Organic &
Wellness News
Wellness News
The international publication for organic and sustainable trade
Organic & Wellness News
The international publication for organic and sustainable trade
Industry
Organic food is still in high demand. The global market for organic food reached 105 billion US dollars in 2018 (almost 97 billion euros), according to estimates provided by Ecovia Intelligence, an increase of 6% from the year before and keeps showing double-digit growth
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New EU organic regulations, due to come into force in 2021, will limit the size of organizations, forcing small-scale farmers to restructure their cooperatives, and creating high costs when they are already struggling to make ends meet. At BIOFACH, the world’s larg
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A new report from PwC, Rabobank, and Temasek released 20 November 2019 called the Asia Food Challenge Report: Harvesting the Future, estimated that Asia’s agri-food market would grow 7 percent a year, with Asia needing to double its spending on food to over US$8 tri
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New York-based organic and natural products company The Hain Celestial Group, Inc has reported first-quarter sales for the period ending 30 September 2019 that decreased seven percent to US$482.1 million (or five percent at constant currency compared to the prior-year per
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UK upmarket grocer Waitrose & Partners released its Food and Drink Report 2019-20 in November which reveals the year’s hottest food and drink trends that include: “Posh crumpets, tahini, celery juice, skewers and pink drinks; One in eight Brits now does an
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Canada’s leading food and health and beauty retailer Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended October 5, 2019, with Loblaw same-store retail sales flat at 0.1 percent growth compared to 3Q 2018 and front
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The French organic market is showing strong growth. It reached 9.7 billion euros in 2018, 15.7 percent higher compared to 2017. After Germany, France is the second-largest consumer of organic products in Europe. The influence of the Bio label has reached record levels. Fr
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The Vegan Society has warned in late April that the proposal to ban the use of traditional meat names like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ for vegan and veggie food products will result in “excessive administrative burdens” to all public entitie
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A new organic industry strategy and a sustainability program are set to give Ireland’s organic sector a higher profile and increased exports. Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports reached EUR12.1 billion in 2018, two percent up by volume following
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The INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council announced in late March that EUR47,800 has been raised for the international NGO Save the Children through the Nuts for a Healthier World Campaign, according to a media release from INC. Since January 2019, the Internation
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UHTCO Corporation is expanding its impressive portfolio and presence in the international market. The Canadian firm of Peruvian origins has been supplying discerning customers amazing superfoods from Peru since 2004. Its product range includes a top-quality cacao ingredi
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After 81 years of criminalization, US farmers can finally grow industrial hemp without fear of a DEA raid. Last year on December 20th President Donald Trump signed the 2018 US Farm Bill, which for the first time differentiates between hemp and marijuana products and remo
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President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill on December 20, which includes the legalization of cultivation and sale of industrial hemp, defined as cannabis that contains less than 0.3-percent THC. Hemp will now be removed from the list of Controlled Substances to b
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Following a four-year partnership, Instacart and Whole Foods Market will be winding down their relationship and will immediately start the first phase of a transition that will affect hundreds of jobs, after Instacart cut the cost of grocery delivery by a third in late No
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With the North American organic products market worth over USD53 billion in 2017 (USA OTA and Canada OTA sales figures), growth in the global organic products market has continued as North America consolidates its pole position with organic food going "mainstream". "Cons
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Canada, the USA and Australia are seeing a major increase in new product launches and acquisitions in hemp food and medical marijuana in 2018, with the market heating up after Canada became the largest country with a legal, recreational marijuana marketplace on October 17
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Swedish organic and sustainability label KRAV's role includes developing organic standards and promoting the KRAV label. It has 7,000 certified companies and approximately 9,000 products. Organic & Wellness News' Warren Beaumont spoke with KRAV's Anita Falkenek about
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Despite Amazon reporting its second straight quarter of record profitability late October, its robust revenue growth is cooling due to more competition for Amazon Web Services, while its slower-growing Whole Foods Market business faces stiffer competition from the likes o
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Organic Sweden announced in October that it had been commissioned by the Swedish Board of Agriculture to implement a three-year information campaign on organic food with organic farmers, the Swedish Consumers epoch (SLU) and communications agency Futerra. The Agriculture
