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Vilsack’s Parting Shot: More Corporate Shills Governing Organics, Betraying Organic Farmers and Consumers
February 24, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark A. Kastel, 608-625-2000 / mkastel@organiceye.org Watchdog Reaches Out to Robert Kennedy, Jr. and New USDA Secretary for Help OrganicEye has reached out to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., a longtime organic...
Leadership Transitions at OrganicEye
New OrganicEye board member, Steven Heim Dear OrganicEye members, supporters, and organic industry stakeholders, One of the elements that makes OrganicEye different than virtually every organization in the organic movement, in addition to being lean and nimble,...
Bad-Actor Certifiers Acting as Agribusiness Front Groups/Lobbyists
Soli Organics: A major hydroponic operation certified by CCOF Crushing Family-Scale Organic Farmers Hi folks, OrganicEye is supporting farmers who are switching certifiers after finding out that their “partners” in organic certification have been instrumental in the...
Kastel’s Kitchen: Cracking the Egg on Prices, Dangers, Fraud, and Best Brands
How to identify legitimate, superior, nutrient-dense, and safe organic eggs If you prioritize eating fresh, whole, organic food, it isn’t enough to just look for the USDA Organic label. Just like the gumshoes at OrganicEye, you must be a detective! The Hierarchy of...
CCOF’s Tin Cup: The Largest Organic Certifier Is Fundraising
The poverty of riches (and a poverty of ethics) By Mark Kastel, executive director, OrganicEye The nation’s largest organic certifier, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for...
RED ALERT: FDA Issues Class 1 Recall of Organic Eggs, Implicating Costco and Handsome Brook Farms
Labeling error illustrates serious lack of management control, organic industry watchdog to file formal legal complaint. By Mark Kastel, executive director, OrganicEye On Friday, December 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publicized a recall of...
Bovaer Feed Supplement: Organic or Not Organic?
The staff at OrganicEye has received multiple inquiries concerned about a feed additive for ruminants designed to reduce “emissions.” Although, we felt confident it wasn’t approved for use in USDA certified organic dairy products, we decided to take a deeper dive. On...
Organic Industry Watchdog Files Trump Test Case Against Factory Dairies
Sunrise Organic Dairy in Paul, Idaho (certified by Oregon Tilth) Multiple Incidents of Fraud Said to Have Been Ignored by Past Administrations LA FARGE, WIS: The country’s preeminent organic industry watchdog, OrganicEye, filed formal legal complaints against...
Farmers Turning the Tables on Agribusiness Lobbyists and the USDA
Egg production operation certified by Oregon Tilth. Some certifiers call this "organic." Let's tell the USDA they're wrong!Creating a Higher-Integrity Organic Label by Carefully Choosing CertifiersOrganicEye has recently completed research differentiating between...
Take Back the Organic Farming Movement
Please click on image to see ratings of all US certifiers.
Oregon Hazelnut Farmer Files Appeal Fighting USDA Agency Allowing Imports from Uncertified, Uninspected ‘Organic’ Farms
When Oregon organic hazelnut grower Bruce Kaser started looking into why organic hazelnut imports from Turkey were priced so low, close to conventional hazelnuts, he found he was pulling on a thread that had the USDA certification of foreign commodities unraveling....
One Dead and 39 Sickened: CDC, FDA Announce Recall of Organic Carrots
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced on November 16 a recall of Grimmway Farms organic carrots due to E. coli contamination that’s been linked to one death and 39 illnesses, as of Sunday. Brands include...
Tell USDA: Crackdown on Organic Certifier Conflict of Interest/Payola
ActionAlert: Tell the USDA to Crack Down on Organic Conflicts of Interest and ‘Payola’ by Certifiers! Click the link below to tell Dr. Jenny Tucker, chief of the National Organic Program, to stamp out conflicts of interest by “independent” third-party certifiers and...
OrganicEye Comments to NOSB: October 2024
Fighting Microplastics in Fertilizer and 'Organic' Carcinogens — and Making Certification About More Than Just Dotting the I's and Crossing the T'sGet important action items and the latest organic farming and food news delivered right to your inbox.
USDA Lawyers Successfully Challenge Standing in Lawsuit — Turkish Hazelnut Processor’s Fraudulent Activities ‘Do Not Place US Organic Farmers at a Competitive Disadvantage’
Court Supports USDA in Creating a 'Two-Tier' Organic System — Imports Skirt Strict Certification/Inspection Requirements Eugene, Oregon — A federal judge has found in favor of arguments made by USDA lawyers and dismissed a lawsuit brought by an Oregon hazelnut...
Another Large Organic Certifier Accused of Improprieties, Betraying Organic Farmers and Consumers
Massive imports, including many that have been proven fraudulent in the past, are crushing US farmers.Image: Sunrise Foods International port facility in Giresun, Turkey; certified by FOG. Source: https://www.sunrisefoods.com/isl/uploads/2020/11/Turkey-2-1.jpg ...
