13
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 13, 2025) After months of deliberations and a public comment period, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture (SBFA) on January 10, 2025, formalized a definition of âregenerative agricultureâ that is being widely criticized as undermining the transition of agriculture to certified organic practices that eliminate petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers. The call for the urgent and widespread adoption of organic land management is advanced by those who see organic practicesâwith its focus on soil health management, a national list of allowed and prohibited substances, an enforcement system, and a prohibition on genetically engineered seeds and plants, synthetic fertility and biosolidsâas the only way to effectively address the current health, biodiversity, and climate crises. Nonetheless, the Boardâs recommendation, accepted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), loosely defines regenerative agriculture as âan integrated approach to farming and ranching rooted in principles of soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resiliency.â The  15-member SBFA advisory board, appointed by the governor, unanimously finalized a recommendation formally defining âregenerative agriculture,â concluding two yearsâ worth of workgroups and stakeholder engagement. The proposal, addressed to Secretary Karen Ross, fulfills a Board project outlined in Californiaâs Ag Vision for the Next Decade. It […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, California, Cargill, Fertilizer, General Mills, Herbicides, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Organic Trade Association OTA, Patagonia Provisions, Regenerative, soil health, Synthetic Fertilizer, Uncategorized, Wal-Mart | No Comments »
02
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2024) There is a nascent capital investment effort in the transition to certified organic agriculture beginning to take hold across the U.S., something advocates say is critically needed to meet the current and escalating existential health threats, biodiversity decline, and climate emergency. Mad Agriculture has received early commitments from the Rockefeller Foundation, Builders Vision, and nearly a dozen other investors to contribute to the $50 million Perennial Fund II (PFII), to advance the growth of âregenerative organicâ agriculture. Forbes is reporting that PFIIâs primary objective is to jumpstart the organic land transition, given that this slice of U.S. agriculture makes up less than one percent of total farmland in the country relative to the European Unionâs nearly 10 percent of total farmland. âWe commend the work of Mad Agriculture in harnessing the spirit of organic agriculture and mobilizing the private sector to invest in farmers who engage in regenerative organic agricultural practices,â said Max Sano, organic program associate at Beyond Pesticides. In Rockefeller Foundationâs press release announcing their early commitment, Mad Capital co-founder Brandon Welch spoke on their vision: âWe are aiming to build a bridge between two distant worlds that need one another to transition […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Corporations, General Mills, Glyphosate, Regenerative, soil health, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wal-Mart | No Comments »
07
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 7, 2024) As the threats to health, biodiversity, and climate converge in agricultural policy and practices, the question of defining the fundamental changes necessary to reverse these existential crises takes on life-sustaining importance. Despite the existence of an organic community with governing stakeholders (farmers, consumers, conservationists, retailers, processors, inspectors, and scientists) that has evolved over at least seven decades and is codified in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, the term âregenerativeâ is now increasingly being advanced as a loosely defined alternative to the organic standard and label, which is transparent, defined, certified, enforced, and subject to public input. The publication AgFunderNews (AFN) last month published its updated â2024 list of agrifood corporates making regenerative agriculture commitments,â a whoâs who of the largest food and agribusiness corporations worldwide. The list includes companies such as ADM, Cargill, Danone, General Mills, Tyson, Unilever, Walmart, and more with commitments to millions of acres in their supply chain practicing âregenerativeâ agriculture with target dates ranging from 2024 to 2050. The AFN author reporting on the âregenerativeâ trend states, â[O]ne big challenge is that âregenerative agricultureâ still has no set definition. While that still holds true, the bigger observation in […]
Posted in Agriculture, California, Cargill, Climate, General Mills, Regenerative, soil health, TruGreen, Uncategorized, Wal-Mart | No Comments »
21
