Organic NEWS The Good News
HEALTHY CHOICE:
12 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic SOUND BARRIER
Can High-Power Ultrasound Protect Produce from Pathogens? one of the world’s driest countries
Saudi Arabia Looks To Organic Farming Methods
Organic NEWS The Good News
Publisher: AgroMunch s.r.o. Editing: Matej Moharič matej@organicnews.eu Krešimir Hranjec kresimir@organicnews.eu Proofing: Gregor Švajger Tehnical implementation: AgroMunch s.r.o.
HEALTHY CHOICE:
Issue: 1 / June 2012
12 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic
SOUND BARRIER
Can High-Power Ultrasound Protect Produce from Pathogens?
Address: Agromunch s.r.o. Bancíkovej 1/a, SK-821 03, Bratislava, Slovakia
one of the world’s driest countries
Saudi Arabia Looks To Organic Farming Methods
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e-mail: web:
info@agromunch.eu http:www.agromunch.eu
12 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic
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Commission Proposes Strategy For Sustainable Bioeconomy In Europe
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Strong Growth Of Organic Market In 2011
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Romania Can Be Major Supplier Of Organic Food For German Market
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Organics In Slovakia
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The World Of Organic Agriculture 2012
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Can High-Power Ultrasound Protect Produce From Pathogens?
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Saudi Arabia Looks To Organic Farming Methods
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The Advantages Of Organic Farming And Production For Farmers
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The Advantages Of Organic Farming, Production And Distribution For Processors, Wholesale Trade And Retailers
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Organic News
The Good News
Organic News eMagazine Dear reader,
if you are first time here, maybe you should read this. Organic News e-magazine is project which was initiated by several major European companies in Organic farming, food production and certificated transport. The project was launched to unite a fragmented Organic market, primarily to assist small companies and manufacturer to penetrate from smaller national to larger European market. Organic News e-magazine will process the most interesting current topics in Organic farming but the main idea behind the magazine is to unite and present to each other all companies in Organic farming, as well as to promote Organic farming itself. We are not strictly connected to Organic farming, we will also present conventional farming companies in hope that they will GO ORGANIC too. Organic News is absolutely free e-magazine, you can recommend it to anyone for whom you think could benefit from it. It is kind of helping hand for all. If you like the idea behind the magazine fell free to help us creating it, if you are young journalist who wants to be recognized as an talent in Europe fell free to write us. We will be happy to publish your signed article and your email. Maybe we can help you to find an perfect job in some big publishind company. Also we invite web portals to contact us, we can promote each other. So, we are not only about Organic farming, we are also about promoting healthier and more natural way of living, working, communicating etc. We are The Good News for all. Finally. If you have any suggestion, question, comment or proposal, please write it to our project coordinator Kresimir Hranjec at kresimir@organicnews.eu.
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TransTeamLogistic Group was founded in 2010 and is based in Bratislava, Slovakia. We are specialize in GMP bulk transport and trading of organic grain.
TransTeamLogistic Group represents synergy of three companies and our group effort maximizes our offer potential, services and meeting our customer needs. Our services include bulk GMP+ material transport and organic grain trading. We also offer e-commerce marketing, web design and development of IT solutions.
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HEALTH
12 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic
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e have all heard time and time again to “always choose organic” or that “organic is better.” We’ve learned to ‘eat this, not that’, and how to read labels. We put time and effort into preparing our meals, and exploring new vegan dishes for friends and family to try. And if any of you are like me, you pride yourself on being healthy and knowledgeable. You feel great after a healthy meal, or a good workout. But what if we are missing a key element to our health, a consider-
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ably vital factor, at a fairly basic level? hen we purchase organics, we are helping reduce the pesticides that harm our environment. Eliminating these pesticides is crucial not only to the health of our environment, but also to our bodies as well. Studies have found links between high levels of pesticide intake and neurological damage (including Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s), as well as endocrine and reproductive disorders.
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owever, despite the documented health and environmental impacts of pesticides, a common concern about buying organic is how expensive it can be. Some families explain they simply cannot afford it! Understandable. However – there is always a solution. he Environmental Working Group releases annual studies that analyze data from the Department of Agriculture. They closely examine pesticide residue on a large number of fruits and
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www.organicnews.eu
HEALTH
vegetables. They believe we can all significantly reduce our exposure to these harmful pesticides by approximately 80% if we purchase organic produce. But what if you can’t afford to buy all organic produce?
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he following list summarizes the “dirtiest” or most pesticide-laden produce items. If you can only swing a few organic items at the grocery store each week, make sure to prioritize these fruits and vegetables. (Kelsey McClelland)
Source : www.onegreenplanet.org
1. Apples
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he old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” now includes an important caveat. With more than 40 different pesticides detected, apples are consistently rated among the dirtiest produce items. With 7 known carcinogens, 19 suspected hormone disruptors, 10 neurotoxins, and 6 developmental or reproductive toxins, non-organic
apples are a petri dish for negative health effects in humans. Insect threats and fungus push farmers to spray several kinds of chemicals over their orchards. This means that you should also try to purchase organic apple juice and applesauce, as traces of pesticides have been found in them as well!
