The Cornucopia Institute

Shoppers at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage can support Cornucopia with every purchase on Thursday, October 16! "Thanks to the generosity of Natural Grocers, organic shoppers can invest their food dollars to heal people and the planet. Together, we are driving demand for the best organic food, ensuring tomorrow's innovative organic brands have a chance, and keeping dedicated organic farmers on the land." - Melody Morrell, Executive Director

Being in community with the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association is good for the soul.   INFRA stores are on the front lines of our Independence Matters campaign. Nearly 60 INFRA stores in 26 states are using shelf tags, endcaps, signage, and our Who Owns Organic? booklets to shine a spotlight on independent organic brands. (Check out the images for some inspiring examples.)   This project is powered by an ecosystem of dedicated changemakers and community anchors. We had the opportunity to chat with many of these leaders at the recent INFRA conference in St. Paul and the conversations left us inspired and in awe of their commitment to organic farmers and innovative organic brands. The INFRA network is committed to finding purpose in the profit margin.   Consumers are here for it. They’ve witnessed how the harmful industrial food system wraps its tendrils around our communities, and they refuse to be bystanders. They want to celebrate and protect organic – and connect their purchases to efforts that help heal our planet.   That makes the information natural food retailers provide just as valuable as the products on their shelves, creating greater demand for the type of staff trainings and advocacy efforts Cornucopia and other nonprofits make possible.   A speaker at the conference likened the growth in organics to the tailwinds of a rocket ship. Much of that growth favors brands that go above and beyond a commitment to produce food free of the most toxic pesticides. Knowing which brand to choose in a sea of claims can be confusing, and INFRA and Cornucopia serve as valuable guides in an otherwise opaque marketplace.   Together we will ensure that consumers have continued access to real choice in the marketplace. Because what ends up in your cart matters. Images featuring indie retailers: Jimbo's Harvest Market Sawall Health Food * Harvest Market * A Clean Plate Local and Organic Grocer * Nuts 'n Berries Neighborhood Market * Natural Health Center * Martindale's Natural Market Images featuring indie brands: GoMacroEqual Exchange Lovebird Foods Nixie Beverage Company Barnana, PBC Fruit Bliss ALOHA Patagonia Provisions Nature's Path Foods Jovial Foods, Inc.

The comment period on the the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) rescission of the Organic Market Development Rule (concerning organic pet food and mushrooms) is closing soon! Our policy director's commentary is attached: it's vital to protect and respect the regulatory procedures in place that protect organic integrity. Comments on the rescission and “all aspects of the proposal” by June 11th, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern.

A conversation with Kestrel is a master class in all-things organic. Don't miss this podcast interview. Big thanks to INFRA for continuing to share our work!

Our colleagues at the Organic Farmers Association are going to DC to fight for a certified organic label we can trust next week! Please support them with your comments and calls. Cornucopia also supports OFA's petition to fight organic fraud. Residue testing of organic imports is one necessary piece of an effective program to tackle companies taking advantage of the benefits offered by the organic seal. Stopping fraudulent imports will also benefit domestic farmers who are working within the strict organic rules at an unfair disadvantage. Sign on here to support legislation that would require residue testing on high-risk imported organic grains: https://lnkd.in/g-NWU9wA

How does your organic food rate? Consumer Reports suggests adding our Organic Scorecards to your phone's bookmarks: "It’s impossible for most consumers to figure out what goes on behind barn doors, but the Cornucopia Institute, an independent organic industry watchdog, does that for you. It developed excellent scorecards that rank most of the nation’s organic beef, poultry, egg, and dairy producers based on metrics around animal welfare, transparency, pasture management, and other indicators that will point you to well-run organic farms."

Cornucopia researches and educates about brand consolidation in the certified organic marketplace. In a previous message, Cornucopia shared the brand names associated with Grimmway Farms to underscore the illusion of choice in the marketplace. Bolthouse Farms supplies most of the remaining branded carrots in stores. Together, Grimmway and Bolthouse sell 60-80% of the carrots in the US, both organic and chemically grown. Because they supply so many carrots across the country, any contamination can have a wide footprint. How did we get a carrot monopoly in the first place? It’s not as straightforward as you might imagine. More here: https://lnkd.in/gcZVUjRA

The work we are doing here at Cornucopia is essential for understanding our #Organic food system! I hope others enjoy and get a lot of use out of our toolkit.

It's not too late to join us later today!