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"Genetic engineering isn’t everyone’s childhood dream. Even I didn’t care for it when I started studying biology at the University of Amsterdam, but my professor explained it was an acquired taste and the best option for a good job. So, I suppressed my d
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The “100% organic state” Sikkim, in India, is the 2018 Gold Winner of the Future Policy Award (FPA) beating 51 nominated policies from 25 countries. Policies from Brazil, Denmark, and Quito (Ecuador) took home Silver Awards. Located in northeast India, border
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Demand for vegan and plant-based foods is now a global phenomenon, with product innovations and distribution driving market growth. Although most new developments are taking place in Europe and the US, Ecovia Intelligence anticipates future growth in Asia and Latin Americ
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New testing conducted by an independent lab found glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, in common children’s lunch foods and snacks sold in Canada. The testing, commissioned by the Coalition for Action on Toxics, revealed that some products
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Peru and its export agency MINCETUR, the Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y Turismo is expanding the promotion of Peruvian foods with more trade shows and missions such as at the recent Natural & Organic Products Asia Hong Kong show and the Natural Products Scandinavia
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Researchers such as Euromonitor, Mintel and SPINS have pointed to increased sales of non-dairy plant milk in Europe and the US since 2016, while early 2018 reports suggest US dairy farmers found themselves with a surplus of organic cow's milk in the last few years, as sho
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Amazon.com is looking to expand its Whole Foods Market (WFM) brick-and-mortar retail network with bigger stores to bolster the online shopping business just seven months after it acquired Whole Foods in late August 2017 for US$13.7 billion. And WFM regional marketing staf
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Major organic markets globally have continued to post double-digit or high single-digit sales growth in 2016-17, with France's organic market growing 22 percent, Switzerland having the highest per capita spending (274 Euros) and Denmark the highest organic market share at
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The double-digit growth of the organic sector continues to attract food multinationals, who wish to increase market share. Following the purchase of Canadian vitamin maker Atrium Innovations in September 2017, and the announced purchase of Ecuadorian natural and organic p
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IFOAM – Organics International announced that a new World Board for 2017-2020 was elected at the General Assembly in India. Peggy Miars (USA) will lead the organisation as IFOAM's new president, supported by Jennifer Chang (South Korea) and Frank Eyhorn (Switzerland
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SFTA members such as Nutiva, Wholesum Harvest, and Viva Tierra are making significant progress in sustainable packaging using a high percentage of recycled and recyclable materials. Some are making improvements that allow them to ship more efficiently. The Sustainable Foo
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The UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development will be convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York from June 5-9 2017, coinciding
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Aisle activity, Naturally Good Expo, Sydney June 4, 2017Diversified Communications announced last week the acquisition of Naturally Good Expo in Australia from National Media, strengthening their global Natural & Organic Products brand and aligning with Diversified Co
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Yucca Chips are also gaining more consumer demandEcuadorian organic plantain and yucca specialist Platayuc is taking part in the launch of a major PR and marketing campaign in the EU, aimed at increasing consumer awareness of Ecuadorian export products. Part of a governm
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The Organic Trade Association (OTA) reported that market reached last year $47 billion in sales, with an increase of almost $3.7 billion from the previous year. Organic food sales increased by 8.4 percent, ($3.3 billion) from the previous year, while the growth rate in t
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Germany was Country of the Year, BIOFACH 2017.Germany's Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) boosted its commitment to its Federal Scheme for Organic Farming and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture (BÖLN) with plans to increase funding to EUR30 million
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Ecuador-based snack food company Terrafertil Nature's Heart, the largest natural food brand in Latin America and fastest growing natural brand in the UK, has added leading US superfood brand Essential Living Foods to its product roster and rapid company geographic expansi
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The Organic Trade Board (OTB), the UK's peak organic industry body, announced in January that in partnership with Organic Denmark, it has been successful in a joint funding application to the EU to promote the Organic food and drink sector. The OTB said that the project
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Consumer demand for healthier foods and products that show transparency from field-to-table is bustling. Earlier this year, the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) 2016 Organic Industry Survey revealed that in 2015 total sales of organic products reached a n
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China is the world’s largest grocery market with the value of the organic food market estimated at US$7.8 billion to more than US$13 billion, while grocery market growth is expected to rise by 9% in 2014 to over 14% in 2020, according to IGD research. A market stud
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Industry growth continues with the global organic market valued at $US72 billion, with 43 million hectares of organic agricultural land available worldwide, according to the 2015 edition of the FiBL-IFOAM study, The World of Organic Agriculture. The positive trend of the