ActionAlert: Tell USDA to Enforce the Law and Crack Down on Organic Certifier Conflicts of Interest and ‘Payola’ by Corporate Agribusiness
Susan Truscott: California Organic Farming Hero
When research confirmed that her previous organic certifier (CCOF) was certifying livestock factories and hydroponic (soilless) industrial greenhouses, as well as accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from their corporate agribusiness clients —...
You Have the Power to Protect Organic Farmers and the Authenticity of Organic Food Supply
Supporters of Organic Farmers and Authentic Organic Food, My very sincere thanks to all of you who have made our work possible. Organic food and farming are worth protecting. We could not do this job without your support. April 1, 2024 was the 20th anniversary of Will...
USDA Sides With Corporate Agribusiness Lobbyists as Massive Quantities of Illegal Imports Crush US Organic Farmers
Agency betrays its commitment — and the legal requirement — that all organic food come from independently certified and inspected farms GETTING DOWN TO THE ROOT OF THE STORY: 1. Under federal law, all organic farms must be inspected on an annual basis, as per the...
ActionAlert: Stop Corporate Agribusiness From Watering Down USDA Organic Label
Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry Book Review
Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry by Austin Frerick is a factual account detailing the who, what, how, when, and why of the US food industry becoming sordid. He chose seven “robber barons” who control parts of our food production...
ActionAlert: Tell the USDA — No Diseased Animals Should Be Allowed in Organic Pet Food
OrganicEye Executive Director, Mark Kastel, and his shelter cat, Kovu, adopted Pippin who was abandoned as a kitten — all three enjoy an all-organic diet. Comments are due Friday, May 10 (11:59 PM Eastern) Note: The USDA proposed rule discussed below sets much-needed...
OrganicEye’s Testimony Before the National Organic Standards Board
Carcinogenic preservative in processed meat, synthetic amino acids in chicken feed, and a warning against compost contaminated with toxic food packaging I’m speaking to you today from La Farge, Wisconsin. I wish, like members of Congress, NOSB members were required to...
COMMENTARY: Black Eye for Organic Courtesy of Corporate Lobbyists, Certifiers, and the USDA — Family Farmers and Their Loyal Customers Pay the Price
USDA-certified organic California CAFO (Fagundes Brothers Dairy, certified by CCOF), target of a previous legal complaint filed by author Organics just received another black eye in “The Truth about Organic Milk,” an article recently published in The...
Organic Farmers Ditch Unethical Certifiers = People Power
Susan Truscott proudly displaying an article about her farm in the Edible East Bay magazine. When I asked Susan Truscott, longtime operator of Cloverfield Organic Farm in El Sobrante, California, for permission to share her story, she responded without hesitation:...
Second Large Organic Certifier Accused of Improprieties, Betraying Organic Farmers and Consumers
Oregon Tilth’s certification of livestock factories, such as this one in Chase, Kansas, has resulted in many family farmers being forced out of the market. Industry Watchdog Files Formal Legal Complaint Against Oregon Tilth, Inc. LA FARGE, WIS. — After Congress passed...
Organic Civil War: US Farmers Face off in Court Against Importers of Potentially Fraudulent Food
LA FARGE, WIS. — Last fall an Oregon organic hazelnut farmer filed a federal lawsuit against the USDA alleging the agency’s complacency in allowing massive imports that do not meet the federal statutory requirement that all certified farms be inspected on an annual...
Caught Red-Handed: Organic Certifiers Freaking Out
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win.” This year is the 20th anniversary of OrganicEye’s founder and executive director, Mark Kastel’s, career shift to doing corporate and governmental watchdog work in defense of the...
Updated Administrative Law Complaint
Alleged Certifier Conflict of Interest – CCOF
OrganicEye has amended its Legal complaint and request for action regarding clear conflict of interest exhibited by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
Federal Law Says: Every Organic Farm Needs to Be Inspected Annually
The USDA Allows Foreign Agribusiness to Bypass the Requirement Download PDF
Follow the Money: Conflicts of Interest Abound in USDA Organic Certification — Case Study: CCOF
Download PDF
Mark Kastel’s recipe for homemade yogurt (made from fresh, unpasteurized milk)?
I source my fresh milk directly from a local farmer and friend. If you are using fresh milk, you will obviously want to obtain it from a certified organic farm or a farmer who practices organic crop production and animal husbandry. You can make yogurt with pasteurized...
Follow the Money: Conflicts of Interest Abound in USDA Organic Certification
Chino Valley Ranchers organic laying houses in Idalou, Texas, certified by CCOF Industry Watchdog Files Formal Legal Complaint Against Largest Certifier LA FARGE, WIS. — In the 1970s and 80s, as organic farming grew in the United States and became commercialized,...
Fight USDA corruption/corporate payola with your dollars…
Roger Blobaum, maybe the organic movement’s first true expert and ally in Washington, DC "An idea is a powerful thing.” Dear Good Food and Farming Advocates, Roger Blobaum, the eldest of eight children, grew up working on his family’s small Iowa farm starting at the...
