Sustainable Tulips in OR
Posted - April 27, 2008
Oregon Tulip Festival to Feature Certified-Sustainable Blooms
Certified sustainable tulips will be part of this year’s Spring Tulip Fest in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
The tulips from Iverson Family Farms, a decades-old operation, are now certified as sustainably grown by Scientific Certification Systems according to VeriFlora® program standards.
This standard includes environmental sustainability, social responsibility and product quality. In Iverson’s case, it covers 40 acres of field tulips, 50 of daffodils and about 2 million stems of greenhouse tulips at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, located 45 minutes from Portland.
“The process provided valuable focus, and I believe it will help our business,” said owner Barb Iverson.
While not the same as organic certification, VeriFlora® requires careful soil-building, energy efficiency, practices that reduce risk from agrichemicals, and protection of water and wildlife.
Scientific Certification Systems has certified more than 750 million stems of cut flowers since the VeriFlora® program was launched in 2005. The program has gained recognition in cut flowers and more recently in potted and bedding plants.
“We are delighted to add Iverson Family Farms to the growing list of farms, wholesalers, and distributors who have demonstrated their commitment to making sustainability a reality,” said Linda Brown, SCS executive vice president.
For more: VeriFlora®, SCS, Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm
Italian Specialties at ATO
Posted - April 18, 2008
Naples Delights in Chicago
Italian restaurants are aiming to delight the tastebuds of All Things Organic fair visitors with a culinary tour of delicacies from the country’s Napoli, Caserta and Avellino provinces, during North America’s largest organics exhibition April 27-29.
Those attending All Things Organic or one of the other two shows that are part of The Global Food & Style Expo at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, are invited to taste Italy during dinner hours at Follia (953 W. Fulton Market), Osteria Via Stato (620 North State), Quartino (626 N. State St.) and Spacca Napoli (1769 W. Sunnyside).
Sample real durum wheat pasta from Italy’s famous Gragnano region, indulge in sumptuous San Marzano tomatoes from Napoli and Salerno and get your first taste of the Caserta province’s extra virgin olive oil and milky fresh buffalo mozzarella. Alongside, enjoy sips of the outstanding wines of Avellino, Caserta and Gragnano.
Please contact individual restaurants for details.
The events are organized by the Provincial Councils of Naples, Caserta and Avellino together with I.R.V.A.T, Proteus and COM.TUR. All are participating in The Global Food & Style Expo at Chicago’s McCormick Place April 27-29, 2008.
Delicious Ecuadorian-Made Dark Chocolate
Posted - April 16, 2008
Pacari: Delicious Dark Chocolate from Ecuador
The world’s first made-in-Ecuador 100% organic certified chocolate, fairly-traded too, is set to make its US debut.
Pacari Chocolate co-founders Carla Barboto and Santiago Peralta studied European chocolate-making techniques before working closely with several small communities in Ecuador to create their company’s current product line.
After selling Ecuador-origin chocolate to European chocolatiers for some time, the young entrepreneurs eventually decided it was time to create a made-in-Ecuador, own-brand. “We realized that our chocolate couvertures were being used to produce some award-winning chocolates in Europe, so it was time for us to create our own label,” said Peralta.
The first-ever ‘bean-to-bar’ organic offerings from Ecuador are the firm’s 3 regional dark chocolate bars and several specialty chocolate-covered treats, now sold in Europe and set to hit US shelves later this Summer.
Working with local communities and using 100% organic ingredients, fairly traded, was the best approach. Pacari Chocolate sticks with local cacao farmers in the 3 origin regions of its bars, including the economically-depressed Esmeraldas province that produces its 60% cocoa bar. The firm provides workers with technical support and training as well as a guaranteed premium cocoa price - and a lasting business relationship.
“Selecting the right beans is one of the most crucial steps in creating quality chocolate,” Barboto said. Close supplier relations are win-win, as the buyer can work directly with farmers to develop the desired crops.
After two successful European exhibitions at the ISM (the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair) in Cologne and BioFach in Nuremberg this year, Pacari Chocolate will exhibit at All Things Organic, Booth 3927, in Chicago April 27-29. Visit to enjoy a tasty treat and learn more about the methods and people behind the firm.
Please visit http://www.pacarichocolate.com for more.
US Campaign Against GMOs Targets Consumers
Posted - April 11, 2008
New Initiatives to Control GMO Products in the United States
GMOs will soon be off everyone’s table, if Jeffrey Smith has his way. His Institute for Responsible Technology is launching a major initiative that will have food companies racing to replace GM ingredients. The Campaign for Healthy Eating in America, Smith says, is designed to reach the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs before the end of 2009.
Ten years ago, virtually all major food companies committed to remove GMOs from their European brands within a single week. In the US, a response to Monsanto’s rbGH (GM bovine growth hormone) began two years ago, when Starbucks, Krogers, and 40 out of 100 top dairies removed these products. Wal-Mart declared their milk rbGH free this March. “The common link to these tipping points,” says Smith, “is that consumers became aware of the health dangers and were given choice. Since GMOs offer no consumer advantages, even a small percentage of consumers making brand choices based their non-GMO status will cause food companies to respond.”
Smith has traveled to 30 countries speaking on the health dangers of genetically modified foods. “Convincing consumers to shun GMOs has become easy,” says Smith, “since the evidence of problems is now overwhelming and irrefutable.” These dangers are compiled in Smith’s new book, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. With input from more than 30 scientists over two years, Genetic Roulette presents 65 health risks of GM foods and why current safety assessments are not competent to protect us from most of them. Former UK environment minister Michael Meacher says the revelations in Genetic Roulette may “change the global course of events this century.” It’s presented in the same clear, accessible style that made Jeffrey’s first book, Seeds of Deception, the world’s best-selling and number 1 rated book on genetically engineered foods.
The Campaign for Healthier Eating is providing the compelling evidence on GMO dangers for health conscious shoppers. Natural food stores will feature Non-GMO Education Centers containing books, brochures, CDs, DVDs, and Non-GMO Shopping Guides to make it easy for shoppers to identify non-GMO products on store shelves.
The Institute and its coalition partners are helping to inspire the entire North American natural food industry to remove all remaining GM ingredients, providing ample choice for thoroughly educated non-GMO shoppers.
The first Non-GMO Shopping Guides should be available this Summer, with electronic and print circulation expected in the tens of millions. The Institute will also print the Guide in magazines and circulate copies to healthcare professionals, schools and parents and religious groups.
“Consumers are on the top of the food chain,” says Smith, “and together, we can move the marketplace.”
For more: http://www.responsibletechnology.org
