The Ugly Truth Behind Organic Food

Is it time for a strawberry to make a political statement, again?

I'm standing on a farm south of San Francisco that is unremarkable in that it, like all of the other farms in the area, is a golden canvas of brilliant yellow flowers with the occasional patchwork of verdant greens, early signs of this year's season sprouting up.

Obama pledges $50m for organic farming

President Obama is offering US farmers a $50 million incentive to go organic.

The US leader, who has already dug up part of the White House lawn to grow organic vegetables, has made the funds available to support organic farmers as well as non-organic farmers who are learning about organic farming methods

Beyond Fairtrade: Mars turns on to sustainable cocoa

Howard-Yana Shapiro is global director of plant science and external research for Mars, the secretive food/confectionary empire. He sports a mesmerizing long white beard, which dates back beyond a decade of corporate life to when he founded a radical organic food company, Seeds of Change. Twelve years after Seeds of Change was sold to Mars — amid cries of betrayal from some customers — Shapiro recently announced that the world’s biggest chocolate company is committing itself to sustainable sourcing of the whole of its annual cocoa bean supply, worth more than US$1 billion. The policy starts with the Galaxy bar and by 2020 will encompass not just Galaxy and Mars but also Snickers, Twix and M&Ms. The new strategy also covers environmental issues and labor, dwarfing Cadbury’s pledge that all Dairy Milk chocolate will be Fairtrade later this year.

Why organic food may be worth the extra money

Do organic products warrant the higher price tag? Scientists have finally found out that they do – because they are probably better for you.

Researchers have discovered that organically-grown Golden Delicious apples have a 15 per cent higher level of health-giving antioxidants and phytochemicals than conventionally-grown varieties.

Fake organic produce concern

MANY products sold in Australia as "organic" may soon not qualify to go under that label.

And the finger has been pointed at supermarkets for failing to properly verify whether products they sell are truly organic.

Discussions are almost complete on a national organic standard, but negotiations have split the industry as opposing groups argue over whether products from animals fed synthetic foodstuff should be labeled organic.

Organic or not?

Chances are that "naturally grown" apple you're about to eat may look organic and taste organic, but it's probably not.

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) produce is similar to the USDA's definition of organic. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two are their labels. Both organizations prohibit synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, for example, and require farmers to pay fees, but there are significant differences in their certification.