2. Strawberries
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final product. The majority of these pesticides are suspected hormone disruptors. If organic strawberries are unavailable or too expensive, pineapple and kiwi are two of the lowest pesticide fruits.
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ore than 60 kinds of pesticides have been found on peaches. It seems due to this tree fruits fuzzy skin and vulnerability to insects and mold, the majority of these pesticides are disappointingly retained. Can’t find organic
www.organicnews.eu
peaches? Shopping at farmers markets is a great idea. While organics aren’t always guaranteed – we can alternatively discuss the use of pesticides with the farmers themselves, to help make a more informed buying decision.
early 60 kinds of pesticides have been found on strawberries! Given their delicate flesh and lack of a protective skin, many of the pesticides sprayed on strawberries can be found in the
3. Peaches
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HEALTH
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SDA testing has discovered more than 60 different pesticides on celery ( link ). A whopping 13 of these pesticides are known cancer caus-
4. Celery ing carcinogens. If you can’t find organic celery, try using onions or broccoli for a lowerpesticide alternative.
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ith 48 types of pesticides, Spinach is the leading contender in the leafy greens category. Two of the most commonly used types of pesticides found in spinach are permethrin and dimethoate, which are both potential human carcinogens. With over
5. Spinach
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et another tree fruit found with high levels of pesticide residue, USDA data has found 33 different pesticides on nectarines, and 7 of these
are known carcinogens. If organic nectarines aren’t available, Pineapples, papaya, or mangos make for great alternatives.
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early 50 kinds of pesticides have been detected on sweet bell peppers – and yes all colors included! This cooking favourite veggie retains 11 known or
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6. Nectarines
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7. Grapes
ver 30 pesticides have been found on grapes. A large portion of these pesticides are neurotoxins and potential hormone disruptors. Imported probable carcinogens, 26 suspected hormone disruptors, 13 neurotoxins, and even carries a high level of bee toxins. With numbers like these, its Organic pepper or no pepper!
exposure to these pesticides, we have increased chances in developing many types of disorders including those of the brain, and nervous system. Alternatively, canned spinach has been proven to carry less pesticide residues when organics are not an option.
grapes have shown to carry even higher levels of pesticide residues. When organic grapes are not an option, domestically grown grapes are a smarter purchase.
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
HEALTH
9. White potatoes
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oming in at #10 on our list, with just over 50 types of pesticides detected is the blueberry. Surprisingly, frozen blueberries have proved to be slightly less contaminated, however, obvious alternatives like cranberries and
raspberries are still high in pesticides, even though they didn’t make the dirty dozen list. Feeling the blueberry blues? When organics are not an option, consider using bananas to top up your morning cereal.
11. Lettuce
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true superfood, Kale is known for its many health benefits, including several cancer fighting antioxidants. Unfortunately we do more harm than good by consuming non organic Kale.
USDA testing shows 55 types of pesticides found on kale for the past 2 years consecutively. Safer alternatives to kale include cabbage, broccoli or dandelion greens.
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merica’s favourite vegetable, the potato! While potatoes are a vegetable of the ground, and generally perceived as safer, the USDA data reveals
37 pesticide residues detected on the potato. Sweet potatoes are on the “Clean 15” list, and make a great alternative!
10. Blueberries
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ith more than 50 pesticide residues found, lettuce joins Spinach in the leafy greens category. The next time you’re making a salad and the organic lettuce cannot be found, cabbage is ana excellent alterna-
tive. Very few sprays are required on cabbage, and luckily it doesn’t retain much of them. It does however retain beta carotene, an antioxidant known for its possible cancer fighting attributes!
12. Kale / Collard Greens
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THE FUTURE WAS UNCERTAIN UNTIL WE DECIDED TO UNITE.
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FINALLY, OUR FUTURE LOOKS GREEN.
