The Scoop

In This Issue:

Breaking Science
In The News
Do You Know?
Commentary
Events and Presentations
Core Truths
The Art of Giving
Join Mission Organic
About THE SCOOP
About The Organic Center

Low Income Fourth Graders Face Heightened Risk of Diabetes from Too Many Calories, Not Enough Nutrients

A Texas team studied the diets, weight, body mass index, and diabetes risk factors for a cohort of 1,402 fourth graders composed of Mexican American (80%), African American (10%), Asian (5%), and non-Hispanic white children (5%). Nearly 75% of the children lived in households with less than $20,000 income.

Almost half lacked adequate calories in their diet, yet 33% were obese and already, in the 4th grade, 7% had high blood glucose levels. Diets were composed of energy- and calorie-dense foods like cookies, chips, and ice cream, and were low in nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables.

The authors concluded that these children faced a high risk of developing diabetes and were in need of substantial dietary interventions, increasing in particular daily intakes of nutrient-dense foods.

Source: Roberto P. Trevino et al., "Diabetes Risk, Low Fitness, and Energy Insufficiency Levels among Children from Poor Families," Journal of the American Dietetic Association, November, 2008: pages 1846-1853

Editor's Note: Consumption of organic fruits and vegetables would raise by about 30% the levels of critical antioxidants in the diets of these children. Given the difficulty in getting some children to eat fruits and vegetables, it is important to maximize the nutrient content per serving.

The difficulty in procuring ripe, tasty fresh fruits and vegetables (organic or conventional) in the winter months is a major hurdle encountered by many schools. When kids are served pears hard enough to use on the ball field, dried up oranges, or grapes that are on their way to raisin-land, it is no wonder much of the fruit winds up in the trash stream. The food industry needs to develop better ways to provide schools with well-preserved, nutrient dense fruits and vegetables that are tasty yet not over-sweetened.

Common Herbicide Increases Risk of Colon Cancer and Leukemia

A government epidemiological study has established a connection between occupational exposures to the thiocarbamate herbicide EPTC and human cancer. The research is part of the Agricultural Health Study and focused on EPTC applicators in Iowa and North Carolina between 1993 and 1997.

While the team called for further research, they found an association between EPTC exposures and colon cancer and leukemia.

Source: Dana M. van Bemmel et al., "S-Ethyl-N,N-dipropylthiocarbamate Exposure and Cancer Evidence among Male Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study: A Prospective Cohort," Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 116, No. 11: pages 1541-1546.

Impressive Benefits Triggered by Organic Farming in Africa Receive Strong UN Endorsement

In the October "The Scoop," we featured a commentary by two United Nations leaders made upon the release of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD)-United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report "Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa." In this issue, we highlight a few of the report's remarkably strong – and hopeful – scientific findings.

The benefits to organic agriculture were linked to enhancement of five capital assets critical in promoting food security – natural, social, human, physical, and financial.

Multiple studies have shown that yields remain stable, and often rise after conversion to organic agriculture, a finding that "...challenges the popular myth that organic agriculture cannot increase agricultural productivity."

Moreover, organic agriculture is making important, positive contributions to farm incomes and rural economic activity. These benefits could be enhanced, according to the report, by adoption of more supportive policies and development strategies.

USDA Research on the Organic Food Industry Provides Intriguing Insights

The USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) has released an October 2008 report entitled "Using Vertically Coordinated Relationships to Overcome Tight Supply in the Organic Market." The report is based on an ERS survey of handlers of organic food products in 2004.

The authors note that the growth of organic sales in conventional supermarkets and "box stores" has created shortages in the supply of both ingredients needed to make organic food products, and in various organic product classes.

13% of handlers reported inability to meet market demand, while another 16% reported minor shortages.

44% of handlers found needed ingredients or products in short supply in 2004, especially coffee, soybeans, milk, seeds, corn, and nuts.

By volume, 20% of organic products were imported, while 22% were sourced locally (defined as within a one-hour drive of a manufacturing/processing facility).

The organic sector uses written contracts at a much higher rate than the conventional food system – 44% of volume moving through organic handlers, compared to 26% among conventional handlers. Another 27% of organic volume is based on verbal agreements and commitments.

The study concludes with a discussion of the reasons why close relationships are likely to remain common in the organic food industry as overall sales increase.

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Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo, Inc. Wins Precedent-Setting Lawsuit on Chemical Trespass

On October 8, 2008, the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz filed a major judgment in the case brought by Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo against Western Farm Service. Over the preceding three years, Western Farm Service (WFS) had sprayed organophosphate (OP) insecticides on vegetable crops near fields of organic herbs grown by Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo in the Wilder Ranch State Park.



Residues of the OP insecticides diazinon, dimethoate, and chlorpyrifos were first detected in organic herbs picked and shipped to Whole Foods in 2006, as part of that retailer's routine pesticide testing program. This unexpected finding compelled Jacobs Farm to report the residues to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Since there is no tolerance covering residues of these insecticides in conventional herbs, the crop had to be destroyed, costing Jacobs Farm hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop year 2006, and then again in 2007.



If this incident had involved a major field or vegetable crop like potatoes or tomatoes, the presence of low-level residues of these OP insecticides on organic produce would not have required destruction of the crop, assuming that a legal tolerance is in place for these pesticides in conventional potatoes and tomatoes. But for many specialty crops, including most herbs, there are few tolerances in place, and hence any movement of pesticides onto an organic herb field could trigger heavy financial loses.

When extensive efforts by Jacobs Farm to work with neighboring farmers and WFS to prevent future damage failed, leading to additional loses in 2007, Jacobs Farm decided to turn to the courts to seek damages and relief from this ongoing source of chemical trespass.

A jury found WFS negligent and concluded that this negligence was a "substantial factor in causing harm to Jacobs Farm." Western Farm Service was found guilty of negligence, trespass, and causing a nuisance. Damages of $1 million dollars were awarded to Jacobs Farm, plus attorney's fees and costs associated with the case.

Western Farm Service is still exploring whether to appeal the court's decision. On the one hand, the pesticide industry and conventional growers view this as a potentially significant, precedent-setting case, suggesting that an appeal would be likely. But if unsuccessful, the decision of an appellate court to affirm the court's judgment would lend greater weight to the precedent set by this case.

While a major milestone has passed, we have almost certainly not heard the last word on the Jacobs Farm-WFS case. The issues underlying the court's judgment and damage award are of tremendous economic significance, especially in states where organic and conventional farms often exist in the same valley.

For more on what's at stake, see the commentary "Time to Deal with Pesticide Risks in California's Coastal Communities." An abbreviated version of the commentary appears later in this issue of "The Scoop", and the full commentary is on the Center's website.

"The Problem with [GE] Nutritionally Enhanced Plants"



Dr. David Schubert is a highly regarded molecular biologist focusing on neurological development. He is based at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and has just published a provocative "Perspective" piece on applications of genetic engineering to enhance the nutrient density of plants in the Journal of Medicinal Food (Vol. 11, No. 4).

Schubert explains why it has been difficult for the biotechnology industry to develop protein-based pharmaceuticals in plants. Problems arise with protein-based plant compounds because of their reactivity, especially their proclivity toward glycosylation. As sugars attach and are cleaved from protein compounds produced in plants, both their metabolism and bioavailability changes, making it very difficult to control doses, predict interactions with drugs or other biologically active secondary plant metabolites, or achieve consistently a desired impact on human health.

On the other hand, Schubert points out that nutritionally-enhanced plants (NEPs) are less subject to such problems and are likely to be viewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS).

But NEPs face their own unique problems, according to Schubert. For example, Golden rice is genetically engineered to produce higher levels of B-carotene (precursor of Vitamin A). Many enzymes are known to alter the form and metabolism of carotenoids like B-carotene, producing the common retinoids – retinol (Vitamin A), retinal, and retinoic acid (RA). Retinal is oxidized to retinoic acid, which is far more active and toxic than Vitamin A.

While low doses of RA play an essential role in neurological development, they can bioaccumulate in fat tissues and plasma, and research has shown that multiple, low doses are more toxic than a single, high dose. Given the importance of RA, its toxicity, and the potential to alter RA levels and forms as a result of genetic engineering, Schubert warns that –
"...excess RA, or RA derivatives are exceedingly dangerous, particularly to infants and during pregnancy...extensive safety testing should be required before the introduction of golden rice as food."



(The most common PMP (Plant-made Pharmaceuticals) crops that have been grown in U.S. field trials are corn, tobacco, and rice. Other crops being investigated include alfalfa, potato, safflower, soybean, sugarcane, and tomato.)

In the case of plants genetically-engineered to produce higher levels of fatty acids like omega 3s or conjugated linoleic acid, Schubert points out that GE-plant transformations can lead to the formation of slightly altered forms of fatty acids, which in turn can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

In other cases, plants expressing markedly elevated levels of certain nutrients, or forms of nutrients, might push periodic intake into the possibly toxic zone. (Recall from past stories in "The Scoop" that most beneficial antioxidants become pro-oxidants at excessively high doses).

While minimally necessary intake levels have been carefully studied for many nutrients, possibly damaging high levels of consumption have received much less attention.

GE Soybeans with Elevated Omega 3 Fatty Acids in the Pipeline

Monsanto has genetically engineered soybeans to increase the level of omega 3 fatty acid. A small, preliminary study carried out at the University of South Dakota found that consumption of the GE-soybeans increased blood omega 3 levels by 4 to 5 percent, enough to reduce the risk of heart attacks by as much as 50%.

Monsanto hopes the new soybeans will be approved for commercial planting by 2011, leading to consumer products in the supermarket by 2012.

Source: Graham Tibbetts, "GM Soya Bean Could Prevent Heart Attacks and Save Fish Stocks," The Telegraph, November 3, 2008

Nutritionally Enhanced GE-Foods Still "Years Away"

A story in the November 3rd Washington Post by Marc Kaufman surveys the prospects for nutritionally enhanced, GE-foods and concludes that such foods are still "years away."

The piece begins with an overview of the generally optimistic, but unfulfilled hopes for nutritionally enhanced GE-foods. Kaufman then describes a purple tomato that has been engineered to express high levels of anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their deep, rich colors. Genes from snapdragon plants were used to create the purple tomatoes.

Cathie Martin, one of the scientists working on the purple tomato, acknowledges that there are several conventional foods with elevated levels of anthocyanins, in particular dark raspberries and blackberries. The goal, however, is to create a common food like tomatoes with elevated anthocyanins levels so that more people might someday increase their daily intakes of antioxidants. Martin argues that a person could get enough antioxidants for a day by eating one purple tomato, compared to five servings of conventional fruits and vegetables.

Other teams are working to boost the level of resveratrol in grapes and wine, an antioxidant known to help protect heart health and trigger a sense of fullness (often referred to as satiety).

Typically, two or more genes, and/or transcription factors, must be engineered into a food crop to enhance nutritional quality. These more complex genetic modifications can lead to a diversity of unanticipated outcomes, and will require careful study before approval by regulators.

Margaret Mellon, a molecular biologist working for the Union of Concerned Scientists, expresses skepticism that the biotechnology industry will be able to deliver on its promise to create nutritionally-enhanced foods. She states that – "Clearly, genetically engineered fruits and vegetables for nutritional benefits has proven far more difficult than the industry expected."

Editor's Note: Consumers hoping to boost their antioxidant intakes do not have to wait for purple tomatoes, nor does the food industry need GE-technology to dramatically boost antioxidant nutrient density in common, conventional fruits and vegetables.

Our research shows that a well-managed, long-term organic farm will produce fruits and vegetables that are, on average, about 30% higher in total antioxidants. By choosing from the dozens of fruits and vegetables that are naturally high in antioxidants, and then buying organic, consumers can easily meet and exceed their daily need for around 3,500 ORAC units, a goal for daily antioxidant intakes put forth by scientists at Tufts University.

See our antioxidant "State of Science Review," and especially Table 2, where 37 foods are listed that deliver 1,000 or more ORAC units per serving. Wild blackberries, a super-rich source of anthocyanins, contain 13,353 ORAC units per 1 cup serving – more than three-times a person's daily needs.

Check out the table to learn which ten foods deliver 100 or more ORAC units per calorie consumed. Just a 35 calorie portion of these foods delivers a person's daily dose of antioxidants.