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The export of organic products by Dutch companies increased by an impressive 9% in 2013 and 15% in total trade; according to a survey by The Netherland’s organic industry representative group Bionext. A global player, the country’s organic exports are mainly c
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Pedro Peñalver Fernández (left) and Juan Pablo AltamiranoWith 20 years experience growing food, farmers Juan Pablo Altamirano and Pedro Peñalver Fernández saw great potential in the chia business, a crop introduced from Central America to Argen
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Finnish dairy producer, Valio, became the first company in the world to sell products to consumers in carton packaging made entirely from plant-based materials. Consumers are able to buy these packages at retail shops in Finland from mid-January. The package, Tetra Rex&r
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The UK’s leading organic certification and promotional group the Soil Association, celebrated a landmark achievement in December, with one million high quality meals being served each workday in schools, universities, nurseries, workplaces, hospitals, care homes and
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United Natural Foods, Inc. the USA’s leading independent national distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods reported that first quarter net sales jumped 24.4% to $1.99 billion compared to $1.60 billion for the same period last fiscal year. And hot on the
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For the fifth consecutive year, the North American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit will be hosted in San Francisco, while organiser Organic Monitor has announced that it will be followed by a new Natural Cosmetics Masterclass, hosted in San Francisco on 23rd Janua
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British plastic packaging supplier RPC Group Plc will acquire Iceland-based plastic products maker Promens Group AS for 386 million euros (306.73 million pounds) to strengthen its position in Europe and help satisfy its increasing need for polymer. The company said it wo
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The global rise of quinoa consumption has been dramatic, expanding from the Andean region in the 1970s to nearly global availability. Its rise of production has lagged behind demand, but is significant all the same. Besides gaining ground in traditional production areas o
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According to a new Nielsen global report global consumers spent $374 billion (retail sales data adjusted for inflation), on snack foods between 2013 and 2014, a year-over-year increase of 2%. The fastest-growing snack categories according to Nielsen retail sales informat
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The key theme for the BIOFACH 2014 Congress and indeed the whole trade fair, held at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg 12-15 February was the future of organic agriculture and the organic food industry – Organic 3.0. The International Federation of Organic Agricultur
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Amid increasing global demand for agri-food industries to report sustainability practices and performance, Chile’s food and wine sectors are creating a revolutionary new tool that will do just that. Chile is the first country to develop EcoBase, a database and calc
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There is growing demand for dark, fine and organic cacao and chocolate made at the source, particularly from Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. These countries developed a global reputation for higher flavor and more unique, rare cacao bean chocolate. However, a major issue is
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OWN asked Laura Batcha new CEO/Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association to present some of the major milestones and achievements for the OTA and the industry from 2004 to 2013. Here are the highlights. Growth of the U.S. organic industry U.S. organic sales h
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Organic Trade Fairs Crucial to Sector Growth By Adriana Michael – as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2004 Trade fairs have been an important aspect in the development of every industry since the Middle Ages and the organic sector is no exception. Exhibitors meet clients a
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While French supermarket chain Carrefour has announced its acquisition of Poland’s Rast supermarket chain, which operates 10 stores in the north eastern store of Olsztyn, for an undisclosed fee, Polish politicians have called for a boycott of UK grocery giant Tesco,
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U.S. dairy products producer WhiteWave Foods Co announced in December it would buy organic food brand Earthbound Farm from investors including private equity firm Kainos Capital for about $600 million to expand its offerings of organic products. Earthbound Farm produces
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The United Nations declared 2013 “The International Year of Quinoa” in recognition of the indigenous communities from the Andean highlands, who have domesticized this unique crop with its high nutrient content. But the global quinoa craze started in recent yea
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Launching a new product in the natural and organic market has it’s own unique set of questions such as: How do you know what superfood trends to jump into, or which ones are already saturated? Where can you find an organic, glutenfree, non-GMO verified co-packer? Ho
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A study published in the Journal Appetite (Vol 62, 1 March 2013, pages 133-142) by Katrin Zander (University of Kassell, Germany) et al, ‘Promising ethical arguments for product differentiation in the organic food sector. A mixed methods research approach’ su
