Washington State University – For organic farms, size matters: not so much the size of the farm itself, but the size of the neighbouring fields. A large-scale analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Jan. 27 found that organic agriculture sites had 34 per cent more biodiversity and 50 per cent […]
Category: Trends
Albertans load up their plates with organic food
By Robert Arnason Glacier FarmMedia staff Albertans like organic food. Organic industry statistics suggest that 74 percent of Albertans buy organic food weekly. That’s higher than consumers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where 62 percent of shoppers buy organic weekly. The strong demand in Alberta is likely explained by millennials, who tend to self-identify as “ethical” […]
The fake meat trend is just getting started, food exec says
By Alexis Kienlen Glacier FarmMedia staff It’s not going to stop with the Beyond Meat burger. Expect to see more plant-based foods in your grocery store as more and more consumers reduce their consumption of meat, says the CEO of a leading organic and natural food company. “You can see tremendous acceleration in the refrigerated […]
Organic breakfast delivery startup goes retail
A Quebec startup offering organic oatmeal and granola direct to consumers via online subscription is now taking a first step into the bricks-and-mortar retail market. Montreal-based Oatbox announced in June it will sell four flavours of its granola and oatmeal products, in 300-gram family-size packs, at Metro grocery stores within Quebec. Set up in late […]
Record number of French farms convert to organic
Paris/Reuters – A record number of French farms switched to organic production last year, helped by the grains sector catching on to the trend, the country’s organic food agency said on June 4. France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, added 5,000 organic farms last year, surpassing a prior high of 4,200 seen in both […]
Replacing U.S. imports of organic soybeans unlikely
The rapid growth of U.S. organic livestock production has resulted in massive imports of soymeal By John Greig Glacier FarmMedia staff American organic soybean imports, especially as meal, continue to dwarf import of other organic crops. In fact, if American farmers tried to grow that many soybeans to make into meal, it could disrupt the […]
Organic Trade Association export promotion programs making new gains
Organic Trade Association – The Organic Trade Association’s export promotion program closed the first quarter of 2019 with a flourish, and is beginning the second quarter in an equally robust way. “The Organic Trade Association has been opening up new markets for U.S. organic products for nearly 20 years through our participation in the U.S. […]
Close-to-home organic marketing encouraged
One industry insider urges exporters not to ignore the United States, while another emphasizes domestic processors By William DeKay Glacier FarmMedia staff Canadian organic growers should focus on the world’s largest organic market sitting right on their doorstep, says an industry spokesperson. “The U.S. is the No. 1 organic market in the world. We’re sitting […]
New organic legislation takes effect in Alberta on April 1
Organic Alberta – New provincial legislation takes effect on April 1, 2019, bolstering consumer confidence in the highly scrutinized organic food industry. With the rise of the “foodie” movement, farm-to-fork, and supporting local, Albertans are becoming more savvy, health-conscious, educated, and selective of their food purchasing. On April 1st, 2019, the Supporting Alberta’s Local Food Sector […]
VIDEO: Regenerative agriculture and the importance of interrelationships in soils
By OrganicBiz staff At a recent event held last month in Winnipeg, soil health educator Joel Williams of Integrated Soils discussed a wide variety of topics relating to soil biology and what farmers can do to build more diversity into their crop systems, the benefits of intercropping, the growing interest in regenerative agriculture and the […]