The paper not only shows why there is a difference in the nutritional quality of organic and non-organic milk, but also identifies the importance of feeding at least 60% grass or conserved grass to organic cows, as required by organic standards.
The research emphasises the huge importance of allowing cattle to graze outdoors and to eat a natural diet high in grass. This means organic cows do not depend on high levels of grain and proteins such as soya”.

This very important news was released by the Soil Association on it’s website. We invite you to read more about it.

Let’s 2010 go away with its good and bad moments.

We wish this new period a very good and hopful one for everybody.

Let’s share and help the most needful ones among us.

For all of you we hope your dearest wishes to be realised, the love of your beloved and the satisfaction to bring joy around you.

Take care

From ProNatura Team

They also found “that their higher quality soils may have greater microbial functional capability and resilience to stress”.

More (abstract and video) and full study

The IFOAM EU Group has opened a job position for a Financial and Legal officer. Please find all relevant information on this link: http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/eu_group-new/ifoameu/php/vacancies.php

IFOAM EU Group

Email: info@ifoam-eu.org

The IFOAM EU Group is the European working level within the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. It brings together more than 300 organisations, associations and enterprises from all EU-27, EFTA and candidate countries. IFOAM´s goal is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on the principles of Organic Agriculture. Read more: www.ifoam-eu.org

The good question is not how to make organic and GMO coexist, but how to ensure that GMOs don’t make all other agriculture disappear.

To know more about Juli Berge case (in french)

We are please to relay last Ifoam’s annual report as this organisation works hard to promote Organic Farming all over the world.

Here are some extracts we thought useful to share.

“There are 67 million hectares of land, organically managed by 1.4 million certified producers. Non-certified producers, for which no official figures exist, are presumed to represent the total of certified producers many times over”.

“Global sales reached 50.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, doubling in value from 2003.

“70% of the world’s food is produced by a web of small producers, including 1.5 billion smallholder farmers. These farmers form the backbone of food security in the developing world”.

“Organic agricultural systems sequester on average 560 kg of CO2 per hectare per year more than conventional systems in temperate regions. In tropical regions the difference lies at an average of 1 tonne of CO2 per hectare. These benefits, however, could potentially be dwarfed by the devastating impacts of industrial agriculture, should agriculture as a whole be recognized and rewarded as carbon sinks in climate policies”.

Organic farming is a powerful tool based on the utilization of biodiversity. Farming communities relying on their ecosystems and traditions, combined with the innovation of organic research and experience, improve their soils, animal welfare and their families’ livelihood. Statistics show that organic farmers in industrialized countries have a higher income than their conventional colleagues. Impact studies in developing countries reveal increased resilience and prove that farming communities taking up organic agricultural practices consume a more varied diet and enjoy better health. It is widely known that yields of organic crops are slightly lower in temperate zones, with optimal conditions particularly in the first years after conversion. However, it is also widely ignored that organic farmers achieve higher yields on marginal land. Overall, organic agriculture performs similarly with less investment. With a strategy of eco-intensification, it is possible, even in the future, to feed the world with organic agriculture”.

Full Ifoam's annual report

A new chapter has been added to the dispute over GM crops in Brazil. A court ruling now prohibits Bayer from marketing Liberty Link maize – resistant to the herbicide glufosinate – anywhere in the country due to the absence of any plan for post-release monitoring. The federal judge Pepita Durski Tramontini from the Curitiba Environment Court also specifically revoked authorization for the crop’s release in the North and Northeast of Brazil due to the absence of any studies relating to the potential impacts of this technology on the regional biomes.
Additionally the ruling annulled the approval given by the Council of Ministers (the National Biosafety Council) to commercial release of the maize since their decision had been based on irregular procedures undertaken by CTNBio.
CTNBio – the National Biosafety Technical Commission, responsible for approving release of GMOs in Brazil – has now been ordered to ensure comprehensive access to the GMO release procedures. It must also introduce a norm setting a time limit for any decision on requests for confidential business information, allowing all non-secret information to be made public”.
To know more

The Prince of Wales has dismissed as “nonsense” the mantra that ‘organic won’t feed the world’.

The Prince’s comment came in a speech he made at Elm Farm Organic Research Centre (ORC) last month. In his speech, part of ORC’s 30^th birthday celebrations, he insisted “organic is the only truly sustainable form of agriculture and the one approach that has a real chance of mitigating the worst effects of climate change”.

The Prince criticised the “wasteful” approach of intensive farming and the fragmented systems that props it up. He added: “Organic, on the other hand, recognises that Nature is finite and has to be respected.”

To be followed on naturalproductsonline

  35 million hectares of agricultural land are certified Organic in 2008. It represents almost three million hectares more compared to 2007 : 

- Oceania dominates with 34.7 percent, followed by Europe with 23.4 percent and Latin America with 23 percent.

- Australia accounts for the largest certified organic surface area with 12 million hectares, followed by Argentina with 4 million hectares, and China (1.9 million hectares).

-The global market for organic products reached a value of over 50 billion U.S. Dollars in 2008.

These figures are presented at Biofach (17 to 20 February).

To have more details, please read Ifoam Release.

For many, Britain produces only cauliflower, artichokes and mash. But the list of productions from this region is much longer, especially in this season. 
More than 25 different vegetables are now in ProNatura Bretagne's products list: beets, artichokes, fennel, chard, courgettes, celeriac, celery, squash, onion white boots, pink onions of Roscoff, cabbage turnip, broccoli , shallot, radish, cucumber, turnip and several varieties of tomatoes. 
A great diversity that reflects the vitality of Organic farming in this important french area production.

(Commented slideshow)

We strongly believe the future success of our partnership resides in an even stronger collaboration between production and commercial which will lead to the integration of the production and the packing operation of PBS in ProNatura Group. This integration could come to fruition by July 2009.

For the coming season, winter 2008 / 2009, ProNatura will be the exclusive distributor in Europe of PBS production.
ProNatura will send 2 commercial executives to second PBS in developing and organizing direct shipments from Agadir to our customers hence improving customer service and quality.

This year we expect to commercialize around 7 000 tonnes of product among which tomato, peppers, courgette, cucumber, aubergine and melon. We shall also inform you in due course of the citrus production both organic and in conversion.

Henri de Pazzis (ProNatura's Chairman and Lahcen El Hjoujy, PBS's Chairman)

If it's general contents "is tailored towards consumers, a special toolbox section provides print, photographics and audiovisuel material" to be used by professionals.

To know more : europa.eu/agriculture/organic