Organic acreage up 20% in 2015, USDA reports

The number of organic acres in the U.S. jumped 20 percent last year, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and slightly more than half of them were used to grow organic crops, with the rest used for pasture and rangeland. About 151,000 acres were in transition to organic product, according to the report. Apples, lettuce and grapes were the top-selling organic commodities, with California leading states in production and sales. Read more at The Packer...

As the global demand for palm oil surges, Indonesia's rainforests are being destroyed

Palm oil production has nearly doubled during the last 10 years, and one estimate says it's in half of all products in U.S. grocery stores. But in Indonesia, which dominates global palm oil production, cultivation of it is having a devastating effect on the rainforests, the birds and the environment. (On a positive note, the natural products industry is taking action to promote conflict-free palm with Palm Done Right). Read more at Audobon...

Millennials influence supermarket trends

Recipe-based shopping and use of technology in-store are just a few of the grocery trends being driven by young adults, who are less brand loyal and more willing to shop around at different stores for what they need. Read more at Ag Week...

Functional food market to reach US $9.07 billion by 2020

Consumer preference for health foods, and the wide assortment of products available, will push the market for functional foods to grow at a rate of 10.9 percent annually, according to Future Market Insights. Read more at MedGadget...

Sugar shocked? The rest of food industry pays for lots of research, too

Yes, it was discouraging to learn that the sugar industry paid influential researchers to downplay the link between sugar and cardiovascular risk, but it's quite common for research and industry interests to intermingle. According to one nutrition scholar, the results of as many as nine in 10 industry-funded studies favored the sponsoring company's interests. Read more at NPR...