Giving Tuesday: Be an Organic Champion and Underwrite This Work
Farmhouse set against rolling green hills Donate End-run around the corrupt USDA--Controlling organic certification Hello Organic Farmers and Eaters Who Depend on Honesty and Authenticity, Who owns the organic label? We all do! We are about to launch our most...
Remembering Roger Blobaum: A Pioneer, Leader, and Historian of the Organic Movement (1929-2023)
At OrganicEye we mourn the passing of a good friend, Roger Blobaum. I’m not sure who introduced us over 25 years ago, but he quickly became a mentor as Will Fantle and I launched The Cornucopia Institute and I began my career as an “organic industry watchdog.” ...
ORGANIC DOUBLE-CROSSED: The New Animal Welfare Rule, Fall 2023 NOSB Meeting, and “Continuous Improvement”
Young pullets in a certified organic operation — confined without outdoor access or windows. Currently illegal (although condoned by the USDA) but made legal under the new regulations. The Story: A Quick Overview USDA publishes the new and improved Organic...
ILLEGAL IMPORTS: Organic Industry Dustup
Corporate Lobby Circles the Wagons UPDATE: Below please find important follow-up information and documents regarding the recently filed lawsuit (Pratum Farm vs. USDA) alleging illegal, uninspected “organic” imports undercutting US farmers and exposing consumers to...
USDA Permits Massive Imports of Uninspected Organic Products
Lawsuit Alleges Violation of Federal Law and a Green Light for Fraud US Family Farmers Competitively Damaged, Consumers Deceived STORY IN A (HAZEL)NUTSHELL: Under federal law all organic farms must be inspected on an annual basis, as per the congressional mandate in...
October 2023 NOSB Meeting Comments
Unreviewed synthetic chemicals in organic farming? Commercial interests deciding what gets tested for pesticide residues? Organic vegetables grown in soil laced with microplastics? Those are just a few of the issues up for debate when the National Organic Standards...
Kastel’s Kitchen: Organic Hacks—Secrets for Decoding the Two Different Organic Labels
[Including brief updates on GMO vaccines, phony-baloney coatings on produce, and payola in organics] If you missed the live broadcast, watch the recording here! The Hierarchy of Your Food OptionsIf you prioritize eating fresh, whole, organic food, it isn’t enough to...
USDA Challenged on Illegal GMO Use in Organics
Industry Watchdog Calls for Public Meetings on the Use of Genetically Engineered Vaccines The Story: A Quick Overview One of the most prominent differentials between conventional and organic food is the latter’s strict prohibition on genetically modified farm inputs...
Corporate Foxes Guarding the Organic Chicken Coop
Mandated Safety Review of Materials/Ingredients Used in Organics Being Conducted by USDA Corporate Appointees and Agribusiness-Funded “Nonprofit” The Story: A Quick Overview Misinformation on social media concerning Apeel™, a coating used on organic fruits and...
Organic Legitimacy Betrayed by an Unholy Agribusiness/USDA Alliance
Fagundes Brothers Dairy: Allowed to continue to operate by the USDA and the nation's largest organic certifier, CCOF, after formal legal complaint filed by author. Hard-working Dairy Farmers Circling the Drain If you are a stockholder in Tyson, Perdue, Campbell’s,...
Issues, Observations, and Comments: The Subtle, and Often Not-So-Subtle, Influence of the Corporate Lobby on Organic Rulemaking
USDA National Organic Standards Board meeting, Atlanta, Georgia — April 2023 Public Comments (virtual via Zoom) OrganicEye’s critique of the appointments of NOSB members is focused on the USDA’s betrayal of the intent of Congress to create a highly-diversified body of...
Ronnie Cummins 1947-2023
Founder of the Organic Consumers Association Ronnie has been a friend, colleague, and ally for over 30 years. I met him in the early 1990s when we collaborated along with others in fighting Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (BGH). He represented...
Have You Ever Spent “A Day in the Country”?
A catchy little ditty by Kevin Mattson… LA FARGE, Wis. — I’m really lucky to live in a unique agrarian community. It’s thought there are more organic farmers in this county than any other county in the country. The area has attracted an eclectic assortment of folks,...
Corporate Dominance in Organic Governance and Rulemaking at the USDA – A Stick in the Eye to Organic Farmers and Consumers
Updated White Paper Profiles Lobbyist-Affiliated Appointees to National Organic Standards Board THE STORY: A QUICK OVERVIEW• As giant agribusinesses consolidated their marketplace power in organics, corporate lobbyists have achieved dominance in rulemaking,...
Prioritizing an All-Organic Diet—Paybacks from Safer, Nutrient-Dense Food
Source: Austin Valley (used under Creative Commons licensing) Fundamentally Flawed: Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 The quick take:• The new OrganicEye white paper challenges the legitimacy of encouraging shoppers to purchase...
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