Qualifying organic ... what does it mean?

How do you buy organic?

The answer isn’t simple anymore, because now that large corporations have co-opted the term, “organic” doesn’t mean what it used to.

Technorati tags: organic food

U.S. Low On List of Organic Acres

It's not too often that Liechtenstein can lord it over the United States.

But the Alpian principality of 160 square miles and 34,247 people can claim the world's top spot on the percentage of arable land - 26.4 percent - devoted to organic farming, according "The World of Organic Agriculture," a 2006 report issued by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements in Bonn, Germany.

Technorati tags: organic food, organic farming

Happy Earth Day!

Specials and Recommendations
Yes, it's that time of year again here in the U.S....Earth Day, April 22. Since so much of our decision to buy organic is about what's best for the planet, as well as what's best for ourselves, why not take a look at the Sierra Club this Earth Day? If their mission of protecting air, earth, water, and natural beauty isn't enough, then maybe the nifty free travel bag is. This offer is good through April.

Once Earth Day is past, our next holiday is none other than Mother's Day. If you're not going to be able to visit Mom in person but will send her a gift instead, the Web is the easiest way to do it. Save yourself the trip to the post office and have her gift shipped straight to her door.

So, a few ideas for Mom:

If Mom likes her organic wine, check out the specials at wine.com. Save 15% on gift baskets with promo code LSAPRGB and 10% off any order of $150 or more with promo code LSAPR10. Both of these are valid till the end of April.

And Cellars Wine Club offers 10% off with promo code mom07. They've been a little weak on their organic selection lately, but give it a try.

In the UK, try drinkon.com for an assortment of organic spirits.

If you'd rather send a wine gift than the wine itself, check out the Wine Enthusiast sale page.

If Mom likes other kitchen gifts, Sur la Table has all kinds of stuff on sale.

For fun gifts in Australia, remember Rainbow Designs. They're adding special items just for Mother's Day and have put their Easter leftovers on sale, in case you just didn't get enough. All prices include shipping throughout Australia.

Back to the US for a minute: if you like the traditional flower gifts, remember Organic Bouquet. All their flowers are grown using sustainable practices. They have chocolates and gifts as well.

On a non-holiday topic, for UK meat eaters: Save the Bacon has another competition going. This time, you can enter to win £100 by All you have to do is to selecting in order of importance the reasons why you buy from Save The Bacon. Visit their website to answer.

Ever willing to take one for the team, I found some organic chocolate from Seeds of Change. I tried two varieties: the La Dominicana dark chocolate and the Narragansett dark chocolate with candied pecans, cranberries, and orange oil. Even the La Dominicana had a slightly sweet, almost fruity, flavor to it. The Narrangansett was even more so, of course, with tiny pieces of cranberry and nuts. I'd recommend either one if you like dark chocolate. You can see the chocolate and more Seeds of Change products at amazon.com.

Feature Article: The End of Organic Coffee...and chocolate...and...
When we talk about organic products, there's always the consideration of buying local. Is it better to buy imported organic food, that's been transported thousands of miles, adding the resultant pollution? Or is it better to buy locally, even if the food isn't organic? We could go in circles on that one.

For most of us in the developed world, though, there are products we can't buy from local producers. Coffee, for example. Demand for organic coffee has been growing, like the demand for other organic goods, and Third World coffee producers have been eagerly working on meeting it. Since much organic coffee is also Fair Trade certified, these growers are fairly compensated for their crops, and they receive support for their communities.

Is this about to change? The United States Department of Agriculture issued a ruling that tightens the requirements for organic certification. In a nutshell: Within the U.S., organic certification requires on-site inspection for compliance with organic requirements. Most organic farms in the developing world are actually cooperatives, since the farms themselves are so small. Due to the large number of small farms, however, inspecting every farm every year just isn't practical. So each year the USDA has inspected a representative sample of farms in a co-op, usually 20% of them, and certified all farms in the co-op based on that sample. The remaining farms would be self-policed by the co-op, and they'd all be inspected within a five-year period.

In its recent ruling, however, the National Organic Program has determined that all farms must be inspected annually. This decision wasn't random; it came from the discovery that a Mexican grower group was failing to detect both the use of insecticides and the storage of organic food in fertilizer bags. So in the face of this violation, the USDA has tightened the requirements for all. Unfortunately, this could make organic certification cost-prohibitive for grower groups. This will affect not only coffee, but tea, bananas, cocoa, spices, and more.

For more details, read the full Salon article.

In the meantime, here are some recommendations for organic coffee, while it's still easy to find:
B & D Gourmet Coffee
Coffee AM
Nectar of Life
Coffee for Less
Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Company

Technorati tags: organic food, organic wine, organic chocolate, organic coffee, fair trade, organic meat, organic flowers

Chemicals giving way to organic farming in South Africa

A quiet revolution is taking place in the orchards of the Western Cape. After decades of trying to coax fruit onto the trees with the aid of chemicals, fruit farmers are packing in the pesticides and deciding to grow green.