One other important point is relevant to the notion of a single purple tomato meeting one's daily needs for antioxidants. Scientists agree that everyone should consume several antioxidant rich foods every day.

For optimal health benefits, choose fruits and vegetables with multiple colors and flavors. Spread out the consumption of these nutrient-rich foods throughout the day. A greater portion of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are likely to be taken up by your body when consumed in this way.

A diverse pattern of consumption of nutrient-dense foods throughout the day, encompassing multiple colors, will help assure stable levels of antioxidants in your bloodstream, where they are needed to protect against cell damage triggered by reactive oxygen species, otherwise known as free radicals.

New Research Raises Questions about Bt Corn and Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

While the two Bt toxins engineered into Bt corn are not directly toxic to bees, scientists have begun to explore the indirect impacts of exposure to these toxins. One team has found that exposure to the Cry 1Ab endotoxin in Bt corn can alter the learning behavior of bees, as they associate odors with nectar sources.

Scientists active in the field are focusing on corn as a potential cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, particularly in Europe. Some speculate that the Bt toxins in GM-corn are having some subtle effect, perhaps in conjunction with the nicotinyl insecticides used as corn seed treatments.

Source: R. Ramierez-Romeo et al., "Does Cry1Ab protein affect learning performances of the honey bee Apis mellifera L.," Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol. 70: 327-333.

Editor's Note: For several months the Center has been working on the potential for organic farming to enhance bee health. We hope to release later this fall our first report on this subject. Look for some surprising insights into the likely causes of colony collapse disorder.

Marsh Supermarkets Switching to 100% Organic Apples and Pears

The Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets chain has shifted its entire bulk apple and pear categories to certified organic fruit. March operates 99 markets, plus five O'Malia's Food Markets in Indiana and Ohio.

The organic fruit will be offered at the same price as conventional fruit. Much of the organic fruit will be sourced in Washington State.

Source: Sustainable Food News, October 23, 2008

Editor's Note: Great strides have been made in Washington State in building up the acreage and efficiencies in organic tree fruit production. Several new and/or expanded packing sheds are now 100% dedicated to organic.

One of the positive outcomes brought about by recent industry growth is the ability of a regional chain like Marsh to offer organic apples and pears at prices comparable to conventional fruit.

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The number of hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa has increased 20% since 1990. One-third of Kenyans were undernourished in 2000-2002.

In Uganda and Tanzania, less than one kilogram of fertilizer is applied on the average hectare of cropland.

The first $300 bag of seed corn will be sold this winter, for planting in 2009. The approximate 80,000 seeds in the bag will plant about three acres of corn, at a cost of roughly $100 per acre.

The seed corn will contain four to eight traits added through genetic engineering: two or more to make the corn herbicide-tolerant, and two or more to combat insects. Plus, the corn will be treated with a systemic insecticide seed treatment posing risks to bees.

In the 1970s farmers spent $15.00 to $20.00 per acre for seed corn.

An estimated one-half of the water used for irrigated agriculture worldwide is drawn from non-renewable resources.

It is common for water tables to fall 10 feet per year in areas with extensive irrigation.

Dow AgroSciences created 350 new research, development, and commercialization positions in 2008 to support aggressive goals for growth in seeds and pesticides.

California has adopted a new State-wide program designed to cut CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The program will create 400,000 new jobs and increase the California economy by an estimated $76 billion per year, through greater economic efficiencies.

The EPA has approved methyl iodide as a replacement for methyl bromide, despite clear evidence that it is neurotoxic, irritates lungs, suppresses thyroid hormones, alters gene expression and damages DNA, and is a possible human carcinogen.

Fifty-four scientists, including five Nobel laureates and dozens of members of the National Academy of Sciences, sent the EPA a letter in 2007 arguing against approval of methyl iodide because of significant risks to farm workers and those living near treated fields.

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Comments on the 2009 Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Programs and WIC

Excerpts of the Center 's October 13, 2008 comments to the USDA on the reauthorization of the WIC program.

The full comments are posted on the Center's website

We strongly support reauthorization and strengthening of the Child Nutrition Programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). These programs have met a vital need and will no doubt continue to provide essential assistance to some of the nation's most vulnerable, especially if the current recession proves deep and long-lasting.

In the reauthorization process, we urge the Department to continue moving toward more flexibility and choice, as well as a more significant role for state and local agencies involved in program implementation...

The general nutritional goals and requirements of WIC and other nutrition programs should be established at the federal level. We strongly support the already announced decision to include fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in the 2009 WIC program. Many states are already working on how to incorporate these critical food groups in the WIC program in the most cost-effective way.

We are aware that hundreds of mothers in many states have participated in focus groups discussing changes in the WIC program. We are told that somewhere between a quarter and two-thirds of the mothers at most focus groups expressed a need for, and support the opportunity to choose organic foods and beverages bearing the USDA National Organic Program seal, especially for dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Why Organic Food Belongs in the WIC Program

In the 1980s concern emerged among toxicologists and pesticide regulatory scientists over the human developmental risks posed by pesticides. At that time, nearly all aspects of pesticide regulation were based on laboratory experiments carried out with healthy, adult rats and mice. In 1989 the Environmental Protection Agency asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to carry out a thorough assessment of the risks posed by pesticide to pregnant women, infants, and children, and the adequacy of then-current pesticide regulatory policies. In 1993 the NAS released the widely acclaimed report Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children.

The report explained that infants and children are not just little adults, and that they face unique risks when exposed to certain pesticides, especially during critical windows of development...

While most WIC mothers do not know which foods or pesticides pose the greatest risk, or why, their desire to avoid exposures for themselves and their families is easy to understand, as is their interest in purchasing organic food through the WIC program.

Compelling research carried out by Dr. Chensheng (Alex) Lu and colleagues at the University of Washington and Emory University over the past six years shows that serving organic food and beverages to children, especially fruit and vegetable-based products, is the surest way to essentially eliminate risky dietary exposures. Their research has focused on the high-risk class of insecticides called the organophosphates, and their findings are published in three seminal research reports in Environmental Health Perspectives (Lu et al., "Dietary Intake and Its Contribution to Longitudinal Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure in Urban/Suburban Children," published online 1/15/2008; Lu, et al., "Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children's Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides," Vol. 114, No. 2, 2005; and Curl et al., "Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets," Vol. 111, No. 3, March, 2003).

In an analysis encompassing most major children's foods, we reached essentially the same conclusion by analyzing the impact of an organic diet on pesticide dietary risk levels... Switching to organic food reduces pesticide risks, as measured by the Dietary Risk Index, by over 95%.

...We have issued reports in the last two years drawing on the growing number of published studies comparing organic and conventional foods that conclude that organic production systems, on average, produce food that is more nutrient and antioxidant-dense. The typically higher level of plant secondary metabolites and polyphenols in organic fruits and vegetables helps explain why organic produce is, on average, tastier than conventionally grown produce...

The case for including organic milk and dairy products in the WIC and other nutrition programs is particularly compelling. Milk is obviously the most important single food in the diets of most infants and children. Organic dairy farmers are required by NOP regulations to provide access to pasture for their cows during the months of the year when weather supports pasture growth. Numerous studies have shown consistently and conclusively that cows consuming 30% or more of their daily dry matter intake from pasture produce milk that is higher in protein and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a heart-healthy fat that plays important roles in development.

A recent study published in the biomedical literature found that mothers with a high proportion of dairy intake from an organic origin (>90 percent organic dairy) have higher levels of rumenic acid in their breast milk. Rumenic acid is responsible for most of the health benefits of CLA from pasture-produced milk. Another recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that consumption of organic dairy products was associated with lower risk of eczema in the first two years of life (Kummeling et al., Consumption of organic foods and risk of atopic disease during the first 2 years of life in the Netherlands," British Journal of Nutrition, 2007).

...mothers are on solid ground in expecting over time a nutritional premium from the routine purchase of organic milk and dairy products.

In addition to the nutrition premium associated with organic dairy products, cows on organic farms are not administered supplemental hormones to increase production. They are not given antibiotics to treat mastitis and other common infections, nor antimicrobial feed supplements to help them tolerate high-energy, high-grain rations deficient in fiber and forages (the "natural" feed of ruminant animals). They are not given reproductive hormones to increase the success rate when artificial insemination is used for breeding...

Avoiding exposures to food additives and artificial colors is another reason to provide WIC mothers the option to purchase certified organic food and beverages. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the artificial food dyes approved for use in food by the Food and Drug Administration are exacerbating behavioral problems, especially hyperactivity, among children and adolescents. The U.K. Food Standards Agency has asked food companies to voluntarily end use of the six artificial food colorings approved for use in the U.K., because of the evidence that removal of the colors reduces the severity of behavioral problems in many children.

By choosing to serve children organic foods, mothers and school systems can dramatically reduce the daily intake of food additives, a clearly positive, preventive step that will help reduce the number of school-age children afflicted with hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. It turns out that teachers are right -- good nutrition is, in fact, a pillar of sound education policy.

The Organic Price Premium

Given the goals of the WIC program and the reality that WIC funds are limited relative to need for the program, efforts have been made to seek out and approve those staple foods that deliver the most calories per dollar spent. The generally higher cost per serving of most of organic food will limit the quantity of a given food that a mother can purchase with a fixed WIC allotment. The same economic calculus applies to other USDA nutrition programs, although the premium tends to be smaller when organic foods are purchased in bulk.

The generally higher nutrient density in organic foods, coupled with the near-absence of pesticide, hormone, and food additive risks, justify a higher price for organic food. But how much? No one can say with certainty because we lack the science and methods needed to estimate the magnitude of the economic benefits from consumption of organic food. Plus, such calculations will be highly circumstantial and variable, and require lifelong and indeed multi-generational health monitoring and data collection.

Despite uncertainty about the magnitude of the benefits stemming from consumption of organic food, some mothers have decided that organic food is a worthwhile investment in their children's well-being. The conscious choice to seek out organic food, even when it costs more, reflects a commitment by mothers to provide their children with the highest quality food possible and the safest path through the critical early years of development.

Given the breadth of evidence in support of a range of benefits from consumption of organic food, the Department would need compelling reasons to prohibit mothers from purchasing organic foods through the WIC program. In particular, the Department would need to explain why mothers should not be free to choose a somewhat smaller quantity of what they regard as higher-quality food.

We believe the USDA should work to cultivate in Americans an appreciation of and desire for high quality food, coupled with the need for a more balanced diet. The WIC and other nutrition programs can do both through its educational activities and outreach services and by providing freedom to choose organic products for those who wish to purchase them.

"Time to Deal with Pesticide Risks in California's Coastal Communities"
By Charles Benbrook, Chief Scientist, The Organic Center

[Excerpts of the full commentary follow]

A Santa Cruz jury recently returned a verdict that secures a brighter future for organic farming in California, and perhaps over time, if adopted as precedent, throughout the United States. The jury found that a commercial pesticide applicator, Western Farm Service, had an obligation to prevent toxic pesticides from drifting after application with wind and fog onto Jacobs Farm's organic crops in Wilder Ranch State Park. While Jacobs Farm was the clear winner in this case, press coverage of the trial and its conclusions missed the main significance of the jury's decision.

This case was about the Golden Rule. Federal pesticide law and regulations place considerable burden on pesticide applicators – whether a farmer or a commercial company like WFS – to prevent off target movement of applied pesticides. One of the goals in setting forth this clear-cut responsibility is to prevent "economic damage" to surrounding personal property, including crops on nearby farms (whether organic or conventional), trees and shrubs in a homeowner's yard, or other property, such as honey bees used as pollinators.

Applicators of pesticides need to assume responsibility when using toxic materials to prevent such damage. In this case, Western Farm Service was told that their use of organophosphate insecticides was unintentionally damaging the crops on Jacobs Farm by rendering them unmarketable. Whether intentional or not, if a pesticide applicator becomes aware that a particular use of a pesticide is damaging a neighbor's crop, the applicator must take steps to understand why and prevent future damage. In this case, the applicator failed this test...

...Western Farm Service knew that the fog was moving its chemicals off of the crops it treated, and it did nothing to prevent or address that movement onto nearby organic crops.

The company clearly did not meet its obligations in this case. The legal defense put forth by attorneys for Western Farm Service points to a hole in pesticide regulatory law and polices – ignoring the well-known fact that coastal fog can carry pesticides off target and deposit them where they do not belong. This hole exposes both people and crops in coastal California to serious risk of harm from fog-borne pesticides...

