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OTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SELECTED FOR
TRADE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association, has been
appointed to serve on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade.
HORIZON ORGANIC DAIRY APPOINTS NEW CEO
Charles F. Marcy, Horizon's recently named president and chief operating officer, has been
appointed their new CEO.
RAPID EXPANSION IN UK ORGANIC FARMING
More than 1100 farmers joined up with MAFF for organic conversion in 1999, spurred on by
the increased incentives being offered under the British Government's new scheme.
BIOPUGLIA WEB SITE PROMOTES ORGANIC
AGRICULTURE IN APULIA, ITALY
The Biopuglia project web site, promoting organic agriculture in Apulia, Italy, is being
developed by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari and the Italian Institute of
the Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes.
GENERAL MILLS AGREES TO BUY SMALL
PLANET FOODS
General Mills have announced it has signed an agreement in principle to purchase Small
Planet Foods, a leading producer of organic food products.
OMRI BRAND NAME PRODUCT LIST NOW
AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Organic Materials Review Institute's Brand Name Product List is now available
online.
SOIL ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW RURAL
DEVELOPMENT FUNDING
The UK Government announcement that organic farming would benefit from new rural
development funds is welcomed by the Soil Association.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING A NEW
DIRECTION FOR AGRICULTURE
UK Agriculture Minister Nick Brown has announced the new Rural Development Regulation,
which will advance environmentally beneficial farming practices, modernise and restructure
farming industries, and support off-farm rural development.
SOIL ASSOCIATION TO LAUNCH BRAND
CAMPAIGN
The Soil Association have hired Hooper Galton to help them plan and execute a brand
communications campaign for early 2000.
INCREASING EXPORT POTENTIAL FOR
AUSTRALIAN ORGANIC FARMERS
A national field day and seminar held at Yanco, New South Wales, focussed on expanding
Australias share of the multi billion dollar organic industry.
IFOAM ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION BODIES
SIGN MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT
Agreement among 14 of the worlds most recognized and reputable organic certification
organizations will allow organically certified products to flow easily worldwide.
ORGANIC TRADE CONFERENCE SHOWS THE WAY
AHEAD FOR THE ORGANIC MARKET
The IFOAM Trade Conference, held in Florence, Italy, reviewed the state of the art in the
organic market and the future potential of organic products.
ORGANIC FOOD AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The 1999 Organic Food Awards in London awarded Peter Segger the Organic Trophy, Waitrose
Ltd. was Organic Supermarket of the Year, and Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester, was Producer
of the Year.
ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION SELECTS
OFFICERS
The Organic Trade Association has selected William R. Knudsen as its president for
1999-2000.
ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME REOPENED
The UK Parliament is allowing new applications under the Organic Farming Scheme.
ADDITIONAL ORGANIC FUNDING WELCOMED BY
NFU
NFU welcomes the announcement by UK Agriculture Minister Nick Brown of an additional £10
million for the Organic Farming Scheme.
HORIZON POSTS RECORD SALES AND EARNINGS
IN THIRD QUARTER OF 1999
Horizon Organic Holding Corporation announced record net sales for the third quarter of
1999.
ORGANIC MEAT MARKET PARTICULARLY
VULNERABLE TO INCREASED ABATTOIR INSPECTION CHARGES
A Soil Association report claims that the organic meat industry is particularly vulnerable
should the British Government impose drastic increases in inspection charges at abattoirs.
ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION ADOPTS
AMERICAN ORGANIC STANDARDS
Organic Trade Association have adopted the American Organic Standards as guidelines for
the organic industry.
SOIL ASSOCIATION SCIENCE ADVISOR
RESIGNS
Dr. Mark Fisher has resigned as scientific advisor to the Soil Association, citing
"scientific illiteracy" over the GM food scare.
ORGANIC GROWERS WORKING WITH USDA
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE TO RETAIN CROP DIVERSITY
More than 200 organic seed farmers are growing 800 breeding lines of traditional crop
plants provided by the National Plant Germplasm System, which is maintained by USDA's
Agricultural Research Service.
UK PARLIAMENTARY BILL AIMS FOR 30%
ORGANIC BY 2010
The Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill, calling for a target and strategy to massively
increase organic farming, was launched in the UK Parliament.
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
UNVEILS INNOVATIVE ORGANIC COST-SHARE PROGRAM
The $35,000 cost-sharing program will partially reimburse farmers for the cost of organic
inspection and certification. The program is funded by the Organic Agriculture Promotion
and Education Act passed during the 1999 Minnesota legislative session.
