Organic farmers’ beliefs about soil microbiome affect their practices, study shows
Organic farming can support soil microorganisms that promote plant defenses and reduce insect pests. But not all organic practices are equally beneficial for soil microbes, and it’s important to understand farmer motivations in order to encourage the adoption of microbiome-supportive efforts.
https://phys.org/news/2024-06-farmers-beliefs-soil-microbiome-affect.html
Educating Consumers Worldwide on Organic
The Organic Trade Association has been awarded $2.5 million to open and develop untapped export markets for U.S. organic products through the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The goal of RAPP is to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products into new markets in parts of the world where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is increasing.
https://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/articles/16948-educating-consumers-worldwide-on-organic
The 15 Best Places to Buy Organic Bedding
If you’re striving to be more eco-friendly in your everyday life, a natural place to start is in the home. Aside from more obvious changes like using eco-friendly cleaning supplies and being more mindful of waste, another step is to buy organic bedding. Since we spend so much time in our beds, it makes sense to seek out products that are free of chemicals and potentially harmful substances — but it’s not enough to just buy sheets (or any fabric) simply labeled “organic.”
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/15-best-places-buy-organic-180000742.html
Switzerland leads the way in Europe on organic food
In a Europe-wide ranking, Switzerland is first in per capita organic consumption ahead of Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden, Biosuisse said. Germany is sixth and France a close seventh. Sales of organic products grew by just under 7% in Switzerland in 2023. General price increases account for 4% of this, according to the organisation. The market volume of organic products is just over CHF4 billion ($4.52 billion). The market share of organic products in the retail trade is therefore 11.6%.
Organic produce trade increasing between the U.S. and Mexico
Two-way trade between the U.S. and Mexico in organic produce is booming, a new report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service says. The top five organic exports from the U.S. to Mexico in 2023 were apples, pears, grapes, spinach, and lettuce, while Mexico’s top five organic exports to the U.S. that year were avocados, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tomatoes.
https://www.thepacker.com/news/organic/organic-produce-trade-increasing-between-us-and-mexico
