Most small organic producers sell some of their goods at farmers’ markets.

Ontario organic bill again introduced in legislature

Survey shows barriers exist to small-producer certification

The creation of organic regulations for Ontario is getting a third chance. A private members bill to create organic regulations was tabled Nov. 12 in the Ontario legislature by Progressive Conservative Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. Why it matters: There are national organic standards that apply to products sold across provincial borders, but no […] Read more

(File photo)

USDA pulls plan to stiffen rules for organic egg farms

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture scrapped proposed rules on Monday that for the first time would have mandated specific space requirements for hens laying organic eggs and spelled out what it means for the birds to have access to the outdoors. USDA determined it did not have the authority to impose […] Read more

(SunOpta.com)

Hedge fund urges organics firm SunOpta to sell itself

Reuters — Hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners is urging Canadian organic food firm SunOpta Inc. to sell itself to a bigger rival, according to a letter sent to the company on Friday. Mississauga, Ont.-based SunOpta’s share price jumped 26 per cent after the US$4 billion hedge fund asked it to hire an investment bank to […] Read more

U.S. consumers’ demand for organic foods, such as this California lettuce, has risen steadily in the past decade — particularly in California, which alone accounted for 41 per cent of U.S. organic sales in 2014. (Eric Brennan photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Sales from organic U.S. farms reached $5.5B last year

Chicago | Reuters — Sales from organic U.S. farms reached US$5.5 billion last year, a 72 per cent increase from 2008, the U.S. Agriculture Department said in a report on Thursday that highlighted the consumer trend toward such products. The USDA data, compiled through farmer surveys, showed that milk was the top organic commodity in […] Read more