Today's News - 18 April 2012

“Organic farming is a progressive system that continues to develop. This dossier delivers expertise and ideas on how to reflect recent experiences in the further development of organic regulations, with the aim to reach full integrity and credibility of the organic food system.”
Christopher Stopes, IFOAM EU Group President, on the launch of the 3rd IFOAM EU Group regulation dossier on European Organic Regulations – ARC 2020 – 17 April 2012

Organic farming must be at the heart of CAP reform
The 6th European Organic Congress – “Smart change – towards a sustainable CAP” – started yesterday morning with a high level policy panel discussing the CAP reform and the launch of a new dossier to evaluate the EU organic regulations. The Deputy Director General of DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Jerzy Bogdan Plewa, stated that support for organic farming remains an essential ingredient in the policy recipe for sustainable food production.
ARC 2020 (17 Apr)
 
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Grows, Celebrates Five Years
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) turned five years old in 2011, adding 80 new companies and another country to the list of those with GOTS-certified facilities, expanding particularly in developed countries, and receiving formal recognition by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By year’s end, 2,714 facilities in 57 countries around the world were certified to the organic apparel and textile standard. The GOTS IWG is made up of the the Soil Association (UK), the Organic Trade Association (U.S.), Japan Organic Cotton Association, and the International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany).
PR Web (17 Apr)
Find out more about organic textiles here.

How to feed the world – sustainably
Enough food is produced today for everyone to have the nourishment they need, yet nearly one billion people are hungry and one billion malnourished, while another one billion are overweight. According to Feeding the Future, a new report by the Soil Association, organic and other agro-ecological systems could feed a projected population of nine billion in 2050.
Kitchen Garden (1 May, p.6)
Read the report: ‘Feeding the Future’
How can organic farming feed the world? Find out here.
Read Amy Leech’s blog: ‘Asking the wrong questions’
 
NFU calls for better food production balance
The new NFU chairman has called for a better balance between protecting the environment and food production in UK farming. He believes the CAP reform process had led to concerns that the EU Commissions was “gambling with food security”.
Farmers Weekly (17 Apr)
 
Positive signals for Red Tractor scheme
The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted EU-wide in time for this year’s harvest. It will mean that Red Tractor farm assurance will become the route for farmers to demonstrate they meet the new sustainability requirements for biofuel crops under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
Farming UK (17 Apr)
 
Scottish youngsters to learn about food and farming
The Scottish Government’s drive to help youngsters learn more about food has been taken a step further with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) outlining its planned initiatives.
Farmers Guardian (18 Apr)
 
Why businesses should turn their food waste into compost
More food companies are starting to compost their waste, from local breweries to large supermarket chains like Whole Foods. The fight to keep food scraps out of landfill is an uphill climb, however.
The Guardian (17 Apr)

The Rio+20 Earth summit must back peasant farmers on land rights
Governments in the global south are claiming farmland is 'empty' and 'unused' – and selling it to foreigners who promise investment. Author Fred Pearce argues that the June summit in Rio needs to call a halt to this.
The Guardian (17 Apr)

As Roundup's effect fades, farming costs rise
A much-used herbicide, which for years has helped farmers throughout the United States increase profits, is losing its effectiveness and forcing producers to spend more and use more chemicals to control the weeds that threaten yields.
Delaware Online (17 Apr)

Farming Today
70% of teenagers questioned for a new survey say horticulture's a career for underachievers, according to a new survey commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society. Dairy Crest is closing two of its factories, and has also lost a contract to sell milk to Tesco. And, why weather conditions on the other side of the globe have meant the splash of oilseed rape yellow across the British countryside is bigger this year.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (18 Apr)

And finally…forget global warming and fuel shortages... the world is facing a chocolate crisis
The world is on the brink of a chocolate supply crisis thanks to instability in cacao growing areas and soaring demand in developing countries, an expert has warned.
The Daily Mail (17 Apr)