MORI POLL SHOWS INCREASED DEMAND FOR
ORGANIC FOOD
Research by MORI, commissioned by the Soil Association, has revealed that one third of
people in the UK have bought organic food in the past three months. Food retailers have
responded enthusiastically to the demand and have expanded the range and quantities of
organic products on their shelves.
OHIO EPA AWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
GRANT
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to the Ohio Ecological Food and
Farm Association Education Fund for its Train the Trainers: Web-Based Sustainable
Agriculture Education for University Extension program.
NFU DISMAYED AT PLAN TO DEFER ORGANIC
PAYMENTS
The NFU is dismayed that the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is
planning to defer aid payments until 2001/2002 for recent applications from farmers and
growers wanting to convert to organic status.
FRANK FORD WINS ORGANIC LEADERSHIP
AWARD
Frank Ford, founder of Arrowhead Mills, received the Organic Trade Association's
Leadership Award for his pioneering work in developing the infant organic industry.
PRATT FOODS WINS ORGANIC MERCHANDIZING
AWARD
Pratts Food & Health Store of Oklahoma City has won the Organic Trade Association's
1999 "Big O" Merchandising Competition Award.
CUBAN GROUP WINS RIGHT LIVELIHOOD AWARD
Grupo de Agricultura Organica, the Cuban organic farming association was named as winner
of a major international prizethe Right Livelihood Awardcommonly known as the
'Alternative Nobel Prize.'
ORGANIC CONVERSION FUNDS RUN OUT
The Soil Association has expressed their dismay that two years funding to assist farmers
converting to organic production has been allocated in just six months.
OTA HOLDS FIRST CONGRESSIONAL
EDUCATION DAY
The Organic Trade Association held its first Congressional Education Day in Washington,
D.C., to educate congressional representatives about issues related to organic
agriculture, and, particularly, to urge the adoption of national organic standards that
fit in with industry practices.
SUPPORT TO UK ORGANIC FARMERS REVIEWED
A review of the support for farmers converting to organic methods is to be undertaken by
the British Government. Until the review is concluded applications for aid under the
Organic Farming Scheme will cease to be accepted.
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
SUPPORTS ORGANIC FARMING IN SCOTLAND
Addressing the Soil Association's 53rd Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh, MSP Sarah
Boyack, Labour Minister for Transport and Environment, expressed support for organic
farming in Scotland.
OMRI LISTED SEAL PROGRAM LAUNCHED
The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) catalogue of approved organic materials and
processes will now be clearly identified by the OMRI Listed label.
USDA AWARDS MARKETING IMPROVEMENT
GRANTS
Three organic projects have received awards under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement
Program to support market research.
RULEMAKING PROJECT FINALIST IN
INNOVATIONS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AWARDS
The USDA project, Internet Rulemaking for Organic Food Standards, has been named as a
finalist in the prestigious 1999 Innovations in American Government Awards competition.
ORGANIC BRAEBURN APPLES FIVE TIMES THE
PRICE
As an international market glut crushes the prices for New Zealand Braeburn apples, the
same apples produced organically are fetching around five times as much.
ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME UPTAKE SHOWS
NEED FOR EXTRA SUPPORT
The fact that the new Organic Farming Scheme has run out of funds so quickly demonstrates
additional support is needed in further years to ensure that all farmers who want to
convert to organic production have the opportunity to do so, says the National Farmers'
Union.
ORGANIC FRUIT RESEARCH CENTRE
ESTABLISHED
The new European Centre for Organic Fruit Research, a joint venture between Horticulture
Research International, Kent County Council, HortiTech and East Malling Trust for
Horticultural Research, will carry out scientific research into all aspects of organic
fruit production.
UK GOVERNMENT SLAMS BRAKES ON ORGANIC
FARMING GROWTH
Development of organic food and farming in the UK will be severely affected by the UK
Government's announcement today of the closure of the Organic Farming Scheme, just four
months into the current financial year, says the Soil Association.
ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME PAYMENTS ALREADY
FULLY COMMITTED FOR 1999
More than 450 farmers in England have applied to join MAFF's new Organic Farming Scheme
(OFS) which opened in April this year, adding a further 42,000 hectares to the land
already in organic production. However, the allocated fund for 1999 is already fully
committed. |