(Promotional video funded by the Beef Checkoff Board. We need something similar for organic.)

A few days ago, the USDA officially announced a proposed Organic Check-Off program, something that we have been hearing about for several years already.

Other industries have used a check-off program in the past, such as milk, beef, and pork, primarily to conduct national advertising campaigns and to fund research activities. Since 1966, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 of these programs within the agricultural industry. Read more »

Last week, I was in St. Louis to attend the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting, and I’d say we walked away with one big win, one big loss, and one win that shouldn’t really be considered a win.

For those who are unfamiliar with the NOSB, it is a 15-person board that is supposed to represent various interests of the organic industry, with each member appointed by the USDA secretary for a 5-year term. More than anything, the NOSB makes recommendations to the USDA regarding rules and regulations for all aspects of organic, including allowed and prohibited substances. The NOSB, which meets twice per year, is arguably the most important committee when it comes to deciding the fate and future of organic. Read more »

(Photo courtesy of Donald J. Trump)

With Donald Trump now officially moving into the White House in January, I wanted to take a look at how his presidency would impact organic food.

First off, whatever Trump does, it will not be worse than President Obama. While many people may assume that Obama has been a friend to organic, nothing could be further than the truth. He has been an absolute and unmitigated disaster for organic. Read more »

(National Organic Standards Board meeting, photo courtesy of The Cornucopia Institute)

As we are getting ready to see either Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump take up residence in the White House, many of you may be wishing that we had another four years of President Obama.

But whether you are for or against this current president, one thing has been irrefutable: he has been a complete and utter disaster for organic.

Not only did he recently sign the worst GMO-labeling bill imaginable, which has put the future of organic in serious jeopardy, but his administration has approved every single genetically-modified crop that has been applied for, including genetically-engineered salmon, Agent Orange Corn and three types of genetically-engineered apples that don’t turn brown.

And these are just the high-levels initiatives that the much of the organic industry knows about. Yet, when you dig into the details of the day-to-day operations at the National Organic Program, it gets even worse. Read more »

(All images courtesy of the USDA)

To me, it is incredibly suspicious that after a mere two weeks of the DARK Act passing, a new “negative claim” GMO label was just put forth by the USDA. And who is going to benefit the most from it?

Big Food, of course. Read more »

If you haven’t read the post that I put up last week about the DARK Act, how organic is in serious danger, please go do so HERE and make sure to share it with your network.

Since that post went “live”, there have been two other pieces that I want to bring to your attention. Read more »

(To follow my day-to-day organic food adventures, please be sure to add me on Snapchat: maxorganic)

On late Friday afternoon, President Obama signed the sham Stabenow-Roberts GMO-Labeling bill (S. 764) which will allow, among many other things, companies to use QR codes instead of clear GMO labels on a food product’s packaging.

This bill is so discriminatory and so poorly written that it potentially violates several amendments of the Constitution. Additionally, it puts the integrity of the organic seal in real jeopardy.

What is arguably the most troubling aspect of this bill is that while almost every single organic consumer organization fought this bill, the organic industry’s leading trade organization praised the bill and lobbied for it to pass.

Here are the key points to understand, in terms of analyzing the bill, what this means for the organic industry, and where we go from here. Read more »