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Better Choices

Another Reason to Support Organic – It Will More Effectively Feed the World During the Global Drought

When people get into a debate about whether organic food is worth it or not, the first issue that always comes up is price.

While organic can cost a little more, there are numerous ways to make it less expensive, such as buying in the bulk bins or purchasing directly from local organic farmers.

Yet, what is often missing in this discussion is how organic is so much better for the planet.

And this is something that absolutely must be part of the narrative as to why organic is the superior choice, particularly because the global food system is responsible for 44-57% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

From the Center for Food Safety’s excellent report Food & Climate: Connecting the Dots, Choosing the Way Forward, we know that organic agriculture uses 30-50% less fossil fuel energy than industrial farms.

And in a new study published in Nature Plantsresearchers have concluded that organic yields are consistently greater than conventional farming yields during periods of global drought.

This should be of immediate importance to everyone, and not just to those people living in California.

According to NASA, the water table is dropping all over the globe, and 21 of the world’s largest 37 aquifers have passed their sustainability tipping points, which means that water is being taken out faster than it is being replaced.

In the U.S., 50 billion gallons of water per day are being used for agricultural purposes, and approximately 40% of the world’s grain comes from irrigated land.

With our water reserves running low and not being replaced, groundwater depletion raises the likelihood of global food crises.

So, if we want to feed the 9 billion people expected to be on the planet by 2050, water must be a major consideration when selecting how we grow our food.

And that is exactly why the findings from the Nature Plants study are so critical.

Given that organic soil is built up and maintained with organic material, it is much more able to hold onto water. Therefore, by the time a farmer is ready to plant or harvest a crop, the plant has more access to water, which results in higher yields.

John Reganold, Professor of Soil Science and Agroecology at Washington State University and co-author of the new study, said that for every inch of rainwater soaked up by soil, a plant can produce another 7-8 bushels of wheat. That is very, very significant.

So, the next time someone is telling you that GMOs are the only way to feed the world, educate this person that with no water, there is no food.

And the best way to preserve our dwindling water supplies while also achieving increased yields during periods of drought is through organic farming.

A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — GMOs and Weedkiller Found in Conventional Cereal

If anyone you know is still feeding their children conventional cereal, maybe this piece of news will get them to change their habits.

GMO Free USA, a non-profit that educates consumers and other stakeholders about the potential hazards of GMOs, just published its results of independent lab tests (verified by DNA analysis) done on Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal.

Here’s what they found:

1) 100% of the corn in the Froot Loops was genetically-modified, containing DNA sequences known to be present in insecticide-producing Bt and Roundup Ready corn. This corn produces insecticides inside of the plant’s cells and cannot be washed off.

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A message from E3Live

"My Everyday, Must-Have Green Organic Aquabotanical"

The best testimonial that I can give is that I drink this every single day, as it impacts my mood in an incredibly positive way.

E3Live + BrainON is certified organic, fresh-frozen AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) with a concentrated, aqueous, organic extract of Phenylethylamine and Phycocyanin.

Learn more.

Organic Insider

Better Choices

Could Regenerative Organic Coffee Farming be the Key to Reversing Deforestation in Peru?

Nestled in the heart of the mountains in the Andean Paramos region of Peru, there are 182 families who entirely depend on coffee cultivation for their livelihood.

Unfortunately, coffee rust – a fungus also known as “La Roya” — has devastated the coffee trees of 64 of these families, leading to catastrophic economic losses for hundreds of people.

With coffee production their only way to make a living and provide for their families, they have had no choice but to search for nearby land which has not been infected by coffee rust. While this is giving these families a financial lifeline, it has also resulted in the destruction of forests in the region, a territory that cannot that cannot afford this type of displacement.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Why Organic Coffee is So Important

A girl I used to know in New York City was so fanatical about recycling that she would literally take empty bottles home from bars because she feared that they would be tossed in the garbage.

I’ll never forget the time when we were out one night and she started filling up her designer handbag with empty beer bottles, which weren’t even hers!  She was that committed to the environment.

Yet, when she drank her coffee each morning, organic coffee was never even a consideration.

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this didn’t make much sense.  Why?

Because conventionally-grown coffee is incredibly unhealthy for people and the planet.

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livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink