John Mackey: The conscious capitalist

In Mackey’s view, organic had grown stale. Its guidelines prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which is a good thing, he says. But they don’t address all the burgeoning issues—from excessive water usage to the treatment of migrant laborers—facing agriculture today. And once farmers are certified as organic, Mackey believes they have little incentive to improve their practices. “Organic is a great system, but it’s not a complete solution,” he says. “We feel like Whole Foods should take a leadership role in this. Who else is going to do it?” Read more at Fortune...

Bison Is the New Beef as More Diners Choose It Over Steak

The growing appetite for bison is part of a wider trend toward organic foods, a small but expanding part of the food industry. Aside from the perceived health benefits, demand for such meat signals a rejection of factory-farming methods that account for most protein eaten in the U.S. Read more at Bloomberg...

GMOs, Herbicides, and Public Health

Interview with Dr. Philip Landrigan on health concerns associated with genetically modified crops and the herbicides used on them. Read more at New England Journal of Medicine...

Recalls of Organic Food on the Rise, Report Says

New data collected by Stericycle, a company that handles recalls for businesses, shows a sharp jump in the number of recalls of organic food products. Read more at The New York Times...

There might be fracking wastewater on your organic fruits and veggies

The US Department of Agriculture's organics standards, written 15 years ago, strictly ban petroleum-derived fertilizers commonly used in conventional agriculture. But the same rules do not prohibit farmers from irrigating their crops with petroleum-laced wastewater obtained from oil and gas wells—a practice that is increasingly common in drought-stricken Southern California. Read more at Mother Jones...