The pesticides in question here are some of the most toxic known to man. If state and county government agencies are going to allow the ongoing use of organophosphates, regulators and applicators must find a way to do so that does not endanger the general public or contaminate neighboring crops. As established in this lawsuit, the State code governing lawful applications of pesticides must be changed to encompass off target movement caused by volatization and fog.

...This case will likely trigger a series of legal maneuvers and attempts to change pesticide regulatory policy. The underlying question, however, is whether our laws and public policies should turn a blind eye to a recurrent problem, or confront and solve the problem head on. As the process unfolds, hopefully the general public, especially those living in coastal communities, will have a chance to weigh in on this central question.

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"The Science of Organics" Session Draws a Big Crowd at the ADA Meeting

The annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association drew over 10,000 people to Chicago in late October. A session held October 27th was entitled "The Science of Organics: Nourishing the Land, Animals, and People." Dr. Chris McCullum-Gomex moderated the session and presentations were made by the Center's Chief Scientist Chuck Benbrook and by Helen Costello, an organic farmer and registered dietitian (RD).

Despite dozens of competing sessions and an active trade floor, over 500 people filled the meeting room to the point the fire marshal closed the doors. Some 200 people listened from out in the hall. Helen Costello asked the audience to raise their hand if a patient had asked them a question about organic food in the last few months. Over 75% of the hands went up in the room.

A lively and positive Q&A session reflected a high level of interest in learning more about what organic food and farming has to contribute to a healthier diet and lifestyle.

A fact-filled "Organic Q&A" brochure done by Organic Valley was distributed during the meeting and was the focus of many interesting exchanges.

We have posted the two presentations and the "Organic Q&A on the Center's website. Email Dr. Benbrook to receive a copy of his presentation in Powerpoint.

The Center would like to extend a "thank you" to Susan Roberts, Director of the Food and Society Policy Fellowship, for organizing and proposing the session to the ADA.



Mark your calendar for a gala evening in Hollywood when The Organic Center presents its West Coast fundraiser and gourmet organic reception on Dec. 9, 2008, 6:30 – 9:30 pm, at the Hilton Los Angeles Hotel in Universal City. Tickets to the evening fundraiser and reception are $125 per person. Visit www.organic-center.org or call 303.499.1840 to purchase tickets. The Organic Center will also present a seminar on organic and the influence of Hollywood during the Hollywood Goes Green Conference, held Dec. 8-9, 2008 at the Hilton Los Angeles Hotel. For information, visit www.hollywoodgoesgreen.com.

"Living Soil, Food Quality, and the Future of Food" Session at the AAAS Annual Meeting

The Center organized with Preston Andrews of Washington State University a 90-minute symposium that will be part of the 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The session will be held February 13, 2009 at 8:30am. The focus will be on the impacts of long-term organic management on soil quality and food nutrient density. The AAAS meeting will be held February 12-16, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Jerry Glover of The Land Institute will present a paper entitled "Crops, Roots, and Soil Biological Processes: Synergistic Interactions." Preston Andrews will cover fruit and vegetable crop responses to soil management. Alyson Mitchell of U.C. Davis will present on the topic "Nutrient Dense Foods: Phytochemicals and Health Benefits."

The Organic Center Sponsors Two Sessions at the 2009 EcoFarm Conference

The Center helped organize two sessions at the January 22-24, 2008 EcoFarm conference at Asilomar, in Monterey, California. During the "War on Bugs" workshop on Friday, 10:30am-12:30, Will Allen will address the evolution of the war on bugs over the last century. Chuck Benbrook will discuss the impacts and implications of the contemporary trend toward systematic pesticides and genetic engineering technology that strives to get pesticide toxins inside of plants.

On Saturday from 8:30am to 10:00, Dr. John Reganold of Washington State University will join with Chuck Benbrook in a workshop entitled "Why the Science is Starting to Show Benefits for Organic." Dr. Reganold will present results of recent studies at WSU comparing the performance of organic and conventional farming systems, and Chuck will provide an update of recent Organic Center research.

Keep Up with Events by Visiting the Organic Center Blog

Managing Director Steven Hoffman has started an Organic Center blog that will help readers of "The Scoop" stay current on the activities of the Center, events, and other breaking developments.

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Core Truths on the Major Benefits of Organic Food and Farming

Core Truths is a ground breaking compilation of the most current research on organic agriculture. This highly readable and graphically stunning 108-page coffee table book documents the verifiable health and environmental benefits of organic products.

Core Truths includes fascinating research about why:

Organic often tastes better
Organic produce contains, on average, 30 percent higher levels of antioxidants
Organic farming can cut mycotoxin risk by over 50 percent
Organic food dramatically reduces pesticide exposure
Organic farms typically use less energy
Order your copy now! Only $30 (plus $5 shipping and handling in US).
Click here for a preview of the book.
Click here to order.

Donate $100 Now! Receive Free Copy of Core Truths

Be a part of supporting vital research about the science behind organic. Make a gift of $100 to The Organic Center now, and we'll send you a free, hard-cover copy of our ground-breaking book, Core Truths (a $35 value.)

Email Seleyn DeYarus for details.

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The Organic Center Features Jerry Garcia Artwork

Do you or someone you know love The Grateful Dead? Do you enjoy beautiful original works of art? If so, select a giclee of Jerry Garcia original artwork and benefit The Organic Center. This unique fundraising initiative to benefit The Organic Center is made possible through the generosity of filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia and features the series, "In the Garden," by the late Jerry Garcia. Individual prints are $250, or get the full series for $1,000. To order your Jerry Garcia art, click here.



The Organic Center's on-line fundraising program - Become a Friend of The Organic Center

We can now accept secure on-line donations with both yearly and monthly giving options. We also have wonderful gifts to say thank you for your support – including a free one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, organic t-shirt, organic tote bag, our book, Core Truths and Dr. Alan Greene's new book, Raising Baby Green. We have many ways to say thank you for supporting our work.

Energy Efficiency

The Problem: Millions of dollars and enormous amounts of energy are wasted each year simply because our homes and businesses aren’t as energy-efficient as they could be. Meanwhile, our demand for electricity is expected to grow by over 25% in the next two decades.¹

The Solution: To make the most out of the energy we currently produce, America needs a national efficiency upgrade. Make new buildings more efficient, upgrade old buildings to save energy, and update our appliances and equipment to use less energy and perform the same or more functions than they do now.

The Benefits: Energy efficiency is where the greatest and most immediate gains can be made. Household and commercial building efficiency can increase by 30% with existing technologies – an upgrade that will save the typical homeowner $450 dollars a year on utility bills.² Improving devices that use power in “stand-by” mode alone would save consumers $3 billion per year.³ These improvements will drive economic growth. Many efficiency upgrades will pay for themselves in just a year or two. The result will be more comfortable and valuable homes and buildings, lower utility bills, and tens of thousands of new jobs as we retrofit existing buildings to be more efficient and manufacture more American products that use less energy.

How We Get There

Implement government policies and programs that quickly improve efficiency in all sectors of our economy. There are clear examples of the enormous financial and technical benefits of investing in efficiency. What’s needed now is a systematic approach to achieve such savings across the board, so that ALL businesses and homeowners can start realizing savings. This should be a massive mobilization that will involve utilities and their regulators; equipment and appliance manufacturers and installers; and homeowners, business operators and landlords across the nation. Lights, air conditioning, heaters, appliances, computers, electronics, water heaters, motors, fans – each of these technology categories can perform its function and consume 20%-70% less energy (and much more, in some cases). Plus, with every successive generation of new products, more savings can be achieved. It's about an ongoing economy-wide effort to make every home and every building – along with every item inside those homes and buildings – more efficient.

New Scoop

In This Issue:

Breaking Science
In The News
Do You Know?
Commentary
Events and Presentations
Core Truths
The Art of Giving
Join Mission Organic
About THE SCOOP
About The Organic Center

New Insights on How Parathion Impacts the Developing Brain

Intriguing new insights have emerged on how the organophosphate (OP) insecticide parathion impairs neurological development, and how these impacts can alter behavior throughout life. The NIH-funded research team analyzed the developmental impacts of parathion in a rat study, and learned that parathion exposures –

Alter brain development in several ways and regions, and differently than other OPs;
Adverse effects are observed at doses below those that cause observable systemic toxicity;
Impact males more significantly than females; and
Elicit more serious impacts at lower doses in some regions of the brain.
In one of the more intriguing findings of the study, the team reported that low-level exposure to parathion at critical stages of development impair the role of the brain in sexual differentiation, and as a result, adult males become more female like in their behaviors, and vice versa. Moreover, they found that female rats were better able to repair the damage caused by early-life exposures to parathion in terms of sexual differentiation and behavior. The possible implications of these findings in humans were not discussed.

Source: Theodore A. Slotkin et al., "Exposure of Neonatal Rats to Parathion Elicits Sex-Selective Impairment of Acetylcholine Systems in Brain Regions during Adolescence and Adulthood," Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 116, No. 10, pages 1308-1314

Editor's Note: Nearly every issue of "The Scoop" features a new study in EHP on how pesticides can alter development and impair health. This month's new study builds on an already compelling body of recent science that proves that low-level exposures to OP insecticides pose serious developmental risks.

Fortunately in the U.S., most food uses of parathion, and its cousin methyl parathion, have been curtailed or ended by the EPA in the course of implementing the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). The bad news is that parathion residues, along with several other high-risk OPs, remain common, especially in imported foods. Implementation of the FQPA got off to a slow start after passage in 1996, and ran aground with the election of President Bush.

While there is always something to be learned from scientists delving deeper into why and how chemicals like the OPs impair development, surely enough is now known to justify ending dietary exposures to this class of insecticides. The talented scientists that have, over the last decade, so patiently and thoroughly built the case proving the adverse developmental effects of the OPs need to turn their attention and skills to the nicotinyl insecticides that are now found as frequently in several foods as the OPs were 15 years ago.

Scientists Highlight Uncertainty in the Path to Sustainable Biofuels

Twenty-three scientists working for over a dozen universities and institutions authored a "Policy Forum" piece in the October 3, 2008 issue of Science magazine on how to make biofuel production "sustainable." The team acknowledge that more than 30% of the 2008 corn crop is going to be used to make ethanol, and that this percent is not likely to fall for at least a decade.

They see continued commitment to grain-based ethanol because of generous government subsidies and the mandate for biofuels production, despite clear evidence that current ethanol production systems cause environmental harm.
Remarkably, they state that –

"Globally, to produce an important amount of energy with biofuels will require a large amount of land – perhaps as much as is in row-crop agriculture today. This will change the landscape of Earth, not just the United States..."

The team sees the greatest long-term potential for sustainable biofuel production in diversified perennial cropping systems. They also argue for significant research investments and substantial policy reforms in order to "...chart a low-carbon economy that is substantially better than business as usual."

Source: G. Philip Robertson et al., "Sustainable Biofuels Redux," Science, Vol. 322, pages 49-50.

Berries and Brightly Colored Fruits Top the Antioxidant Chart

A team of Cornell University scientists subjected 25 fruits to a series of tests of antioxidant content and cellular activity. Wild and domesticated blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, and pomegranates topped the various lists in varying orders. All brightly colored fruits scored very well in all measures used in the study.

Across all fruits in the diet, apples were found to provide 33% of total phenolics, reflecting very high consumption and moderate phenolics content. Oranges provided 12%, grapes 12.8%, and strawberries, 9.8%.

In urging increased consumption of nutrient-dense, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, the team cited the latest report from the USDA's Economic Research Service on fruit and vegetable intakes. The ERS reports that Americans are still lagging in terms of fruit and vegetable intake. On average in 2005, we consumed 0.9 cups of fruit per day, instead of the 2.0 cups (four servings) recommending in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And we consumed 1.7 cups of vegetables, instead of the recommended 2.5 cups (five servings), based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The authors conclude (cautiously) that –
"Antioxidant activity provided by fruits may be important in the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases."

Source: Kelly L. Wolfe et al., "Cellular Antioxidant Activity of Common Fruits," Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 56, No. 18, pages 8419-8426.

Editor's Note: In the Center's second State of Science Review (SSR) on antioxidants, we analyzed differences in the antioxidant activity of organic and conventional foods, concluding that organic food contains, on average, 30% more antioxidants per gram or per serving.