Organic Standards talks to begin next month, says expert

The inaugural meeting of a new committee to establish guidelines for domestic and imported organic foods in Australia will take place next month, even without full industry representation, says an industry expert.

After Recall, Dog and Cat Owners Seek Out Organic Food

The health-conscious customers at the store in the trendy South End neighborhood want wholesome food: vegetable and fruit chews; high-protein, low-carb nuggets; and organic meals containing cottage cheese.

The nutritious fare, however, is not for them; it is for their dogs and cats.

Biodynamic wines join big league

The biodynamic farming movement, for those who know it exists, would more likely be associated with moon worship than an exclusive Bordeaux wine futures tasting — but this year they are as one.

Is this food organic? New test may tell

A new test could help identify fraudulently labelled organic food, say UK scientists.

It's based on testing the food for signs of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, which are banned in organic farming methods.

Much-in-demand organic meat being held up by shortage of feed

DEMAND for organic food is on a steady upward course, but the supply of organic animal products is being held up by shortages of feed, including grass, says the Soil Association, the umbrella body for the movement.

How beneficial is organic food?

Food products using chemical fertilizers and pesticides or growth hormones and antibiotics appear to be healthy but contain residues of the chemicals used, which are often present in high concentrations and toxic. This rings true if a pesticide is applied before harvesting, or antibiotics and hormones are given intensively.

Australia still number one for organic farming

Australia still has the world's largest land area under organic farming, a report has found.

The report shows that Australia has nearly 11.8 million hectares certified according to organic standards.

Organic Foods: Worth The Extra Cost?

There are literally hundreds of items labeled, "organic," everything from spinach to snack foods.

So, what does it really mean to say something is "organic," and is it worth it to pay the higher prices organic foods command?

What to look for when buying organic

When you pick up a head of lettuce, a tray of tomatoes or a bag of apples in the produce aisle of your local grocery store that claims to be "natural" or "organic," do you know what you're buying? What exactly does it mean when a product claims to be organically grown? If it says natural on the label, doesn't that mean the same thing?

It's not just a fad - organic food is better for you, say scientists

New evidence has emerged showing that organic food does contain nutrients that deliver health benefits, contrary to the view put forward earlier this year by David Miliband, who said it was only a "lifestyle choice".

Organic fruit has more vitamin C, study finds

Further evidence in support of the health benefits of organic fruit and vegetables has been published by an international team of researchers.

They found that organic carrots, apples and peaches contained higher levels of vitamin C and flavonoids, compounds with antioxidant properties said by some scientists to protect against heart attacks and cancer.

Organic wine: Uncorking a purer pleasure

What is the difference between an organic carrot and an organic grape? Both should be grown according to certain well-established principles, without the use of chemical fertilisers and so forth.

With the carrot, pretty much what you see is what you eat. But an organic grape being turned into wine undergoes a range of processes, which, when it comes to the taste, demand an entirely different set of criteria.

Ready for the big dinner?

We're all about deals this round. I've found a few, but you'll need to hurry to take advantage of some of them. But if you're a procrastinator like me, with Passover or Easter preparations still ahead of you, you're just in time!

CoffeeAM is offering a free four-ounce sample of its Tortuga rum cake with any order. They have a good selection of organic coffees, including the unusual Galapagos Island Estate coffee.

Rainbow Designs, "the quirky alternative to flowers," has all kinds of edible and non-edible Easter gifts and goodies. Shipping throughout Australia. Check them out - they have a lot of fun stuff.

Wine.com is offering 15% off any gift basket. Use code LSAPRGB at checkout. Or use code LSAPR10 to get 10% off any purchase of $150 or more. Both of these offers are good till April 30.

Here's a new find: Organic Bouquet. As the name implies, they have flowers as well as gifts and chocolates. They have a nice selection of Easter bouquets. Shipping to the U.S.

And for you U.K. meat-eaters, our friends at Save the Bacon are offering a long list of items in a £49.19 package. Free delivery and 10% off your first order besides.

And last, but as usual not least, there's always our own organic store at amazon.com. Visit our storefront - if you don't see anything you like there, use the link on the right to browse the entire site.

Americans 'skeptical' about organic food

Demand for organic produce is on the rise but many Americans are still skeptical when it comes to taste, The Organic Center has said.

Taste plays a huge factor in converting people to try new foods and according to a Minnesota Opinion Research survey, 43 per cent of consumers say taste is a major reason why they purchase organic fruits and vegetables.

International organic food not always best environmental option

A barrage of signs proclaiming organic food as the "healthy choice" on a recent grocery trip left me wondering how to feed the Canadian consumer demand for organics. Demand for organic products is growing faster than farmers can grow it.

Consumer Watch: Going Organic Good For Infants?

Organic food costs more, but sales are booming -- up to $15 billion a year. It's not just for adults, there's organic baby food, too. Our partners at Consumer Reports took a look at organic foods to see if the extra cost yields benefits for little ones.