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Machu Picchu Foods, Peru’s main chocolate and confectionary producer and leading exporter of organic chocolate, is introducing Quinoa Krunch, an organic wafer stick with quinoa and rice, covered with chocolate and popped amaranth. This delicious snack adds to Machu
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Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International, and Jean-Marc Duvoisin, CEO of Nestlé Nespresso have announced a new, long-reaching partnership to benefit thousands of small-scale coffee farmers. The announcement comes as Nespresso celebrates ten years of their Nespr
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Canada’s No 2 grocer Sobeys has made a $5.8-billion deal to swallow key western rival Safeway Inc, while Sobeys reported on 27 June that sales and profits increased in its last financial year. Sobeys’ parent, Empire Co. Ltd. of Stellarton, N.S., in June unveil
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The Global Organic Trade Guide, the world’s first user-friendly website designed to help U.S. organic producers and handlers export organic products, was officially launched on June 18 by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). It features a new market data section and
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A coalition of U.S. consumer, health, food safety and fishing groups launched the “Campaign for Genetically Engineered (GE)-Free Seafood” on April 5 by announcing that several major grocery retailers representing more than 2,000 stores across the U.S. have com
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The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has a new name: the Specialty Food Association. The Specialty Food Association, based in New York City, is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers and entrep
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O.W.N. talked with IFOAM EU Group director Marco Schlüter to find out what IFOAM EU is all about, recent achievements, challenges and strategies for 2013. Who are IFOAM EU’s stakeholders and how do they benefit from your work? The IFOAM EU Group is a non-prof
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Naturkost de Mexico, a subsidiary of Naturkost Übelhör (Germany), recently opened in Guadalajara a processing facility for chia seeds with state-of-the-art equipment. It is among the first worldwide to be certified ISO 22000 in food safety for chia processing.
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Since 2008 Machu Picchu Foods, Peru’s number one exporter of cocoa derivatives has operated a Development and Sustainability Program to improve productivity and the quality of life of organic smallholder farmers that supply the company’s organic cocoa operatio
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Euromonitor International announced in October that the new health and wellness market research now covers 54 countries, each with over 400 health and wellness categories. The new research offers access to some of the fastest growing markets including Latin America, Afric
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Lifestyles Organics, a brand of Austrian firm MARAP, is now available in Canada via MAV Foods Inc. a food management solutions firm based in Ontario. The line of nutritious ready-to-prepare meals that has won awards in the UK as best organic convenience food products incl
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In just a year, sales of organic products to Danish catering operations, canteens and public institution kitchens went up 46%, while the number of organic canteens has almost tripled in 2012. And organic produce is now becoming as common a sight in Danish canteens as it i
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Food service is a major opportunity for suppliers of organic and sustainable foods, from café chains such as Starbucks and Pret A Manger through to major natural health food stores, supermarket chains, chefs and caterers are cooking up a major point of difference t
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Suppliers of chia in Latin America are working together to establish a regional organization to provide education, health and scientific data and to develop standards and a transparent framework in which to further conduct the chia business. The Chia Council would include
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According to the 2010 Report conducted by Global Entrepreneurial Monitor, only 12% of Bolivian entrepreneurs are willing to introduce innovative practices to their businesses. With no doubt entrepreneur Lily Zuna belongs to this small percentage. Her company Ascex Trading
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The Colca Valley, a 100 kilometer-long strip in the Peruvian Andean highlands, north of the city of Arequipa at 970 meters above sea level, is Peru’s third most-visited tourist destination for bird watching, hiking and other adventure sports. Over time, erosion from
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Turkey's growing economy and Istanbul's strategic geographical positioning as the only city in the world that bridges two continents, Europe and Asia, together with its deep economic and cultural ties to the Middle East and Northern Africa provides the strategic drive for
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Packaged goods marketers in the U.S. who ignore Hispanic consumers will lose access to significant buying power as Hispanics’ per capita income is higher than in any of the four BRIC economies. More than 52 million strong and representing the majority of population
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Canadian company HapiFoods Group Inc. continues to ride high on the success of its popular – and distinctively named – organic chia-based cereal that often causes those who taste it to literally exclaim, “Holy Crap!” Skinny B, Holy Crap, Wild Chia
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Despite the European Parliament giving its approval to the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement and passing a resolution on child labor in the cocoa sector in March, criticisms have come from VOICE, the European network of NGOs in the cocoa sector, who wish to see legislati