UNITE FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE
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promotion
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European Commission - Press release
Commission proposes strategy for sustainable bioeconomy in Europe “Europe needs to make the transition to a post-petroleum economy. Greater use of renewable resources is no longer just an option, it is a necessity. We must drive the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based society with research and innovation as the motor. This is good for our environment, our food and energy security, and for Europe’s competitiveness for the future,” said Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
Brussels, 13 February 2012 The European Commission has today adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products. The Commission’s strategy and action plan, “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe”, outlines a coherent, cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach to the issue. The goal is a more innovative and lowemissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable biological resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring biodiversity and environmental protection. The plan therefore focuses on three key aspects: developing new technologies and processes for the bioeconomy; developing markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors; and pushing
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policy makers and stakeholders to work more closely together. The term “Bioeconomy” means an economy using biological resources from the land and sea, as well as waste, as inputs to food and feed, industrial and energy production. It also covers the use of bio-based processes for sustainable industries. Bio-waste for example has considerable potential as an alternative to chemical fertilizers or for conversion into bio-energy, and can meet 2% of the EU renewable energy target. The EU bioeconomy already has a turnover of nearly €2 trillion and employs more than 22 million people, 9% of total employment in the EU. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and pulp and paper production, as well as parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries. Each euro invested in EUfunded bioeconomy research and innovation is estimated to trigger €10 of value added in bioeconomy sectors by 2025.
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The Strategy 1) Investment
in research, innovation and skills for the bioeconomy. This should include EU funding, national funding, private investment and enhancing synergies with other policy initiatives. Development of markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors by a sustainable intensification of primary production, conversion of waste streams into value-added products, as well as mutual learning mechanisms for improved production and resource efficiency. As an example, food waste costs the European taxpayer between €55 and €90 per tonne to dispose of, and produces 170 million tons of CO2. This waste could be transformed into bio-energy or other bio-based products, creating jobs and growth. Reinforced policy coordination and stakeholder engagement, through the creation of a Bioeconomy Panel, a Bioeconomy Observatory and regular Stakeholder Conferences; The strategy seeks synergies and complementaries with other policy areas, instruments and funding sources which share and address the same objectives, such as the Cohesion Funds, the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies (CAP and CFP), the Integrated Maritime Policy
2)
3)
(IMP), environmental, industrial, employment, energy and health policies. The preparation of the Strategy was led by Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn with the support of four other Commissioners: Vice-President Tajani and Commissioners Cioloş, Damanaki and Potočnik. With Research and Innovation at the heart of the Strategy, it will first be presented to EU Member States at the Competitiveness Council on 21 February 2012. EU Member States including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands already have Bioeconomy Strategies in place. On the international stage, Canada, China, South Africa and the US either have or are planning their own ambitious strategies. The Commission’s proposal is one of the operational proposals under the Innovation Union and Resource–efficient Europe flagships of the EU 2020 strategy. The need to increase public funding for bioeconomy research and innovation has been recognized under the Commission’s future research programme Horizon 2020: €4.7 billion has been proposed for the Challenge “Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research, and the bioeconomy”, with complementary funding in other areas of Horizon 2020.
Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research, and the bioeconomy
For further information: MEMO/12/97 Horizon 2020: www.ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020 Innovation Union: http://ec.europa.eu/innovation-union Resource-efficient Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/resource-efficient-europe Europe 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020
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Germany
Strong growth of organic market in 2011
“this growth is encouraging” A
ccording to provisional data for 2011, compiled by the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry BÖLW (www. boelw.de), the organic area grew by only 2.3 percent, increasing from of 990’702 hectares in 2010 to 1.01 million hectares in 2011. For farms, the growth rate was 4.8 percent; 23’000 farms managed organically in 2011.
market development,” said Alexander Gerber, Director of BÖLW. The logical consequence is that the import share continues to rise: “The import share is, for example, for cereals 15 percent, for potatoes and carrots 26 percent and 5 percent for apples,” said Alexander Gerber. The latter data are based on a study carried out by the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) and partners. Further details are available from a presentation of Diana Schaack of AMI as shown at the BioFach Congress event “The global market for organic food” of February 16, 2012. he data on German organic agriculture and the German organic market were presented at a BÖLW press conference at BioFach 2012. At this press conference, both the data for Germany as well as the latest data on organic agriculture and markets world-wide were presented. The data are annually compiled by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (www.fibl.org) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture (www.ifoam.org); they are published in the yearbook “The World of Organic Agriculture”.
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n 2011, the organic market grew at a faster rate than the organic land and number of farms. Compared with 2010, the organic sales grew by nine percent. Revenues grew from 6.02 billion Euros in 2010 to 6.59 billion Euros in 2011. “This growth is encouraging. The bad news is, however, that the development of organic farming in Germany lags behind the
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Source
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Fresh, soft goats’ cheese and curd since 1995.
Prepared according to traditional recipes and is deliciously fresh and soft.
Wide selection of flavours and weights.
Our fresh goats’ cheese is available as rolls, spreadable cheeses, Bûche (white mould cheese in roll), Camembert, Brie, Crumbled cheese and Slices fresh goat’s cheese in various flavours and weights. Our products are available in many specialist cheese shops, in supermarkets, the hospitality industry and wholesalers and are also exported worldwide. We hope you enjoy our cheese.
