they purchase organic foods, but 79 percent say they've had to alter their buying habits because of inflation. What does that mean for organic retailers?

Whole Foods has been taking it hard lately. Between its recent recall of beef for e.coli contamination and the impact of inflation and rising fuel prices on just about everybody, the national natural and organic foods marketer is not only suffering hits to its bottom line, but has come under increased media scrutiny. Many are questioning whether the demand for organic goods can survive as if Whole Foods were the bellwether of the entire movement.

Earlier this month, Treehugger reported on the failure of the United States’ largest natural foods market to make much of a positive impression on Londoners with its highly touted entry into the British market. After a loss of more than $18 million in its first year, its ambitious plan to expand to 40 stores throughout the UK seems rather unlikely for the time being. AlterNet reported this week that middle class consumers in the United States are cutting back substantially on their purchases of organic and natural foods.

"Slowed growth in organics reflects not only cuts in spending by current organic consumers but also a slower rate of adoption by new organic consumers," AlterNet reported. "However, a May survey of 1,000 people by Information Resources found that 52 percent were buying fewer organics because of cost."

Profits at Whole Foods are down 13 percent, and the store is struggling to combat its image as a high-priced retailer geared toward high-end consumers. Whole Foods higher-ups, however, insist their market base is strong as consumer demand for natural and organic foods is still high. Earlier this month, the chain conducted a poll through Harris Interactive to gauge consumer interest in organic foods. They released their findings earlier this week, touting the results as good news for their market share.

“It is reassuring to see these results as they confirm we’re on the right track in highlighting our value offerings for our customers,” said A.C. Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market, in a press release. “At Whole Foods Market, we’re reminding shoppers that they don’t have to trade down on quality to save money – they can continue to choose high-quality foods and stay within their grocery budgets.”

Among their findings*:

·

• 74 percent of adults buy natural and/or organic foods.
• 20 percent of those polled said more than 25 percent of their grocery purchases are natural and/or organic.
• 70 percent of adults said they continue to purchase the same amount of natural/organic foods as they always have.
• 67 percent prefer to buy natural/organic foods over conventional foods if prices are comparable.
• 66 percent of adults said they want to find ways to fit natural/organic foods into their grocery budgets.
• 79 percent of those polled said they have had to alter their spending habits because of rising prices.
• 43 percent of adults said they now cook more meals at home and 40 percent are using more coupons.
• 37 percent said they are going out of their way to find less expensive grocery items.
  

Le Less encouraging is that the numbers indicate more about what consumers would like to do than what they are actually doing. If only 20 percent of consumers say 25 percent of their total grocery purchases are organic, and 70 percent of consumers are not going to change their organic/natural food purchasing habits, it’s still a low number.

If 79 percent of those polled said they have had to alter their spending habits because of rising prices, that would seem to entrench an already small market share even further. That 66 percent of consumers would like to fit organic/natural foods into their budgets isn’t the same thing as saying 66 percent of consumers are indeed buying organic/natural foods.

More encouraging, perhaps, is the figure that says more people are cooking at home, more often.

* The Food and the Economy survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whole Foods Market, Inc. between Aug. 6 and Aug. 8, 2008 among 2,209 adults ages 18 or older. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population.

More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption

ScienceDaily (2008-08-26) -- Scientists have assessed the human body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body.

(Full story)

Legal Actions Being Pursued in Bee Deaths

Lawsuits are being filed against the manufacturer of a pesticide believed to be behind the enormous die-off of countless bees world wide, and against the United States Environmental Protection Agency for refusing to open files litigants believe hold information related to the crisis.

On Monday, Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren - a German organization targeting the massive German pharmaceutical company Bayer - brought charges against Werner Wenning, chairman of the Bayer Board of Management, with the public prosecutor in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg. The group accuses Bayer of marketing dangerous pesticides responsible for kill-offs of countless bees throughout the world. The coalition introduced the charge in cooperation with German beekeepers who lost thousands of hives after alleged poisoning by the pesticide clothianidin in May this year (Read the full story). The same month, German authorities banned the use of eight related pesticides, citing their presumed role in the large-scale deaths of German honey bees.

Tests on dead bees showed that 99% of those examined had a build-up of clothianidin. The chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer, is sold in Europe under the trade name Poncho. It was applied to the seeds of sweetcorn planted along the Rhine this spring. The seeds are treated in advance of being planted or are sprayed while in the field (Full story here).

Similar actions have taken place in France which has also suffered large-scale bee colony die-offs. Here in the US, however, the EPA has been slow - some would even say reluctant - to follow suit. A story in the San Francisco Chronicle stated the EPA has refused to open its records about the suspected pesticides, sparking a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A report issued by the EPA in February, 2008 cites the effects of clothianidin on various test populations, including rats and humans, and while it discusses the impact and mode of operation on insects, it does not mention bees specifically. The report sets the acceptable tolerances for clothianidin in the studied populations.

There is, however, no mention of the lawsuit filed by the NRDC on the EPA's web site.

New Biopesticide May Aid In Organic Food Boom

Japanese invader possibly provides better alternative to synthetic pesticides

(ScienceNews) - With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as "organic," biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone is reporting development of a new "green" pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed. The announcement was made today at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia.

Childhood Obesity? A Problem No More

More than 30 percent of American children between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight. Thankfully, someone has taken the childhood obesity crisis by the horns and come up with a solution that works: Baby Bariatrics.

Whole Foods Recalls Beef
E. coli tainted beef linked to Nebraska Beef Ltd.

Whole Foods, the upscale national chain of grocery stores specializing in organic and natural foods, announced Friday a voluntary recall of ground beef from its Nebraska-based supplier Coleman Natural Beef because of contamination by E. coli 0157:H7. The problem can, apparently, be traced back to earlier problems with Nebraska Beef Ltd.

The recall comes after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a warning to residents of that state not to eat ground beef purchased from Whole Foods between June 2 and Aug. 6, 2008. Seven people in Massachusetts were infected and five were hospitalized with E. coli from the tainted beef, according to the Boston Globe. In a press release, Whole Foods pledged to “continue to work with state and federal authorities as this investigation progresses”.

So far, more than 50 people have been infected in nine states including – most recently – Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Michigan and Ohio have been particularly hard hit with more than 40 cases between them. The recall follows an earlier recall in July of beef from Nebraska Beef Ltd., from whom Coleman apparently received the beef which was later sent to Whole Foods.

“While Coleman Natural Beef is a relatively small supplier for Whole Foods Market, we are extremely disappointed that we must now question Coleman’s assurances,” said Edmund Lamacchia, global vice president of procurement in the Whole Foods release.

As of Aug. 10, no information about the recall was available on the Coleman Natural web site.

Nebraska Beef Ltd., a privately held company based in Omaha, Neb., has been struggling with repeated recalls of its products since May. The company recalled 5.3 million pounds of beef produced between May 16 and June 26. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, Nebraska Beef utilizes unsanitary production practices.

“FSIS has concluded that the production practices employed by Nebraska Beef, Ltd. are insufficient to effectively control E. coli O157:H7 in their beef products that are intended for grinding,” FSIS said in a press release issued July 3. “The products subject to recall may have been produced under insanitary conditions.

“The products subject to recall were further processed into ground beef at other firms, and will likely not bear the establishment number ‘EST 19336’ on products made available for direct consumer purchase.” [Emphasis mine]

It’s this distribution of Nebraska Beef’s product to other companies without any sort of source identification that has caused problems for Whole Foods and Coleman’s.