The antioxidant SSR contains a Table 2 (see page 14-15) that ranks over 65 common foods by antioxidant activity per calorie consumed. In assessing the ability of a food to promote human health, the metric "total antioxidant activity per calorie consumed" is as close as one can come to the miles-per-gallon rating of car energy efficiency.

This widely used Table in our antioxidant SSR is especially valuable for people looking to increase antioxidant intake while consuming fewer calories.

Will GE Technology Produce Drought Resistant Crops?

Michigan State researchers have discovered a gene that plays a role in drought resistance. They also report a role for the cell's endoplasmic reticulum in the regulation of the new drought gene. A member of the research team is quoted as saying –

"We're finding that heat tolerance is a more complex process than was first thought."

A Canadian research company, Performance Plants, Inc. is promising up to 40% higher corn and canola yields from its GE-drought resistance technology, and claims new GE-crops will be ready for commercial adoption in four years.

Drought resistant crops are one of the primary new technologies cited in support of Monsanto's bullish projections of gross profits in 2012. The company expects to earn profits between $9.5 billion and $9.8 billion that year.

Sources: "Drought Resistant GM Crops Ready 'in Four Years',"The Guardian and "Seed and herbicide sales bolster Monsanto," Forbes.com.

Editor's Note: Plant breeders have worked for years to enhance the ability of plants to withstand drought. It is widely recognized that drought tolerance is a complex, multi-gene trait, and that plants respond to excessive heat and drought in a variety of ways. The tools of genetic engineering are now being used to identify genes involved in the drought response process, and the seed industry is keen to exploit newly discovered genes in producing a new generation of drought tolerant plants.

But challenges remain. Plants with heightened capacity to withstand drought are often not able to respond as quickly or fully to more favorable growing conditions. Breeders will almost certainly be able to add new genes, or accentuate expression of existing genes with a role in drought response, but in doing so, other aspects of a plant's response to environmental conditions or pests may be altered, as might crop composition and nutritional quality. (e.g. becoming especially susceptible and attractive to herbivorous insects)

Plant breeding is one way to improve crop performance in regions subject to drought. Improving soil quality is another, since soils higher in organic matter and less subject to compaction take in scarce water more quickly and tend to hold more water for a longer period. Plus, improvements in soil quality deliver other benefits ranging from more nitrogen and micro-nutrients to greater nutrient density in harvested foods. Investments in capturing and making better use of limited rainfall, or water used for irrigation, is another area that often will deliver sustained benefits.

As with other areas of agricultural biotechnology, there is a considerable dose of hype and wishful thinking in recent pronouncements that drought-resistant crops are around the corner and will, single-handedly, dramatically improve yields. Such an outcome is extremely unlikely. Increasing yields on a sustained basis in drought-prone regions is going to require progress on many fronts and a systematic effort to deal with how water moves through an ecosystem. Those who claim that genetic engineering can, by itself, overcome the impacts of drought on yields, especially in the developing world, set the stage for disappointment and postpone investments in initiatives with a surer chance of success.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Dilutes Antioxidant Levels in Fresh Basil

In the first study exploring the impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization levels on the antioxidant and phenolics content of fresh basil, a classic inverse dose-response curve was found by a team of Texas scientists. For most cultivars tested, the higher the N level, the lower the density of antioxidants and polyphenols.

Remarkably, the concentrations of some beneficial phenolics acids were four times higher at the lowest rate of nitrogen application, compared to the highest rate of N use. In two of three varieties tested, total antioxidant activity was 2- to 5-times higher at lower levels of N, compared to the high-N plots.

Source: Phuong M. Nguyen and Emily D. Niemeyer, "Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)," Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 56, No. 18, pages 8685-8691.

Nutrition Making a Comeback on the Agenda of Some Plant Breeders

Some fruit and vegetable breeders are heeding the call for greater attention on nutrient density, as opposed to high yields and the capacity of produce to ship long distances.

Echoing themes addressed in the Center's report "Still No Free Lunch," the lead horticulturist with the W. Atlee Burpee Co. is quoted as saying –

"Before, they were breeding for higher yields, stronger plants, produce easier to ship and more ornamental in appearance. Now, they're looking at improvements in flavor and smell, in addition to more nutrients. Enriching the colors is attached to nutritive value."

Source: Associated Press, October 2, 2008.

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Artificial Dyes and Hyperactivity in Children Back in the News

The October 13, 2008 L.A. Times reports on mounting science strengthening the connection between artificial food colors and hyperactive behavior in children. The improvement in behavior when dyes are removed from children's diets is great enough in some cases to convince parents to take their children off Ritalin. The piece by Melinda Fulmer is titled "Do food dyes affect kids' behavior?"

There are nine artificial colors approved for use by the FDA. A 2007 study in the Lancet, a top medical journal, showed that exposures to artificial dyes increased hyperactivity in children, both among young people already displaying hyperactive behavior and children never before displaying such behaviors.

The U.K. government has asked the food industry to voluntarily remove the dyes from foods, and most are complying. Kellogg has removed the dyes from Nutri-Grain cereal bars sold in the U.K., but not those sold in the U.S.

The science supporting FDA's approval of the nine dyes is 30 to 50 years old. In support of approval of the dyes, the FDA cites on its website a 1982 consensus report by the National Institutes of Health.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned the FDA to add warning labels on products containing the dyes.

Comment by Dr. Alan Greene, Chairperson, The Organic Center Board: Recent studies raise serious alarm over not just artificial food colors, but also other classes of food additives. We also are learning more about food additive-drug and food additive-chemical interactions. Progress in sequencing the human genome has shown that some children are far more sensitive than others to the behavioral impacts of food additives and other chemicals in food.

The opportunity to avoid most exposures to artificial dyes and food additives is one of the most important but least appreciated benefits of a diet composed of organic foods and beverages. I always council parents to choose organic foods for their children and to increase the portion of their diet composed of whole, fresh foods and only lightly processed organic foods. This is the best strategy to assure kids get the nutrients they need and avoid food additives and chemicals that can trigger serious and sometimes life-long problems.

Michael Pollan's Appeal for Sun Food

In an extraordinary "Letter to the 'Farmer in Chief" published in the New York Times Sunday Magazine on October 12th, Michael Pollan ties together three currents of change that could transform the U.S. food system –

The end of cheap energy and excessive reliance on fossil fuels in farming and food distribution systems;
Emerging demand for nutritious, higher quality foods that will eventually phase out the era of cheap and empty calories, helping to lower health care costs and improve well being; and
The need to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions and enhance environmental quality will force farmers toward sustainable and organic farming systems that rely on the sun rather than petrochemicals.
Some excerpts from this lengthy piece reflect its scope and power –

"...with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close."

"...when we eat from the industrial-food system, we are eating oil and spewing greenhouse gases."

"...the core idea could not be simpler: we need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary sunshine."

"This focus on quantity may have made sense in a time of food scarcity, but today it gives us a school-lunch program that feeds chicken nuggets and Tater Tots to overweight and diabetic children."

"Your [the new President] symbolically most resonant step in building a new American food culture...is this: tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden."

"Cheap food is food dishonestly priced – it is in fact unconscionably expensive."

And perhaps Pollan's most provocative and blunt statement –

"You cannot expect to reform the health care system, much less expand coverage, without confronting the public-health catastrophe that is the modern American diet."

Editor's Comment: It is interesting to contrast Pollan's manifesto for food system change with similar "big picture" statements recently released by the biotech industry. While corporate agribusiness and Pollan agree on many of the problems with the American food system, their recommended solutions differ as night from day.

Pollan's basic prescription for getting agriculture moving in a healthier direction is both simple and sound. Farming systems that efficiently use sun and soil are less reliant on fossil fuels, and many produce more food calories than they consume in energy calories. If the new "Farmer in Chief" decides to seriously take on Pollan's action agenda, the nation will benefit greatly from the good work and wisdom gained by organic farmers and food companies.

USDA Lowering Crop Insurance Rates for Farmers Planting GM Crops

The Department of Agriculture has expanded a 2008 pilot program and will be offering corn farmers a $3.00 per acre cut in crop insurance rates for fields planted to GM corn in crop season 2009.

In order to qualify, farmers must plant at least 75% of their corn to a qualifying variety of Bt corn from Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta, or Dow AgroSciences.

Source: Reuters, August 19, 2008.

Editor's Note: The reduction in crop insurance rates for Bt-corn is justified, according to the USDA, by the reduction in risk of above- and below-ground insect damage to corn hybrids expressing the Bt gene for control of the European corn borer and/or corn rootworm.

The principle behind this policy decision is that farming system changes that reduce the risk of crop losses should be rewarded through lower crop insurance rates.

Historically, drought has been by far the dominant cause of significant reductions in corn crop yields. Accordingly, USDA will probably be asked to provide an added subsidy in the form of lower crop insurance premiums when farmers buy and plant drought-tolerant corn varieties.

In the interests of fairness then, organic farmers should also receive a reduction in insurance premiums, since soils on organic farms take in and hold moisture more effectively than soils on conventional farms. Dozens of studies have confirmed that organic farming systems are more resilient in dry years, suffering a lower percentage yield reduction as a result of drought.

Why is it that a break for organic corn farmers in crop insurance rates remains miles off the USDA radar screen and is virtually unimaginable, while the biotech industry just asked politely and is already fully vested?

USDA to Review Animal Welfare and Production Claims

The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a review of its policies governing approval of animal-raising claims in the labeling of meat, dairy and poultry products.

Terms like "free-range," "raised without antibiotics," raised without added hormones" will be assessed. The FSIS says it is carrying out the review to create a "level playing field" for companies.

Editor's Comment: After years of work and much investment, animal product quality and animal welfare claims associated with organic production have meaning and resonance in the marketplace. It is hard to imagine how this FSIS review will not simply change the hue in already muddy waters.

It is also clear that this review is motivated in part by the protracted controversy over antibiotic-free claims on some Cargill poultry products, as well as the Monsanto-inspired attempt to force dairies to drop claims that their milk is produced from cows not given supplemental rBGH.

With just weeks left in this Administration, however, nothing meaningful will happen until after the transition and this policy review, along with many other ninth inning initiatives of the Bush Administration, could well be overtaken by events.

Conventional Soybeans on the Comeback Trail

A University of Mississippi press release reports that conventional soybeans are coming back and replacing Roundup Ready beans because of lower seed costs, lower weed control costs, and comparable or higher yields.

The release reports that Roundup herbicide costs rose from about $15 per gallon last year to $40 to $50 per gallon in 2008.

Source: "Conventional soybeans offer high yields at lower cost," University of Mississippi Delta Research Center.

GAO Report Hammers FDA Oversight of Fresh Produce

Inadequate staffing, outdated systems and equipment, and too few inspections are among the major problems with FDA's efforts to combat food borne illness, according to a just-released October 3, 2008 General Accounting Office (GAO) report.

Between 2000 and 2007, the FDA found food safety problems at more than 40% of the 2,002 plants that were inspected, yet half were not inspected again to assure corrective actions had been properly implemented.

No fresh produce was seized nor were any plants or companies prosecuted. Only 1% of produce imported into the U.S. is inspected.

Source: Associated Press, October 2, 2008.

Hawaii County Bans the Genetic Modification of Taro and Coffee

A county in the State of Hawaii has adopted a bill that protects the taro (kalo) and coffee industries from genetic engineering and preserves agriculturally-based practices and cultural traditions associated with taro and coffee.

Hawaii County joins a small but growing list of counties that have passed laws or ordinances designed to prohibit the planting of GE-crops and trees.

Experience Life Magazine Highlights the "Good Earth" and Changes in the Food System

The October 2008 issue of the magazine Experience Life, a Lifetime Fitness publication, covers the impacts of organic farming on soil quality and the nutritional quality of organic food, and draws heavily from work by the Center.

The soil piece –"Good Earth" – makes the case that soil health and human health are one and the same. There is solid discussion of the adverse impacts of conventional agriculture on soil quality.

Dr. Robert Kremer, a USDA microbiologist, has carried out key research on the adverse impacts of Roundup Ready soybean technology on soybean plant health. Dr. Kramer states in the article that –

"We find some GM-crops are deficient in micronutrients, either due to genetics or the chemicals used on them to control weeds."

A WSU soil scientist, Craig Cogger, says "Modern breeding hasn't focused on nutritional quality and if you don't focus on a trait, it tends to decline."