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Romania can be major supplier of organic food for German market
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omania can be a major supplier of organic food for the German market, one of the largest consumers of such food in the world, said the German MPs during the meeting with the representatives of the Association of Organic Farming Operators ‘Bio Romania.’ he German MPs asked to be briefed on organic farming in Romania and about the exports made in the European Union in this sector. Germany is one of the largest consumers of organic food in the world
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and resorts to imports from China to cover the domestic consumption, although they would rather import from a EU member state. According to them, Romania can be a major supplier of organic food for the German market,’ president of the aforementioned association Marian Cioceanu told Agerpres. e added that deputy Friedrich Ostendorf became an honorary member of the Bio Romania Association for initiating and working towards the adoption of the legislation meant to
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separate the organic farming from that of the genetically engineered organisms. io Romania president also announced they are going to start the dialogue with the relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Health and the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority to reduce the iodine intake among population as the consumers are basically forced to eat food with a large quantity of iodine, which might cause diseases. f the authorities in Romania do not lis-
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ten to us, we will appeal to the European Commission,’ said Marian Cioceanu who added that ‘it is illogical that you should force an entire country to have iodine just to prevent 7,000 to 12,000 cases of hypothyroidism a year.’ ccording to Bio Romania president, due to iodized salt, the iodine is virtually everywhere is consumed in large quantities, which is more severe. It is met in bread and bakery products, meats and processed meat, in dairy products and basically in all the products of the food industry.
book(s)
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he local market of the organic foods reported an annual constant growth of 20 percent, although the consumption of organic food accounts for one percentage point of the total food. The surfaces cultivated with organic food in Romania are 17 times larger as compared to 2000 and 13.3 percent larger compared to 2010, accounting for 2.25 percent of Romania’s total agricultural surface. urrently, Romania exports most of its organic food ranging from honey to edible oil, vegetable fats and oils and fruit, more
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than 90 percent of it going to European countries, where they are processed to be sold to a third party as a finite product. The main destinations are Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, the northern European countries, but the Bio Romania Association attended this year the largest fair of organic food in the United States which is the largest market for organic food, and two economic missions in Japan and Dubai in the Middle East. Source: http://www.actmedia.eu
Turn Here Sweet Corn Organic Farming Works Author: Atina Diffley, 2012.
A master class in organic farming, a lesson in entrepreneurship, a love story, and a legal thriller In telling her story of working the land, Atina Diffley reminds us that we live in relationships—with the earth, plants and animals, families and communities. A memoir of making these essential relationships work in the face of challenges from weather to corporate politics, this is a firsthand history of getting in at the “ground level” of organic farming. Turn Here Sweet Corn is an unexpected page-turner. Atina Diffley’s compelling account of her life as a Minnesota organic farmer is deeply moving not only from a personal standpoint but also from the political. Diffley reveals the evident difficulties of small-scale organic farming but is inspirational about its value to people and the planet. (Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat)
Source : www.upress.edu
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INSIDE SLOVAKIA
Organics In Slovakia 65 organic processors were registered in 2010, up from four in 2010
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he organic sector in Slovakia is developing well. Health food shops were the first to sell organic products in the country in 2002. Since the following year, organic food has also been available in supermarket chains. Today, health food shops and supermarkets share the market on almost equal parts, while other sales channels don’t play an important role. The distribution areas for organic food are mainly the capital Bratislava and the financially strong West of Slovakia.
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he demand for special products has risen in health food stores, and organic products with a healthy focus profit from this trend, like juices, sugar- and gluten-free products, and articles suitable for people with allergies, EcoConnect reports. Supermarkets offer mostly basic organic items. Slovakian consumers are generally not well-informed about organic products, and mention “health” and “trend and style” as the main reasons for buying organics. So far, there are no advertising campaigns for
organic products at a national level. ine (9 %) of the total agricultural land was cultivated organically in 2010, equal to 144.000 ha. Grassland covers two-thirds of the organic area. The rest is farmland, mostly for feed production and grains. The most common organic vegetables are asparagus, carrots, parsnips and beetroot, which are often used for the production of baby food. The number of organic businesses in Slovakia has risen to 486 in 2010 from 127 in 2004. The number of
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processors has risen - 65 organic processors were registered in 2010, up from four in 2001. A large proportion of the organic food produced in Slovakia is exported: milk to the Czech Republic, ice cream to Germany, fruits and vegetables to Austria, and organic animals to Italy. Some of the foodstuff which is processed abroad is then re-imported back to Slovakia. All of the or-
ganic medical plants and herbs produced in Slovakia are also processed there and then exported. Organic food imports account for approximately 70 % of the market, particularly from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria and Germany. The turnover of the organic market in Slovakia was about 4 million euros in 2009 (about 0.1 % of the total food market). There is currently one private certification body in
“ quote “
Slovakia, and two others are on the way to being licensed. More detailed information about the organic market in Slovakia including the main processors, exporters, wholesalers, retailers and other possible business partners can be found on the EkoConnect website in German, and some information is also available in English. source Organic-market
from Ecoconnect.org
100% of organic medical plants and herbs are processed in Slovakia and then exported – for example in tea bags. 50% of the organic vegetables are sold outside Slovakia. In 2002 most of the organic grain was exported, but nowadays approximately 75% of the organic grain is being fed to the farm animals or sold conventionally. Just approximately 5% of the organic raw materials are exported nowadays, mostly to Germany and Switzerland. Due to a rising demand for organic raw materials in Western Europe grain exports from Slovakia to other EU countries are expected to increase. www.ecoconnect.org
Leave Your Feedback At Organic News we take your feedback very seriously. We hope you can take a few moments to share your opinions with us on how we’re doing. We’re constantly working to improve the quality of service and support our clients receive. The feedback we receive from you is vital in helping us do that. Tell us what’s on your mind and how we can serve you better. We’d love to hear from you ! Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please leave Your feedback here: info@organicnews.eu
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A company has an organic food division (Alecosor), a pharmaceutical division and a franchise. A company that was founded 25 years ago and that has made total quality and research its main signs of identity. Soria Natural (Alecosor) produces and markets a great variety of organic food that is one hundred percent natural, without preservatives, artificial colours or sweeteners, and in production process does not use any chemical components or processes.
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ORGANIC WORLD
THE WORLD OF
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
2012 Globally 1.6 million producers farm using organic methods
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hirty-seven million hectares of agricultural land worldwide are farmed organically. The global market for organic food is estimated at 44.5 billion euros. It grew by approximately 8 % in 2010, FibL report. These figures are from the 12th edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture� and are based on 2010 data. This comprehensive standard reference book includes organic agriculture statistics from 160 countries and was released at BioFach in Nuremberg. he largest growth of organic agricultural land was in Europe, where
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the area increased by 0.8 million hectares and is now at 10 million hectares (+9 % compared with 2009). In Asia, organic farmland decreased. Overall, however, global organic agricultural land has not changed compared with the 2009 data. The organic arable and permanent crop area increased worldwide by approximately 6 %. Those crops are of particular relevance for the organic market. For arable crops, cereals are the most important crop group (2.5 million hectares). Oilseeds cover 0.5 million hectares, and protein crops and vegetables 0.3 million hectares each. The key permanent crops (almost
3 million hectares) in terms of land under organic management are coffee (0.7 million hectares), olives (0.5 million hectares) and cocoa (0.3 million hectares). ne third of the global organic agricultural land is in Oceania (33 %), followed by Europe (27 %) and Latin America (23 %). Australia is the country with the biggest organic agricultural area (12 million hectares), followed by Argentina (4.2 million hectares) and the USA (1.9 million hectares). The countries with the largest share of organic agricultural land of all farmland are the Falkland Islands (36 %), followed by
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ORGANIC WORLD
Liechtenstein (27 %) and Austria (20 %). lobally 1.6 million producers farm using organic methods, and approximately 80 % of these are in developing countries. As in previous years, the countries with the most producers are India (picture), Uganda, Mexico and Ethiopia. The market research company Organic Monitor estimated the global market for organic products in 2010 at 59.1 billion US dollars (44.5 billion euros). Compared with 2009, the market increased by roughly 8 % in Europe and the United States.
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The leading market is the United States of America with 20.2 billion euros. In Europe, where 19.6 billion euros were spent, Germany leads at 6 billion euros, followed by France (3.4 billion euros) and the United Kingdom (2 billion euros). The countries with the highest annual per capita spending were Switzerland and Denmark with more than 140 euros. ccording to FiBL, these figures show that in countries where organic agriculture is institutionally well embedded, there is a constant growth of the market and of the
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area under organic management. This is impressively shown in the case of Europe, where many countries provide a wide range of support measures like direct payments, advisory services, relevant research and marketing measures. In countries where organic agriculture is not yet fully integrated into national agricultural policies, and farmers receive less support through advice and research, the ups and downs of the organic area can be substantial. Further information is available at www.organic-world.net. Source Fibl
Does your plate
look good
OR
feels good
EAT ORGANIC, LIVE ORGANIC
BE ORGANIC
! t i t e pp a n o b s organic new
TECHNOLOGY
Organi c produ ce - hav e pushe to seek d the in new sol dustry utions for food safety
Sound Barrier:
Can High-Power Ultrasound Protect Produce from Pathogens? If pathogens are killed in the water, they don’t move through the water. It’s controlling the quality of the wash water. That’s what’s going on here.