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 21, 2019) Corporate food giant General Mills has thrown some weight behind regenerative agriculture, committing to converting one million acres of farmland to regenerative practices by 2030. Some – but not all – of the initiative involves organic land management. Regenerative agriculture is a term with a range of interpretations, but the key element is improving soil health through carbon sequestration. Robert Rodale, one of the early proponents of organic agriculture and a major publisher, coined the name to characterize a process that moves beyond sustainable maintenance and into improvement of resources. This methodology is gaining traction in the farming world because it is economically beneficial to farmers and promotes environmental remediation. A 2018 study shows that ecologically-based farming systems have fewer pests and generate higher profits than their conventional counterparts. âPractitioners who have done this the longest point to the fact that in extreme years, their farms will do better than those who do not,â says Jerry Lynch, General Millsâ chief sustainability officer, âAfter some transition time, depending on their location and cropping system, farmers are saving a lot of money because theyâre using fewer inputs.â In their press release, General Mills lays out three foci […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, General Mills, Regenerative, Uncategorized | No Comments »
08
Nov
(Beyond Pesticides, November 8, 2018) Two months after publishing its first series of tests, part two of an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study finds residues of Roundupâs active ingredient, glyphosate, in all General Millsâ Cheerios and PepsiCoâs Quaker Oats products sampled. Health advocates are expressing concern about the consequences of chronic glyphosate exposure, and say U.S. federal agencies must limit the herbicideâs use on oat-based breakfast foods regularly marketed to children. In addition, organic itself is under threat, as chemical-intensive management practices undermine the future of the growing organic movement. In this second round of testing, EWG scientists purchased products around San Francisco and Washington DC. 28 samples of conventional and 16 samples of organic oat products were collected. Approximately 300 grams of each General Mills and PepsiCo product were packaged and shipped to Anresco Laboratories, in San Francisco. Detected glyphosate residues were compared to EWGâs own health benchmark of 160 parts per billion (ppb). This benchmark is based on risks of lifetime exposure and what EWG scientists consider allowable and protective of childrenâs health with an adequate margin of safety. EWGâs results detected glyphosate residues in all 28 samples of conventionally grown oat products. The vast majority (all but two) […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, California, Cancer, Children, Children/Schools, contamination, Corporations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), General Mills, Glyphosate, Labeling, Learning Disabilities, MCS/chem. sensitivity, Microbiata, Microbiome, Nervous System Effects, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Resistance, Take Action, Uncategorized, Washington D.C. | 2 Comments »
10
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 10, 2018) Nearly one-third of General Mills shareholders called on the company last month to improve product stewardship and eliminate pesticides like bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticides or the probable carcinogenic weed killer glyphosate from its supply chain. The proposal was put forward by nonprofit organization As You Sow, and Green Century Equity Fund (GCEF), a mutual fund. This is the latest public shareholder action GCEF has made in regards to corporate pesticide reform, with the company previously putting pressure on the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group for its allowance of pesticides within its supply chain. While the actions are encouraging, some advocates are urging shareholder groups to go beyond increased accountability and transparency and push companies to focus on sourcing organic to ensure that no pesticides make their way into food products. The shareholder proposal ultimately garnered support from 31% of General Mills shareholders. âShareholders believe the company can, and should, do more to protect the health of their supply chain and the public from toxic pesticides,â said Christy Spees, environmental health program manager at As You Sow to the StarTribune. The proposal states, âWhile the company asserts that it is currently âdocument[ing] continuous improvementâ concerning environmental impacts from its supply […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, General Mills, Uncategorized | No Comments »
26
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 26, 2014) At the annual shareholder meeting last Tuesday, General Mills rejected a request to expand its ban of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in its popular Cheerios cereal to all of the companyâs products. The topic of genetically engineered foods dominated discussion at the meeting, according to GMO Inside (Green America, the organization behind GMO Inside, holds a handful of shares in General Mills), and the company has remained steadfast in its assertion that GE food is safe. However, on the flip side, the company has acknowledged its consumer demand for natural and organic products by its recent purchase of the organic food company Annieâs Natural. Organic production standards by law forbids the use GE crops. The $820-million deal for Annieâs adds more than $200 million in annual sales for General Millsâ organic foods division, which already takes in $330 million per year. Annieâs will be absorbed into General Millsâ Small Planet Foods division, which includes other well-known natural and organic brands, including Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and Larabar. The request to ban GE ingredients company-wide was brought to the table by As You Sow, and supported by the great-granddaughter of General Millsâ co-founder, Harriett Crosby. “As […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Corporations, General Mills, Genetic Engineering, Labeling, Take Action | 1 Comment »