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Natural & Organic Products Europe 2012 took the spotlight last week end with all exhibition space at London’s Olympia fairgrounds entirely sold out to 600 exhibitors from all around the world, who presented an exclusive array of some of the best natural, organic
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With organic food and beverages now becoming more available in the restaurant and catering market, the latest company to embrace the organic and gourmet, regionally sourced food philosophy is Dubai-based international airline Emirates. The airline announced in March that
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A recent study by researchers at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA, published in Environmental Health Perspectives on February 16, called into question the presence of arsenic in some organic products. While the study itself focused on toddler formula, health bars and
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Germany’s Naturkost Übelhör, a world leader in high quality organic ingredients such as Sachia® chia seed and chia oil, is celebrating 25 years commitment to organic cultivation and the organic industry. The firm was founded by entrepreneur Josef Ü
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A small country of just two million in the heart of Europe, where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the Karst caves, Slovenia is becoming an attractive country for organic foods and LOHAS lifestyles. The charming nation attracts business people
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Fifteen years ago, Andean Valley and other Bolivian leading quinoa exporters were selling the little golden grain only as commodity to a handful of traders based mainly in Europe and North America. The highly nutritious and gluten-free seed had caught the attention of a
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Imagine a wide, sunny and fertile oasis, 800 metres above sea level, at the foot of the impressive Himalayan mountain range, with a pristine air and water supply. Now picture a ground full of rich soil, free of man-made chemicals, nurturing 65 types of nuts, fruits and ve
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Global sales of natural and organic beauty products projected to reach USD 9 billion last year and while consumer demand for natural and organic products remains buoyant, new research finds the growth rate is slowing because of the weak economic climate. In its December r
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This past year was one of change. In 2011, the global population reached seven billion, food prices continued to climb and a gloomy economy clouded with social and political uncertainty prevailed. Natural disasters like the devastating tsunami in Japan shocked the world a
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Committed to its mission of “sharing quinoa with the world,” California-based Andean Naturals will open Jacha Inti S.A. (JISA) in La Paz, Bolivia. Starting in January 2012, this new state-of-the art-facility will gather, process and co-pack organic quinoa from
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Melbourne-based Australian producer of premium quality, raw organic chocolate Loving Earth takes pride in supplying what it describes as “fairly-traded, single origin” organic chocolates. Loving Earth is now sourcing its organic cacao from a co-operative in Sa
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NPA says draft NDI Guidance, Supplements Bill is tough on industry The Natural Products Association has criticized sweeping new draft guidelines for dietary supplements released by the United States Food and Drug Administration as unnecessary and going beyond Congress&rs
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Extreme overfishing and environmental damage has greatly reduced the number of species in the sea, spurring more consumers to demand sustainable seafood and posing a major challenge for companies across the globe to protect this billion-dollar industry. It is a clear deci
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It was a summer job at a well-known retailer that first inspired entrepreneur Amarjit Sahota, founder of market research firm Organic Monitor, to pursue his passion for ethical and ecological causes. “As a student in my first year at university, I worked for The Bo
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Many exhibitors reported good sales and feedback for the trade day and two consumer days at Australia’s leading show Organic Expo and Green Show held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, August 5-7, 2011. Six out of seven exhibitors spoken to about the t
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Leading Spanish organic distributor La Finestra sul Cielo España, a sister company of Italian organic pioneer La Finestra sul Cielo, has become major shareholder of Brazilian organic pioneer firm Quinua Real Brasil Ltda. in May this year. The merger with the larges
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With worldwide demand for gluten-free and allergen-free organic ingredients growing, Hudson, Wisconsin, U.S. supplier of organic ingredients Ciranda, Inc. has recently introduced a certified organic, pre-gelatinized tapioca starch for use in gluten-free food manufacturing
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The UK Soil Association released its Organic Market Report 2011 in early April and revealed that while 2010 was a tough, there are signs that the rate of decline seen over the last two years has slowed. Sales of organic products fell 5.9% to £1.73 billion (pounds) i
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The Andean highlands are one of the few areas where agriculture is practised at 3,700 metres above sea level and crops are usually exposed to severe climatic conditions such as drought, frost, saline soils and flooding. Quinoa is one of the few crops that grow in differen
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During May 18-21 Quito was host of the 3rd edition of the Salon de Chocolate in Ecuador. The event aimed to increase consumer awareness of the nutritional value of cacao and the high quality chocolate produced with Ecuadorian beans locally and abroad. The Salon offers a s
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