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erfectly sanitized dimpled spinach leaves or tender greens like baby lettuce has been high on the wish list of the $3.1-billion bagged salad industry since its inception. The race to develop better wash systems for cleaning took off in earnest in 2006, after the high profile E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to bagged spinach killed five people and sickened more than 200, leaving the leafy green industry with a black eye and an ego-bruising $350-million price tag in recalls and lost sales. dvances to date in cleaning salad greens have mostly centered on chlorine-based washes and plenty of testing throughout the supply chain. But for organic salad producers, such as Earthbound Farm, a wash additive may not be an option because it has not been approved for organic use. So the company teamed up with the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at the Illinois Institute of Technology to look for solutions outside the bag. One
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of the most promising: high-power ultrasound. hen applied to leafy greens, highpowered ultrasound creates millions of tiny bubbles along a leaf’s surface. As they burst at a rate of a thousand times a second, they provide high-energy shock waves that can get into the leaf’s nooks and crannies to dislodge pathogens, which are then whisked away in the sanitized wash. (Earthbound is looking at citrus and peracetic acid–based sanitizers, both sanctioned for use with organic products.) ostly we’re after E. coli O157:H7; norovirus that causes winter vomiting, and we’ll continue working with salmonella and Listeria as well,” says IFSH director, Robert Brackett. ill Daniels, senior vice president of operations and organic integrity at Earthbound, says they hope to move the equipment out of the lab and apply it to their process within the next few months. “That’s as-
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suming the pilot studies between now and then are successful and show we don’t end up with pureed lettuce at the end of the line. That would be a deal breaker,” Daniels adds.
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t’s not the first time high-powered ultrasound has been used as a sanitizer. The wine industry has used it to clean oak barrels since 2006. Employing ultrasound, however, does not guarantee sterile produce, and Earthbound says they will not put forward such a claim. ut early results about its effectiveness in eliminating pathogens are promising—and come at a particularly key time. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Microbiological Data Program is on the federal chopping block thanks to budget cuts, although it currently tests more than 15,000 samples of fruits and vegetables a year from 11 different produce points across the U.S.
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thers in the industry are exploring other sanitizing techniques that include ultraviolet light, cold plasma and high pressure to eliminate pathogens on produce. The developers at Earth-
“If you think about a 50-acre field of spinach, it’s grown outside and is likely to get contaminated somehow—either through dust-borne E. coli, overflying geese, pigs that get loose. That’s the functional reality of things that are grown outside,” says Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney that specializes in food safety cases. Even if a small portion of a commercial field is infected by a pathogen, the way produce is harvested, bundled together and washed means cross-contamination can escalate a problem, unless it is detected early. obert Whitaker, chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association says there has been an emphasis on preventive controls throughout points in the industry’s supply chain—from harvest, cooling, processing, storage and distribution centers, all the way to the consumer’s home. ne of those points are washes,” Whitaker explains. “You want to keep the wash water from being a source of contamination. ” Daniels says if it works in practice, the technique will not be kept proprietary for Earthbound’s use. All producers will be able to undertake a leaf zap to keep the bugs away from the consumer. (Author: Clare Leschin-Hoar)
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bound declined to specify the cost of the new ultrasound procedure compared with traditional methods but it will undoubtedly be more expensive—by how much remains unclear as testing continues.
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rganizations like the Center for Produce Safety at the University of California, Davis, have been dispensing research grants to study produce safety.
Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ultrasound-to-protect-produce-from-pathogens
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promotion
A Family Group.
Quality control and eficient logistic system.
We trade organic • • • • •
grains oilseeds seed protein oil oil-cakes
TopAgri Spa It is the interface of the holding with Europe. Top Agri Spa is responsible for organizing logistics and quality control of the holding. The company employs three external warehouses with a total storage capacity of approximately 35,000 tons and a daily capacity of 1000 tons of drying.
• Traceability of the goods from production to sale • Full logistic organization. Top Agri can load kippers, silo trucks, containers, big bags and ships • It’s able to offer to its clients products with defined and constant features in the goods Contact Us Top Agri Italia via Cappafredda, 6/b 37050 Roverchiara (VR) Italy Tel +39 0442 685251 Fax +39 0442 685250 P. Iva: IT04023410238
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Agricola Soave Via Cappafredda 6/b 37050 – Roverchiara (VR) Italy Tel. +39 0442 685211 Fax +39 0442 685210 P. Iva: IT02254620236
Top Agri Romania Str. Soveja Nr. 96, Bl. 70, Sc. E, Ap. 73 900402 – Constanta Romania Tel. +40 241 613840 Fax +40 241 518930 P. Iva: RO12982421
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Our services include in particular bulk material transport, ftl and the groupageservice in local and distance transport and all that with gmp certificate.
WE CAN ALSO ARRANGE FOR YOU • advice about the feasibility of bulk material transportation • organization of loading and unloading of bulk material goods • execution of any customs matters • agricultural trade
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28 rue Paul Henri Spaak 26000 VALENCE Tél : 00334 75 83 51 43 Fax : 00339 81 70 18 80 N° TVA : FR 65 515 401 693 25
ORGANIC WORLD
one of the world’s driest countries
Saudi Arabia Looks To Organic Farming Methods
At the moment, less than 0.5 percent of agricultural land in Saudi Arabia is farmed according to organic methods – but things are changing.