A second feature story is called "Progressive Eaters Unite". This piece covers changes in the food industry, Michael Pollan's books, and developments at Whole Foods. The cost of, and access to organic food is also covered in this second piece.

"The Risks of Pigging Out on Antibiotics"

Four friends of the Center published a letter in the September 5, 2008 issue of Science on the risks of agricultural use of antibiotics. The letter is authored by Becky Goldberg of EDF, Steven Roach The Food Animals Concerns Trust, David Wallinga of IATP, and Margaret Mellon of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Their letter highlights the dangers of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococus aureus) and summarizes the now compelling evidence that MRSA has its roots in agricultural use of antibiotics. A swine-based strain of MRSA in the Netherlands has been linked to 20% of human MRSA infections.

A 2008 study found that 70% of the pigs tested in Iowa and Illinois carried MRSA.

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More than 20 million home gardens were supplying up to 40% of the produce consumed by Americans as a result of the "Victory Garden" movement during World War II.

The USDA opposed President Roosevelt's decision to plant a White House garden and promote Victory Gardens, fearing that such a movement might hurt the American food industry.



Food energy calories produced per calorie of fossil fuel energy in 1940: 2.3
Food energy calories produced per calorie of fossil fuel energy in 2008: 0.1

One in three American children born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes.

Eight of 535 members of the U.S. Congress are scientists or engineers.
Eight of nine senior leaders in China hold advanced degrees in the sciences and engineering.

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The "New" Attacks on Organic Food and Farming
By:
Chuck Benbrook

It is hard to miss the growing variety and vehemence of attacks on organic food and farming in the media, blogosphere, and from some organizations. A Fox News piece October 4, 2008 was called "Organic Food Offers Little More Than Peace of Mind, Critics Say." Alex Avery's book is plugged and he is quoted as saying "It's [organic food] a total con. There is not a shred of science" to back up claims that organic food is safer or more nutritious.

On the subject of organic milk, Avery asserts that "...labs have not found 'one detectable difference whatsoever.'"

A Food Navigator commentary on October 6, 2008 is entitled "Bringing organic back down to earth." It begins by stating – "Organic has an image problem." The gist of the piece is that organic food is too pricey and a luxury only the well off can afford, and that people are made to feel guilty if they do not eat an exclusively organic diet, "And that, I think, is a shame..." according to the author.

The Delta Farm Press posted a story October 8th called "Cotton bollworms:660 / organic cotton:zero." The confusing headline refers to a yield of 660 pounds of cotton with modern technology – pesticides, Bt cotton – compared to zero pounds from an organic cotton field trial in Uganda, after an insect outbreak essentially defoliated the plants. Reminiscent of Sarah Palin's use of language, the piece goes on to state –

"This and other organic experiments have impressed the Ugandan government so much that their Cotton Development Organization has begun offering pesticides to farmers at subsidized prices. Meanwhile, the most damaging pests reported in Ugandan fields these days is anyone promoting organic methods."

Attacks of this nature, and others more subtle and insidious, are an inevitable byproduct of the success of organic farmers and the organic food industry. Growth in demand for, and interest in organic food and farming, reflects in part growing consumer dissatisfaction with conventional food and production technology. This dissatisfaction is rooted in a long list of problems caused by contemporary agriculture and our food system that keep impacting people in profound and unmistakable ways. News of such problems is a near-daily part of mainstream news coverage, and spans the latest on E. coli O157 outbreaks, chemical contaminants in food, antibiotic resistance and antibiotics in drinking water, inhumane care of animals, and pesticides in umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid.

Organic food and farming did not create these problems and cannot solve them alone, but is clearly one way to cut them down to size. This inherent and indisputable benefit of organic food and farming threatens some people and economic interests, and we can expect them to continue challenging efforts to increase growth and investment in the organic food industry.

As a nation we have entered a frightening era of fragility in national financial institutions, energy markets, real estate, international affairs, health care, public health, and food. Could our food system suffer from the same misguided optimism and failure to heed warning signs that brought down Wall Street?

Organic food and farming has much to offer the nation. We need to stay focused on improving the quality and consistency of organic food, while expanding supply and working to make the organic segment of the food industry more efficient. Through efficiency, we will be better prepared to offer farmers a fair pay price, finance the pragmatic steps needed to conserve soil and water resources and lower our carbon footprint, and generate profits to invest in growth, research, development, and consumer education.

We need to avoid overstating the benefits of organic food and farming, but also must not shy away from explaining – and backing up – proven benefits. No amount of new science documenting the benefits of organic food and farming is going to change the minds of ideologues dedicated to the mission of raising doubts in the minds of consumers.

But new science is a powerful force for those with an open mind and consumers paying attention to their diet and food quality. It creates a force for change that we need to invest in, respect and heed, as we work to improve the quality and affordability of organic food. Done well and in ways that build consumer trust, the rewards will be tangible and sustained in the marketplace, on our farms and in rural areas, and for individuals that take personal responsibility for their food choices and family's health.

Excerpts from the October 7, 2008 "Statement by the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the Benefits of Organic Farming"

Access the full text on the Center's website.

"... after decades of relative neglect - the state of the world´s agricultural production system has returned to the centre of international policy debates. The rapid rise in food prices in the last few months has drawn attention to the dire state of agriculture in many developing countries, where producers have not been able to scale up supply in response to higher prices.
Earlier this year, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) - an intergovernmental process supported by over 400 experts and many UN Agencies - concluded that "the way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse."

In our view, organic agriculture is one of the most promising options to meet these challenges. Let me mention a few of the relevant advantages:

Increased earnings

The potential to export goods to consumers willing to pay premium prices for certified organic production in many developed countries generates significant income possibilities for organic farmers in the developing world. In 2006, global certified organic sales were estimated to have reached over 30 billion euros, a 20 per cent increase over 2005, and are expected to increase to 52 billion euros by 2012.

Organic production is also particularly well-suited for smallholder farmers, who comprise the majority of the world´s poor.... As the seminal work by Amartya Sen on Famines has shown us, it is not always the absence of food that creates hunger, but also the inability of some to pay for existing food stocks. Higher incomes through exports of organic food can help small farmers in developing countries to afford higher food prices.

Increased productivity

But organic food production does not necessarily mean a sacrifice in terms of output. A recent UNCTAD-UNEP study analyzing 114 cases in Africa revealed that a conversion of farms to organic production and related training and capacity building led to an increase in agricultural productivity of 116%! Moreover, organic agriculture builds on and keeps alive farmers´ rich heritage of traditional knowledge and traditional agricultural varieties.

Reduced dependence on external inputs

As a sustainable and environmentally friendly production system, organic agriculture is based on active agro-ecosystem management and local resources instead of external inputs. This means that organic farmers are less affected by rising fertilizer and agrochemical costs. Indeed, as the prices of agro-chemicals are driven up by high oil prices, organic agriculture, which uses no synthetic agro-chemicals, becomes increasingly competitive. And reliance on local renewable resources reduces rural communities´ vulnerability to external volatility caused by factors far beyond their control.

Environmentally friendly

In an age of increasing environmental concern and impending climate change, one important additional advantage of organic production methods comes to bear: It does not pollute the environment with agro-chemicals, and also reduces illness and death in farm families due to agro-chemical exposure -- a leading cause of occupational mortality and morbidity worldwide. Organic agriculture actually conserves biodiversity and natural resources on the farm and in the surrounding areas. It improves soil fertility and structure, thus improving water retention and resilience to climatic stress, contributing to climate change adaptation. Finally, it mitigates climate change by utilizing less energy than conventional agriculture and also by sequestering carbon.

For all these reasons, we believe that organic agriculture is a powerful tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those related to poverty reduction and the environment. Of course, at the moment, organic agriculture is only a niche market, accounting for currently about 2% of global farmland. However, its potential has not yet been fully explored, and it deserves our full attention as an important tool for development.

Challenges

But there are also challenges for developing countries in seizing these opportunities, particularly in terms of building productive capacities and market access and entry difficulties.
It is ironic that, at a time when environmental concerns are high on the international agenda, the technical barriers to trade in environmentally preferable products, including organic agricultural products, are generally much higher than for regular products.

Environmentally preferable products must meet all the requirements that conventional products do. In addition, they must provide evidence of their environmental claims--for example that they have been produced according to certain standards and that this has been verified by a certification body which in turn has been duly accredited or approved by a competent authority. Naturally, each market and often even each individual retailer has its own standard and conformity assessment requirements, and there is little or no inter-operability among systems.

Meeting all of these requirements can be daunting even for a large developed country producer. For small scale producers in developing countries, it can place the tantalizing fruits of organic and other green markets beyond their reach.


Excerpts from "Pesticides and Food: Flying Blind"
By: Charles Benbrook

Originally published in the "Sound Consumer," the newsletter of PCC Natural Markets, in Seattle, Washington. The full text is on the Center's website.

What pesticides are used on what food crops? What residues remain when the crops go to market and how risky are those residues? And what about the vulnerable amongst us, are we fully protecting pregnant women, infants and children, and the elderly?

Worrisome evidence that even minute levels of pesticides in food can impair human development has driven demand for organic foods — produced without synthetic insecticides, herbicides or fungicides. Since the beginning of the organic movement, consumers increasingly have made it clear they want toxic pesticides out of their food and off their plates.

Yet a recent decision by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop measuring the use of pesticides on American farms could make it much harder to track pesticide use and risk trends.

What we know and how we know it

Annually since the early 1990s, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), an agency of the USDA, has collected detailed data on pesticide use on a representative sample of farms across the country...

Despite some shortcomings, NASS pesticide use data has been the only free, publicly available resource for anyone studying, monitoring, measuring — and attempting to manage — pesticide use and risks...

It's often said that what gets measured gets managed. Without measuring pesticide use, we will be stymied in attempts to manage pesticide risks.

The latest pesticide data

In 2008, the USDA released pesticide use data only for apples and cotton in the 2007 crop season. NASS collected no data for corn or soybeans in 2006 and 2007.

The lack of this use data means independent analysts cannot quantify what's likely to be an enormous increase in herbicide applications since 2005 needed to keep up with resistant weeds on land planted with genetically modified (GM) Roundup Ready® corn and soy. Reports we issued in 2002 and 2004 relied heavily on NASS data and contradicted industry claims that GM crops were reducing pesticide use. Now, Monsanto can continue making bogus claims that Roundup Ready technology reduces herbicide use with little fear of contradictory data...

No pesticide use data has been collected in 2008... An unusual coalition of industry and environmentalists, government agencies (including the EPA) and consumer organizations (including PCC) are asking USDA and Congress to restore the $8 million needed to reinstate NASS's pesticide data collection activities. Hopefully data collection will resume in the fall of 2009.

An emerging opportunity

No doubt some agriculture interests feel that the less data generated by government on pesticide use and risks, the fewer headaches from noisy non-profit organizations. This myopic view misses the big picture.

The PNW leads the nation in organic tree fruit production and sustainable farming. Many non-organic farmers in our region are moving to purge their production systems of high-risk chemistry and are adopting many practices developed and perfected by organic farmers.

There's huge, untapped demand in the nation and abroad for high-value, fresh and preserved fruit and vegetable products that deliver taste, nutrient density, and superior margins of safety. Also, with energy prices rising and support for local food security increasing, dependence on imported fresh berries, cherries, tomatoes, and grapes is likely to dwindle. Consumers also have yet to understand that eating imported fresh produce (non-organic) triggers a pronounced spike in pesticide dietary exposure...
Farmers and food processors in the PNW are well positioned to go after this emerging market. A trilogy of benefits awaits — heightened reliance on healthy, safe, and locally grown food; increased demand for Pacific Northwest-grown produce means more jobs in farming and food processing; and, a lower carbon footprint in getting our three square meals a day.

Addendum – A coalition of organizations including The Organic Center and PCC Natural Markets are working to restore funding for NASS pesticide use data collection. We will keep readers of "The Scoop" informed as this coalition engages the Congress and new Administration in discussions on this front.