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iyadh (dpa) – Farming in Saudi Arabia has long been considered an ecological nightmare due to the country’s high temperatures and arid climate, in which cowsheds are airconditioned and non-renewable water sources used to irrigate wheat crops. ut organic agriculture is slowly gaining in popularity – not least because it helps to save water in one of the world’s driest countries. aad bin Abdullah, who supervises the kingdom’s organic farming development project, says that the authorities are working to develop a clear policy to boost it. his farming technique is important, because it helps to curb the effects of conventional agriculture, which uses chemical fertilizers,” the official told dpa. According to him, organic farming is also expected to reduce water use by 70 to 80 percent.
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n 2008, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Agriculture created a Department of Organic Agriculture (DOA), which has been tasked with applying the newly established Saudi Organic Farming Legislation. Government support has already prompted more than 60 farmers to switch to organic farming methods in recent years. “More than 300 (more) people will shift to the organic agriculture in the coming years,” Saad bin Abdullah predicted. n the capital Riyadh and other large cities, it is now possible to order boxes of organic fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and dates from palms on which no pesticides have been used. Organic produce is clearly labelled as such. he initiative came from the Ministry of Agriculture, which was primarily concerned about the production of healthy foods before later coming around to the idea of
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ORGANIC WORLD
sustainability,” says Marco Hartmann, a German agricultural economist. Hartmann works for the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which advises the Saudi government on the development of organic agriculture. t the moment, less than 0.5 percent of agricultural land in Saudi Arabia is farmed according to organic methods – but things are changing. The government has ended some of the excesses formerly practiced in the largely desert country, which cultivated wheat and vegetables on a large scale for export. Although Saudi Arabia still has huge farms with thousands of highyielding cows for milk production, the industrialscale production of feed has been prohibited following the withdrawal of subventions for wheat growers. Vegetable exports were also stopped to slow down the rapid depletion of fossil groundwater supplies – underground water supplies built up in prehistoric times that are not
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renewed by the present-day climate. Saudi farmers source water from their own wells and do not have to pay any levies, which has been a major reason for high levels of water wastage. “Conventional farming methods in Saudi Arabia mostly involve the use of sprinklers to spray the fields of crops with water,” Hartmann said. “Date palms are watered using the so-called flooding technique. There is a huge amount of wastage with both methods, as a large percentage of the water simply evaporates in the intense heat.” Organic farmers, by contrast, use the drip irrigation method. “The water efficiency rate reaches between 70 and 80 percent compared to the 50 to 60 percent achieved with the conventional methods,” said Hartmann. There are still no state subsidies available to Saudi organic farmers, but that could change in the future, as the country wants organic farming to account for 5 per cent of its agricultural industry by 2017. Source : http://bikyamasr.com 27
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A company with tradititon and future
As the BAGeno Raiffeisen eG company we offer you Raiffeisen market - In our six BAGeno Raiffeisen markets you can get everything for hobby, home and garden and advice from real experts Agriculture - In agricultural products, farmers can rely on us! Technology - we sale machines for professional use! Building materials - selling professional building materials, disposal and recycling and our rental fleet Petroleum refueling - Mineral oil (refuel), heating oil and diesel R+V Insurance Agency - our insurance experts offers from health and life insurance to industrial and commercial insurance. Energy - Heating with wood pellets - heat from the natural.
Organic products are gaining in popularity. BAGeno is strong supporter of organic farming. Our marketer bears fruit and grain from organic cultivation or Demeter, the organic seal of approval and is supervised by the BCS Ă–kogarantie GmbH.
Organic farming and BAGeno fit together easily! www.bageno.de
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promotion
raw materials & organic seeds The French partner of the German agricultural cooperative : BAGeno Raiffeisen eG
We have always been a responsibility to the growers of our two unions affiliated regional wineries. We’re providing our customers a complete range of pesticides, fertilizers, wine and wine making equipment, along with instructions for use. This also includes fertilizers and crop protection products stored in our secure warehouses. Our technicians provide expert advice and monitor your crop management. We are attentive to the needs of our customers
We are GMP certified, GMP-B4.1, according to the standards QS A Food and HACCP approved the principle for production of feed and grain. Our administrative guidance, financial, technical and trade is a rigorous and constantly trained on the latest technological and European standardization. Organic is a relationship of trust between people and a sustainable partnership with nature. We are all one where everyone has a function.The past, the future are our references. Transparency, rigor and honesty arevalues that motivate men and women of our networks.
QUALITY AT THE BEST PRICE www.partnerandco.fr/ 29
ORGANIC WORLD
The Advantages of Organic Farming and Production for Farmers
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arming is a demanding vocation, with unique economic and practical challenges that are specific to the sector. The overall positive trends in organic farming, especially the continually rising consumer demand, offer many new possibilities for farmers. Organic farms are, in general, more labour intensive and require a high level of skilled personnel. This not only contributes to rural employment, it also raises the level of professionalism and encourages the development of specialised skill sets for farm employees. rganic farming requires the use of environmentally sustainable practises and respect for our natural resources. In general, farmers should consider the effect of their activities on the future and the effect of their methods on the environment.
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he market price for organic products is considerably higher, as consumers are willing to pay for food quality, animal welfare and environmental protection. With a growing desire to know the progression of their food “from farm to fork”, many consumers are starting to develop relationships with “their“ organic farm. As a result, many organic farms sell directly through box schemes, farmers’ markets and farm shops, or even offer tourist-oriented programmes on their farms. uch measures can help to keep small farms in business that would otherwise not be able to cope with intensifying global competition.
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source ec.europa.eu
ORGANIC WORLD
The Advantages of Organic Farming, Production and Distribution for Processors, Wholesale Trade and Retailers
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rganic farmers as well as the processing sector must follow specific legal requirements, if their products are to be labelled as organic and areto carry the EU organic logo or private logos. Part of the certification procedure is a standard inspection process to ensure that the organic products were produced in an ethical way that respects nature. Thus the consumer can be confident of the stages that the products have gone through from “farm to fork�. The organic labelling based on certified standards provides trustworthy guidance and enables consumers to make informed choices when considering the rich selection at the supermarket. The future obligatory use of the EU organic logo will even enhance consumer recognition. rganic products are riding a constantly rising wave of consumer demand. This fact alone asserts the advantages for processors, wholesale traders and retailers to include organic products in their assortment of goods. Regional products are also getting more and more popular as consumers become increasingly aware of the direct connection between rising local sales and positive rural development as well as of the problems of transporting foodstuffs over long distances. The combination of organic, regional and traditional offers considerable sales potential that has yet to be fully exploited. In short, the overall trend towards organic food and products is a chance for processors, wholesale traders and retailers to be part of growing market.
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source ec.europa.eu
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Healthy organic food produced from pure ecology organic farming on highest standards. Buckwheat
Spelt
Despite the name, buckwheats are not related to wheat, as they are not cereals / grasses; instead, buckwheat is related to sorrels, knotweeds, and rhubarb.
Many people with allergies or intolerances to common wheat can tolerate spelt
Wheat
Wheat is grown on more land area than any other commercial crop and is the most important staple food for humans.
Buckwheat products
Spelt products
Wheat products
Since 1997, Bionatura produce and sells organic cereal grain, organic flour, pasta, mushrooms, berries, cereals. The Bionatura organic grain and organic products is certificated by Organic Control “OK�, an organization for the certification of organic grain and organic products in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bionatura d.o.o.
Ul. Kahve bb, 71370 Breza Bosna i Hercegovina phone: fax: cel: 32
+387 32 782 468 +387 32 782 468 +387 62 200 930 +49 163 293 47 93
www.bionatura.ba
WHAT IS ORGANIC NEWS? Organic News gathers professional food buyers, wholesale producers, distributors, industry suppliers and farmes in one dynamic newsletter. It is a revolutionary way to connect with and get useful information about the organic business community in Europe. Each month the e-magazine will include important news, studies, interviews and exhaustive listings of all the companies in Europe, who work in the field of the organic industry; from the smallest farmers in Romania to well-known producers in Italy. WHY JOIN ORGANIC NEWS? • • •
Because you want to spend 5 minutes, and not 10 hours finding the perfect shipment of grains Because when your next potential customer searches for a product, you want your name and goods to stand out Because there has never been more interest in buying and selling organic food.
HOW MUCH DOES ORGANIC NEWS MEMBERSHIP COST? Nothing. It’s free. HOW IS E-MAGAZINE FINANCED? E-magazine uses donation and sponsorship based financing. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP? Your company will be a part of large online community, which in turn will help you get noticed. All along rural towns of Romania to coastal vistas of France. WHO CAN JOIN? Organic News gathers professional food buyers, wholesale producers, distributors, industry suppliers and farmers HOW DO I START? Visit page »Sign in« on organicnews.eu and fill in the contact form. DO I NEED A HIGH-SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION TO READ THE E-NEWSPAPER? Although it is recommended, a high-speed connection is not necessary. ON WHICH DEVICES CAN I READ THE E-NEWSPAPER? You can read the e-newspaper on computers and almost all mobile devices.
The Organic News team is committed to making this site useful and relevant to you. For additional assistance please email info@organicnews.eu or call +421-911-013-775 for assistance: Monday – Friday, 8 am – 6 pm. We will get back to you as soon as possible or in one business day.
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