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Join The Organic Center and Rodale Institute on Nov. 11, 2008, 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm, at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York, NY, for a special gourmet organic reception, educational event and fundraiser to benefit the important work of both nonprofit organizations in advancing the scientific research behind the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming. Rodale and the Institute will introduce research on how organic can play a positive role in energy conservation, soil and water health and climate change, as well as nutrition, human health and world hunger. Special hosts for the evening include supermodel Emme, leading pediatrician and Organic Center Chair Dr. Alan Greene, M.D., Maria Rodale, Chairman of Rodale Inc., TV host and Organic Center board member Sara Snow, Arran Stephens, founder and CEO of Nature's Path, and David Zinczenko, editor in chief of Men's Health magazine. Tickets are $125 per person and are available for purchase at www.organicsolution.org, or contact 303.499.1840.



Mark your calendar for a gala evening in Hollywood when The Organic Center presents its West Coast fundraiser and gourmet organic reception on Dec. 9, 2008, 6:30 – 9:30 pm, at the Hilton Los Angeles Hotel in Universal City. Tickets to the evening fundraiser and reception are $125 per person. Visit www.organic-center.org or call 303.499.1840 to purchase tickets. The Organic Center will also present a seminar on organic and the influence of Hollywood during the Hollywood Goes Green Conference, held Dec. 8-9, 2008 at the Hilton Los Angeles Hotel. For information, visit www.hollywoodgoesgreen.com.



"Living Soil, Food Quality, and the Future of Food" Session at the AAAS Annual Meeting

The Center organized with Preston Andrews of Washington State University a 90-minute symposium that will be part of the 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The session will be held February 13, 2009 at 8:30am. The focus will be on the impacts of long-term organic management on soil quality and food nutrient density. The AAAS meeting will be held February 12-16, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Jerry Glover of The Land Institute will present a paper entitled "Crops, Roots, and Soil Biological Processes: Synergistic Interactions." Preston Andrews will cover fruit and vegetable crop responses to soil management. Alyson Mitchell of U.C. Davis will present on the topic "Nutrient Dense Foods: Phytochemicals and Health Benefits."

The Organic Center Sponsors Two Sessions at the 2009 EcoFarm Conference

The Center helped organize two sessions at the January 22-24, 2008 EcoFarm conference at Asilomar, in Monterey, California. During the "War on Bugs" workshop on Friday, 10:30am-12:30, Will Allen will address the evolution of the war on bugs over the last century. Chuck Benbrook will discuss the impacts and implications of the contemporary trend toward systematic pesticides and genetic engineering technology that strives to get pesticide toxins inside of plants.

On Saturday from 8:30am to 10:00, Dr. John Reganold of Washington State University will join with Chuck Benbrook in a workshop entitled "Why the Science is Starting to Show Benefits for Organic." Dr. Reganold will present results of recent studies at WSU comparing the performance of organic and conventional farming systems, and Chuck will provide an update of recent Organic Center research.

Keep Up with Events by Visiting the Organic Center Blog

Managing Director Steven Hoffman has started an Organic Center blog that will help readers of "The Scoop" stay current on the activities of the Center, events, and other breaking developments.

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Core Truths on the Major Benefits of Organic Food and Farming

Core Truths is a ground breaking compilation of the most current research on organic agriculture. This highly readable and graphically stunning 108-page coffee table book documents the verifiable health and environmental benefits of organic products.

Core Truths includes fascinating research about why:

Organic often tastes better
Organic produce contains, on average, 30 percent higher levels of antioxidants
Organic farming can cut mycotoxin risk by over 50 percent
Organic food dramatically reduces pesticide exposure
Organic farms typically use less energy
Order your copy now! Only $30 (plus $5 shipping and handling in US).
Click here for a preview of the book.
Click here to order.

Donate $100 Now! Receive Free Copy of Core Truths

Be a part of supporting vital research about the science behind organic. Make a gift of $100 to The Organic Center now, and we'll send you a free, hard-cover copy of our ground-breaking book, Core Truths (a $35 value.)

Email Seleyn DeYarus for details.

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The Organic Center Features Jerry Garcia Artwork

Do you or someone you know love The Grateful Dead? Do you enjoy beautiful original works of art? If so, select a giclee of Jerry Garcia original artwork and benefit The Organic Center. This unique fundraising initiative to benefit The Organic Center is made possible through the generosity of filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia and features the series, "In the Garden," by the late Jerry Garcia. Individual prints are $250, or get the full series for $1,000. To order your Jerry Garcia art, click here.



The Organic Center's on-line fundraising program - Become a Friend of The Organic Center

We can now accept secure on-line donations with both yearly and monthly giving options. We also have wonderful gifts to say thank you for your support – including a free one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, organic t-shirt, organic tote bag, our book, Core Truths and Dr. Alan Greene's new book, Raising Baby Green. We have many ways to say thank you for supporting our work.
For more information

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Our Research –
Individuals can support the scientific work of The Organic Center by:

Sharing new information, data, or "Hot Science," email our Chief Scientist
Helping us identify scientists that can contribute to our work, email Chuck Benbrook
Making a contribution, click here
Companies, foundations, or individuals can support work by The Organic Center on a critical issue, or in a specific area through our donor directed research program. Contact Dr. Benbrook for details.

Our Outreach and Communication Program –
Informed consumers drive the organic marketplace. Help The Organic Center reach consumers with the latest science on the organic benefit by:

Join Mission Organic 2010 as an individual
Distributing or reprinting excerpts from our studies
Making a donation to our communications program
For companies, The Organic Center's Mission Organic Affinity Marketing Partnership Program provides resources and tools to help educate your customers about the personal benefits of organic food and farming. Become part of an effort to grow the U.S. market for organic from 3 percent to 10 percent by 2010.

For more information about our affinity marketing program, email Seleyn DeYarus
Learn more about the health and environmental impacts of Mission Organic 2010
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"The Scoop," is an electronic newsletter published monthly by The Organic Center. For a free subscription, visit www.organic-center.org.

© 2008, The Organic Center. All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction of these materials for educational purposes will be granted by contacting The Organic Center at info@organic-center.org.

Editor: Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Organic Center

Design: Karen Lutz Benbrook

Circulation: Matthue DeYarus

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Backed by the world's leading scientists, physicians and scholars, The Organic Center is committed to two goals.

1) RESEARCH: providing free, peer-reviewed, credible science that explores the health and environmental benefits of organic agriculture.

2) EDUCATION: helping people and organizations access and better understand science that sheds light on the organic benefit.

To access free downloads of the latest in organic science, or to Join the Mission, go to: www.organic-center.org.

Managing Director: Steven Hoffman
Development Director: Seleyn DeYarus

TOC Board Chair: Alan Greene, co-founder DrGreene.com
Chair Elect: Michelle Goolsby, Consultant to Dean Foods
Treasurer: Mark Retzloff, President, Aurora Organic Dairy
Secretary: James White, Senior Vice President, Consumer Brands, Safeway

The Organic Center
P.O. Box 20513
Boulder, CO USA 80308
tel 303.499.1840
fax 419.858.1042
www.organic-center.org

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
 Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
 Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
 Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.


In This Issue:
• Breaking Science
• In The News
• Do You Know?
• Commentary
• Events and Presentations
• Core Truths
• The Art of Giving
• Join Mission Organic
• About THE SCOOP
• About The Organic Center

Superior Nutrient Content Reported in Organic Blueberries

The Bluecrop variety of highbush blueberries were grown on five organic and conventional farms in New Jersey. The farms shared comparable soils and weather conditions, and the berries were harvested in precisely the same way. The scientists carrying out the study are based at the USDA's Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, and at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The team found consistent and significant differences in nutrient content. The organic blueberries contained 46 ORAC units, a measure of total antioxidant capacity, while the conventional berries contained 31 ORAC units.
Accordingly, the organic berries had over 50% more total antioxidant activity. They also contained about 50% higher levels of total anthocyanins, the natural plant phytochemicals that give blueberries their dark color.
The organic blueberries also had 67% more total phenolics. The authors' concluding sentence reads:
"Blueberries produced from organic culture contained significantly higher amounts of phytonutrients than those produced from conventional culture."
Source: S.H. Wang et al., "Fruit Quality, Antioxidant Capacity, and Flavonoid Content of Organically and Conventionally Grown Blueberries," Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published on web July 1, 2008.

Remarkable Studies Appear on the Benefits of rbST/rbGH

Two studies appeared in the last month in important journals comparing the impacts and benefits of alternative dairy cow management systems. Both will no doubt trigger spirited debate on the impacts of dairy cow management systems on the environment and milk quality, as well as the current state of American science.
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences focuses predominantly on climate change and environmental impacts, and is entitled "The environmental impact of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST/rbGH) in dairy production."
The piece in the July 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA) addresses the impact of farm management on milk nutritional quality and safety, and is called "Survey of Retail Milk Composition as Affected by Label Claims Regarding Farm-Management Practices." It is co-authored by 10 scientists, six of which work for Monsanto. All the authors have been closely associated with, and strong supporters of rbST/rbGH technology.
Both articles are co-authored by Roger Cady, a Monsanto scientist. One of other co-authors of the PNAS article is Dr. Dale Bauman of Cornell, who is one of the scientists that discovered the ability of rbST/rbGH to increase milk production. He is among the patent holders in the technology, and has long been a paid consultant to Monsanto.
The PNAS study concludes that administering rbST/rbGH to cows reduces:
• Feed needs per unit of milk output,
• Area of cropland needed per unit of milk production,
• Loss of nitrogen and phosphorous per unit of milk, and
• Global warming potential.
According to this article, cows treated with rbST/rbGH have a lessened impact on the environment than conventional cows not treated with rbST/rbGH, and organic systems have by far the greatest impact on the environment, per unit of production, largely because of the assumed 25% reduction in daily milk yield.
While the PNAS authors note in passing that pasture-based dairy systems have some environmental advantages, they argue that the energy imbalances experienced by cows on pasture (too much nitrogen, too little protein) reduces feed efficiency and increases secretions of water contaminants.
According to the authors –
"Overall, rbST/rbGH appears to represent a valuable management tool for use in dairy production to improve productive efficiency, and to have less negative effects on the environment."
The JADA Article
The Monsanto team tested conventional, rbST/rbGH-free, and organic milk samples bought at retail

outlets. Their "quality" parameters were antibiotics and bacterial counts. "Nutritional value" was measured by fat, protein, and solids-not-fat. No explanation was given why the two nutritional quality parameters known to favor organic milk – Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-three levels – were excluded from the study.
The "Hormonal composition" of milk included testing for somatotropin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), estradiaol, and progesterone.
The team reports only minor differences across the three types of milk in most variables studied. They state that bacterial counts were lowest in conventional milk, but the differences were not "biologically meaningful." No antibiotics were detected, which is not surprising, given that the antibiotic tests were done with relatively insensitive quick test-strip kits.
The most interesting finding, not dwelled on by the authors, was that organic milk had by far the lowest IGF-1 level – 2.73 ng/ml compared to 3.12 ng/ml in conventional milk (a reduction of 12.5%). The authors report that because ultrapastuerization can degrade IGF-1, they did not include any organic milk that was, according to the label, ultrapasteurized. The paper does not mention that this seemingly reasonable decision by the team excluded from the samples of organic milk the products of several of the most technologically advanced organic dairy processors.
They note that some organic milk may still have been ultrapasteurized (although not labeled as such), thereby reducing the average IGF-1 level in organic milk.
The authors conclude that –
"It is important for food and nutrition professionals to know that conventional, rbST/rbGH-free, and organic milk are compositionally similar so they can serve as a key resource to consumers who are making milk purchase (and consumption) decisions in a marketplace where there are misleading milk label claims."
Editor's Note: See the first item in "In the News" and the "Commentary" section for more discussion of the findings reported in these two studies.

Creative Study Implicates Pesticides in Developmental Abnormalities

A Florida team of scientists led by Loius Guillette has published a series of papers over many years on the impacts of pesticides and other endocrine disruptors on amphibian development. Their work has been challenged, because, according to the authors – "...of the difficulty of directly linking endocrine disrupting effects identified in laboratories with field observations."
In response, they have incrementally refined their research methodologies and tried to answer questions raised by scientists who have disputed their findings and/or conclusions.
In their latest study, they took a novel approach. They identified five sites along a gradient defined by percent of surrounding land in agricultural production. There was no surrounding agriculture in the site next to a parking lot for a shopping mall, and 97% agriculture in the most intensively farmed site.
They collected at least 20 giant toads from each site and found than the frequency of developmental abnormalities increased in a dose-dependent way with the intensity of agriculture.
In the heavily farmed site, the male toads were either feminized or demasculinized, and took on the skin color of females. The good news -- lady toads developed normally in all sites.
Source: " K.A. McCoy et al., "Agriculture Alters Gonadal Form and Function in the toad Bufo marinus,"; Environmental Health Perspectives, Online July 3, 2008

High Nitrogen Levels can Feed E. coli O157 in Lettuce
Scientists working for USDA's Agricultural research Service have found that E. coli O157 bacteria tend to grow faster on young Romaine lettuce leaves than older ones. The scientist suspect that the bacteria do better on the young leaves because they are a richer nutritional "hunting ground." Young lettuce leaves exude about three times more nitrogen and about 1.5-times more carbon than do older, middle leaves.

The scientists further confirmed the key role of nitrogen by adding some N to the middle leaves of lettuce plants. They found the N-supplemented leaves increased E. coli O157 growth to levels comparable to that on the younger leaves.
Source: Access a summary of the research by Dr. Brandl: . Also see, "Leaf Age as a Risk Factor in Contamination of Lettuce with E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enteric," M.T. Brandl and R. Amundson, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 74:2298-2306, April 2008.
Editor's Note: The findings in this study are significant for two reasons. First, the "fresh cut" trend toward the harvest of baby lettuce and baby spinach may have inadvertently increased the risk of bacteria proliferation, because of the higher levels of nitrogen exudates in the leaves of young, fast-growing plants.
Second, excess nitrogen in farming systems, whether conventional or organic, can feed pathogens and in this way, increase food safety risks. We introduced this topic in Brian Halweil's report "Still No Free Lunch"; , and we try to highlight new science that helps establish why and how extra nitrogen can worsen pest and bacterial problems in each issue of "The Scoop."
The tendency of extra nitrogen to stimulate growth of E. coli O157 and Salmonella bacteria in young leafy green crops would be especially acute in conventional leafy green fields, where farmers apply synthetic fertilizers at rates intended to nearly eliminate any chance of a shortage of nitrogen, a strategy that usually results in an excess.
Organic farmers can do the same thing by over-applying compost and other sources of nitrogen, but typically do not since sources of nitrogen acceptable under the National Organic Program rule are much more expensive per unit of nitrogen. This new science suggests that all farmers need to sharpen their pencils to see how they can reduce the chance of excess nitrogen stimulating the proliferation of bad bacteria in otherwise nutritious produce.
There is one more reason why organic systems can reduce the risk of a major bloom of a pathogen like E. coli O157. Organic systems definitely encourage much more diverse above- and below-ground microbial communities. Hundreds of studies have confirmed this generic benefit of organic farming.
In cases where organic farmers do over-supply nitrogen, the extra N will tend to stimulate the growth of multiple microorganisms, which, through competition for other limiting resources or other mechanisms, tends to keep the population of any single organism from ballooning to possibly dangerous levels.

Lycopene Works as Well as Statins in Promoting Artery Health

Scientists in China compared the impact of lycopene in the diet of rabbits to the impacts of statin drugs in the prevention of the plaque in arteries that lead to atherosclerosis. The rabbits were fed enough lycopene to sustain blood levels roughly comparable to levels in humans who consume a diet high in lycopene.
The lycopene was as effective as statins in the rabbits fed a high-fat diet, and was superior to statins in one measure (reduction in LDL levels). The authors conclude that –
"These findings provide a theoretical rationale for the use of lycopene as a preventive in atherosclerosis."
Source: " Min-Yu Hu et al., "Comparison of lycopene and fluvastatin effects on atherosclerosis induced by a high-fat diet in rabbits," Nutrition, published online June 30, 2008.
Editor's Note: Multiple studies have shown that organic farming can increase the levels of lycopene in a number of fruits and vegetables, although some studies have shown no difference. It is almost certain that high-lycopene tomatoes, and tomato-based processed products, can be grown and offered to consumers through a combination of organic production systems and crop genetics. If the findings of this research are corroborated in other studies, the multi-billion dollar market for statin drugs may get some competition from the humble red tomato.

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Skepticism Arises in Wake of Monsanto PNAS Study
Only July 2, 2008, Scientific American ran a story entitled "Can Bovine Growth Hormone Help Slow Global Warming?" by David Biello.
The piece begins –
"Talk about milking an issue."

Biello reports what the authors of the PNAS study found – that giving cows rbST/rbGH increases production and feed efficiency and is therefore better for the environment. They conclude that 843,000 rbST/rbGH treated cows can produce the same amount of milk as 1,000,000 untreated cows, and that these extra animals will consume 2.3 metric tons of additional feed, requiring 219,00 additional acres. The claim is made that the reduction in greenhouse gases from rbST/rbGH treated animals is equivalent to taking 400,000 cars off the road.
The Scientific American article then describes some of the analytical and technical problems with the study, while also pointing out the possible bias that could have been interjected into the project by virtue of its co-authors. The current controversy over labeling milk as rbST/rbGH-free is also mentioned.
Dr. Michael Hansen, a biologist working for Consumers Union, explains in the piece that the findings all hinge on one assumption – that rbST/rbGH increases feed efficiency per pound of milk produced. According to Hansen," If this basic assumption is wrong, then everything that flows from it is of questionable status."
Biello goes on to report that Monsanto tried 15 years ago to get the FDA to accept an "increases feed efficiency" claim on the label of Posilac (rbST/rbGH injections), but the agency denied the claim because insufficient data had been reported to substantiate the increase.
The article reports that the U.S. dairy industry has reduced GHG emissions per unit of production by 70% since the 1940s, through better feeding and genetics. Scientists in Australia also report that they can cut methane emissions another 50% by increasing the percentage of digestible grasses in cow rations.
Editor's Note: As we have said before in "The Scoop," sorting out the differences in the environmental impacts of a well-managed, high-production conventional dairy farm that uses rbST/rbGH, compared to a well-managed, grass-based organic dairy farm is a complicated and important challenge. This PNAS article, and the study it covers, provides absolutely nothing of value in meeting this need.
Students of science journalism would have to look long and hard to find a more cleverly and consciously biased article. The co-authors overstate the benefits of rbST/rbGH treated cows, claim benefits that do not exist, and fail to cover aspects of environmental impacts known to favor organic and/or grass-based production systems.
A "fair" comparison of conventional, rbST/rbGH treated dairy production systems to organic production (same level of management skill) will unequivocally show benefits for each system –
◦ The conventional cows will produce more per animal, and hence a given amount of milk with fewer animals. This is the conventional system's major source of advantage; the availability of a wide range of animal drugs is the system's other advantage, especially given the physiological stresses common on high-production farms.
◦ The disadvantages of the conventional, high production system include fewer lactations per cow, requiring more replacements; a hotter, grain based ration that requires more fuel and more loss of nitrous oxide in growing corn; and, increases in animal health problems, some of which will adversely impact feed efficiency.
◦ The organic dairy farms major advantages will be increased reliance on local, and usually on-farm forages; less reliance on feeds that have to be shipped long distances; improved reproductive performance; and, fewer cow health problems linked to excessive physiological stress on the animals.
◦ The disadvantages of the organic dairy farm include lower levels of production, so more cows are needed to produce a given amount of milk; challenges in managing mastitis in the winter and rainy seasons; and, limited supplies of high quality organic feedstuffs for purchase, that makes it hard to optimally balance rations at acceptable costs.
No one has done a thorough study of these advantages and disadvantages in terms of environmental impacts and GHG emissions, but when such a study is done, my guess is that there will not be a great deal of difference between the two systems on farms that make comparable use of locally-grown forages, whether as pasture, hay, or silage.
If organic dairy farms learn to utilize a substantially higher percent of locally grown forages, the organic dairy farms will, in all likelihood, reduce GHG emissions and environmental impacts, compared to nearby, equally well-managed farms.
If reliable sources of high-quality organic feed grains emerge, this will allow many grass-based organic dairy farms to increase production somewhat, and will make a sizable difference in future comparative studies.

Organic Food and Beverage Sales Reach $19 billion in 2007
The Natural Marketing Institute reported July 3, 2008 that organic food and beverage sales rose 25% from 2006 to 2007. The category offered consumers 2,107 new products in just one year.
Source: NMI press release, July 3, 2008.

"Secret" World Bank Study Concludes that Biofuels have Caused 75% of Global Food Price Increases
A confidential World Bank study finds that biofuel production has triggered 75% or more of the increases in global food prices. According to a news report on the study in the UK paper "The Guardian" –
"The figure [75%] emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises."
Recall in the June "The Scoop," we reported that the USDA's 3% claim did not pass the laugh test at the global food summit. Perhaps the World Bank's analysis was not so secret after all.
Source: "Secret report: biofuel caused food crisis," The Guardian, July 4, 2008

Organic Acreage Booming in Washington State...
Certified organic acres jumped 27% between 2006 and 2007, according to a July 2, 2008 Press Release from Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Acreage farmed organically has grown 86% since 2004.
The WSU Center projects 2007 acreage at 81,472, with two-thirds of this land devoted to livestock forage crops, vegetables, and tree fruit.
Washington State now leads the nation in production of organic apples, pears, and cherries.
...and Stemilt Growers Inc. is Working to Build Washington's Lead
Already one of the largest grower-shippers of organic fruit in the country, Stemilt Growers

announced on July 1, 2008 that it will almost double its organic cherry crop in 2009 to keep up with demand growth.
The company's current goal is for 25% of its total fruit pack in 2010 to be certified organic. Today, about 12% of Stemilt apples and pears are organic, as are about 5% of its cherries.
To sustain its growers during the three-year transition to certified organic production, Stemilt introduced its "Artisan Organics" line of products in 2007.
Source: "Fruit grower Stemilt to double size of organic cherry crop," Sustainable Food News, July 1, 2008

Organic Center Board Member Elected Chair of IFOAM World Board

Katherine DiMatteo was elected President of the World Board of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) at the IFOAM General Assembly held June 22-24, 2008 in Vignola, Italy. Rumor has it that a majority of the voters were concerned that Katherine was lacking constructive ways to keep busy.
In addition to her IFOAM activities, Katherine is a senior associate at Wolf, DiMatteo + Associates, former executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and a board member of The Organic Center.
"I am pleased and honored to have been elected to the IFOAM Board and to serve as President," says Katherine DiMatteo. "I will do my best to promote our mission of leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity... My top priorities are for IFOAM to become a strong advocate for organic agriculture at all levels, to foster harmonization, equivalence and equitable trade and to help solve critical global environmental problems and deliver better, healthier food and fiber systems."
DiMatteo will head the ten-member IFOAM World Board for the next three years. Other members are from Australia, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Switzerland, and Uganda, spanning five continents. Roberto Ugas of Peru and Urs Niggli of Switzerland were named Vice-Presidents and with DiMatteo will comprise the IFOAM executive committee.

EU Directive Likely to Ban 15% of Registered Pesticides...
The European Commission has proposed a directive that could lead to the banning of all pesticides

found to cause cancer or trigger birth defects. Experts project that about 15% of the pesticide products currently on the market in the EU would be impacted.
Pesticide manufacturers and some farm organizations are warning of crop shortages and dramatic price increases if the EC plan moves forward, but they are also dealing with other problems...
Source: "Plans to ban dozens of pesticides will lead to food shortages and send prices rising further'", www.dailymail.com, July 2, 2008
...Fake Pesticides Surprisingly Common in the EU
The Financial Times reported in early July that 5% to 7% of the pesticides sold in Europe are counterfeits, containing either fake or lower cost active ingredients, often of dangerous, banned pesticides. A pesticide industry representative projects that 90% of the fake pesticides are imported from China.
The European Crop Protection Association has set up a task force to study the problem. The problem surfaced when illegal pesticides were found on vegetables grown in greenhouses in Spain. Fifteen people have been arrested and 4,000 kilograms of illegal pesticides were seized.

Endosulfan Found in New Zealand Beef
South Korean authorities found the insecticide endosulfan (Thiodan) in a shipment of beef from New Zealand. In 2005, New Zealand beef was recalled from South Korea and Taiwan because of endosulfan residues. A rancher had applied endosulfan to cattle to kill ticks.
It is not known if the current contamination episode is from use directly on cattle to kill insects, or from residues on crops fed to cattle.
Source: "Insecticide found in beef sent to S Korea," The Dominion Post, stuff.co.nz, July 4, 2008

Whole Foods Tops List of Supermarkets Selling Humanely Raised Food

The World Society for the Protection of Animals carried out a survey of major supermarket chains to assess the percent of humanely raised animal products offered in stores.
The survey encompassed about 200 stores in 34 states, and covered dairy, eggs, unprocessed meat and poultry, and processed meat and poultry.
Whole Foods topped the list of 23 retail chains, with Wegman's, Ruddick Corp., H.E. Butt, and Kroger Co., rounding out the top five.
Source: Sustainable Food News, July 3, 2008

Biotech Canola Under Development to Increase Omega-3 Intakes

Dow AgroSciences and Martek Biosciences are working to develop a canola variety that produces the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA improves brain, eye, and cardiovascular health, and is not supplied in sufficient quantities in the American diet. Currently, algae and fish oil are the primary sources of DHA through dietary supplements.
The companies plan to move the genes from algae into canola varieties, and are hoping consumers will be more receptive to this application of gene transfer technology because of the direct human health benefits of increased DHA intakes.
In addition, the companies point out that the DHA extracted from GM-canola will be the same as the DHA from algae or fish oil. The proteins and enzymes transferred into the canola necessary to produce DHA will be left after the oil is crushed from the seed, according to company scientists.
Source: Andrea Johnson, Biotech canola could offer healthier oil," FarmRanch Guide, June 19, 2008

Democratic National Conventional Goes Green...and Organic
In response to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's challenge "to make this the greenest convention in

the history of the planet," the host committee of the Democratic National Convention has committed to a path of sustainability...including offering organic food at the event.
The goal, says Andrea Robinson, the convention's first-ever Director of Greening, is to reduce, recycle or compost at least 85% of all waste generated during the event. Planners also are requiring that at least 70% of ingredients for meals served at the convention should be organic, or locally grown to help reduce fuel costs.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 15,000 volunteers at the convention will receive fanny packs made of organic cotton (and made in the USA). Organizers say that greenhouse gases generated by the event will be carefully measured and offset with investments in renewable energy projects.

Republicans are doing their part, too, reports the Wall Street Journal, as they plan their convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul in early September. Organizers for the Republican event say they are utilizing email communications to reduce printing, using recycled office furniture and urging employees to walk or take public transportation to work.


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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that land degradation is eroding the food security of 1.5 billion people, about one-quarter of humanity.
Source: "Some 1.5 billion people may starve due to land erosion," Reuters, July 2, 2008
The acreage producing organic potatoes in Idaho grew 137% from 2007 to 2008.
Source: "Idaho evaluates spud varieties for organic systems," AgLine News, July 3, 2008
The Ukraine has emerged as a critical trans-shipment point in the flow of counterfeit goods from China into Europe. Criminal gangs active in multiple countries manage the flow of goods.
Source: "EU alarmed at flood of bogus pesticides," The Financial Times, July 2008
Chipotle Mexican Grill has committed to purchasing 25% of at least one of its produce items for each of its 730 stores from small and mid-size local farmers.
A large slice of watermelon delivers enough arginine to produce a Viagra-like response in men. It does

so by relaxing blood vessels.
Source: "Watermelon yields Viagra like effects – scientists," Associated Press, July 8, 2009



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Dealing with Our Food Safety Challenges
By: Dr. Charles Benbrook
Over 950 people have now gotten sick from Salmonella-tainted tomatoes, or peppers, or salsa, or who knows what. The media have been so focused, and maybe weary of the tomato story, that a huge outbreak of E. coli O157 in processed beef products has gone largely unnoticed.
What started out in early June as a modest recall of 531,707 pounds of beef processed by Nebraska Beef Ltd., has become a 5.3 million pound recall. Over 40 confirmed cases of illness in Michigan and Ohio have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control. Twenty-two people have been hospitalized, and one person has contracted the sometimes deadly complication hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).
The number of sick people associated with the Nebraska Beef contamination episode is sure to grow much larger because of the extraordinarily high current ratio of people hospitalized to total number of cases – 22 out of 41, or nearly 50%.
Despite intense scientific focus on understanding the genesis of E. coli O157 and Salmonella, the many amazing steps and major investments by companies to keep these pathogens out of meat and produce, and the near constant red-alert status from FDA and CDC, the problem seems to be getting worse. The tomatoes-or-whatever-Salmonella outbreak may prove to be the worst such outbreak in history by virtually every measure.
Perhaps changes are afoot in the food system that have fundamentally tilted the playing field in favor of these bacterial pathogens, and we had better look under some forbidden rocks if we want to reduce the frequency of illness, and human suffering associated with these major contamination episodes.
Mixing fresh produce from multiple locations in repacking sheds makes disease outbreak epidemiology extremely difficult. Maybe it also makes disease outbreak prevention more difficult? Is it time to rethink how produce moves from the farm to consumers, with the interests of public health driving the outcome, instead of shaving a few cents off of the way we move a case of tomatoes from Mexico, through Florida, to Boston?
Without a livestock market for the byproducts of ethanol production, the economics of corn-based ethanol goes up in smoke, and the net energy contribution goes from maybe barely positive to unspeakably disastrous, given how much taxpayers have invested in this "solution." But what about emerging evidence that E. coli O157 and mycotoxins are finding ways into the distillers grain byproducts of ethanol production that are fed to livestock? Has anyone factored those costs into the net "benefit" assessment of corn-based ethanol?
The next time you see one of those sickening videos of a spent dairy cow being lifted with a front end loader, or shocked with electricity, or worse, so she can stagger onto the kill floor, think about what put her there.
This can be, and sometimes is, one of the costs of pushing a dairy herd to produce 28,000 pounds of milk per year or more by feeding a ration so high in grain and energy, and lacking in forages and fiber, that the acid in her digestive system eats through her gut wall, creating an inside passage for bacteria that will then, in turn, challenge the best food safety systems.
That cow gets into such run-down condition in part because of the effectiveness of the drugs that keep her producing, and bacterial counts down in her milk, despite the stresses she is under and the gradual breakdown of her body and organ systems.
And last, think E. coli O157. The increase in risk of E. coli O157 shedding by stressed out, sick dairy animals is well proven and may explain much of the recent increase in human cases. The more E.coli O157 shed by stressed cattle, the more pressure on all our preventive systems and food safety technologies, from the spinach and tomato and pepper fields of the Salinas Valley and Florida, to the slaughterhouses of Nebraska.
One of the unrecognized benefits of a growing organic farming and food industry in America is that there is now close to a critical mass of people working to prevent the conditions that give rise to food safety problems. The conventional food system and conventional farmers have accomplished much in increasing production and lowering food costs, but they have sometimes not paid enough attention to the food safety costs of doing business.
Organic farmers and food companies do not have all the answers, and face some unique food safety problems of their own, but at least they are consciously pursuing a fundamentally different path where plant and animal health comes first, and higher production second.
I am not alone among scientists who are convinced this is inherently the right approach to produce safe, nutritious food. My gut sense is the big breakthroughs in advancing food safety are going to come from prevention, not better detection or more powerful chemical washes, or radiation.
For this reason, the forces pushing and pulling organic production systems and approaches into the mainstream of the food system may do so at a pace and to a degree unimaginable a few years ago.

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Benbrook to Give 2004 Rachel Carson Lecture in London
The Center's Chief Scientist, Chuck Benbrook, has accepted an invitation to give the Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture sponsored by the Pesticide Action Network-U.K. The event occurs December 4, 2008 in London at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Chuck is working on scheduling other events during his trip to the U.K. He has been invited by scientists at the University of Newcastle to do two seminars, one on the Center's organic food quality research, and a second on the impacts and future direction of biotechnology in U.S. agriculture.

Check Out The Organic Center's Video

Visit www.youtube.com/TheOrganicCenter and view our video narrated by Sara Snow, host of Discovery Health Channel's Get Fresh With Sara Snow. "We are so grateful for the community effort that went into producing this video," said Seleyn DeYarus, Development Director, The Organic Center. "Part of what makes this video so special is that everyone donated their time and talents to make it happen and this reflects the spirit of the organic movement."
Here's what others had to say about the video:
"I think the piece The Organic Center put together is informative, creative, appropriately provocative, and smart. Well done."
"Great Video! I have not been a big supporter of organic foods thus far, but maybe I should give it more thought! There is no doubt, pesticides are affecting us....... one way or the other."
To learn more about the Organic Center visit www.organic-center.org
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Core Truths on the Major Benefits of Organic Food and Farming


Core Truths is a ground breaking compilation of the most current research on organic agriculture. This highly readable and graphically stunning 108-page coffee table book documents the verifiable health and environmental benefits of organic products.
Core Truths includes fascinating research about why:
• Organic often tastes better
• Organic produce contains, on average, 30 percent higher levels of antioxidants
• Organic farming can cut mycotoxin risk by over 50 percent
• Organic food dramatically reduces pesticide exposure
• Organic farms typically use less energy
Order your copy now! Only $30 (plus $5 shipping and handling in US).
Click here for a preview of the book.
Click here to order.
Donate $100 Now! Receive Free Copy of Core Truths

Be a part of supporting vital research about the science behind organic. Make a gift of $100 to The Organic Center now, and we'll send you a free, hard-cover copy of our ground-breaking book, Core Truths (a $35 value.)

Email Seleyn DeYarus for details.
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The Organic Center Features Jerry Garcia Artwork
Do you or someone you know love The Grateful Dead? Do you enjoy beautiful original works of art? If so, select a giclee of Jerry Garcia original artwork and benefit The Organic Center. This unique fundraising initiative to benefit The Organic Center is made possible through the generosity of filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia and features the series, "In the Garden," by the late Jerry Garcia. Individual prints are $250, or get the full series for $1,000. To order your Jerry Garcia art, click here.






The Organic Center's on-line fundraising program - Become a Friend of The Organic Center
We can now accept secure on-line donations with both yearly and monthly giving options. We also have wonderful gifts to say thank you for your support – including a free one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, organic t-shirt, organic tote bag, our book, Core Truths and Dr. Alan Greene's new book, Raising Baby Green. We have many ways to say thank you for supporting our work.
For more information
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Our Research –

Individuals can support the scientific work of The Organic Center by:
• Sharing new information, data, or "Hot Science," email our Chief Scientist
• Helping us identify scientists that can contribute to our work, email Chuck Benbrook
• Making a contribution, click here
Companies, foundations, or individuals can support work by The Organic Center on a critical issue, or in a specific area through our donor directed research program. Contact Dr. Benbrook for details.

Our Outreach and Communication Program –
Informed consumers drive the organic marketplace. Help The Organic Center reach consumers with the latest science on the organic benefit by:
• Join Mission Organic 2010 as an individual
• Distributing or reprinting excerpts from our studies
• Making a donation to our communications program
For companies, The Organic Center's Mission Organic Affinity Marketing Partnership Program provides resources and tools to help educate your customers about the personal benefits of organic food and farming. Become part of an effort to grow the U.S. market for organic from 3 percent to 10 percent by 2010.
• For more information about our affinity marketing program, email Seleyn DeYarus
• Learn more about the health and environmental impacts of Mission Organic 2010
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"The Scoop," is an electronic newsletter published monthly by The Organic Center. For a free subscription, visit www.organic-center.org.
© 2008, The Organic Center. All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction of these materials for educational purposes will be granted by contacting The Organic Center at info@organic-center.org.
Editor: Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Organic Center
Design: Karen Lutz Benbrook
Circulation: Matthue DeYarus

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Backed by the world's leading scientists, physicians and scholars, The Organic Center is committed to two goals.

1) RESEARCH: providing free, peer-reviewed, credible science that explores the health and environmental benefits of organic agriculture.

2) EDUCATION: helping people and organizations access and better understand science that sheds light on the organic benefit.

To access free downloads of the latest in organic science, or to Join the Mission, go to: www.organic-center.org.

Managing Director: Steven Hoffman
Development Director: Seleyn DeYarus
TOC Board Chair: Alan Greene, co-founder DrGreene.com
Chair Elect: Michelle Goolsby, Executive Vice President, Development, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Dean Foods Corporation
Treasurer: Mark Retzloff, President, Aurora Organic Dairy
Secretary: Katherine DiMatteo, Senior Associate, Wolf, DiMatteo & Associates
The Organic Center
P.O. Box 20513
Boulder, CO USA 80308
tel 303.499.1840
fax 419.858.1042
www.organic-center.org