AFGHANISTAN: ORGANIC ROSES INSTEAD OF OPIUM
The German relief agency Deutsche Welthungerhilfe has organized the "Roses for Nangarhar" project in the Nangarhar province with its capital Jalalabad in East Afghanistan since 2004. It is part of the EU-funded "Alternative Livelihoods" project for the development of alternative means of income for the rural population. The aim of the project is to offer farmers in the province an alternative to the constantly expanding cultivation of opium. The damask roses grown are used to obtain the valuable rose oil, which is found in many high-quality perfumes.
About 300 farming families are currently growing roses on a small part of their land. Altogether 42 hectares are now used for roses and more growing areas are planned. One hectare can produce about 4,000 to 5,000 kg of flowers, just enough to make one litre of rose oil. The first growing areas and all the products obtained from them have been certified to the EU Organic Regulation since spring 2007. [+] 

 CANADA: PLANET ORGANIC DOUBLES SALES
Planet Organic Health Corp, Canada's leading natural products retailer, reported consolidated sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 of $29.7 million compared to $14.6 million for the same period last year, an increase of 103% or $15.1 million. The Planet Organic Market division showed a 43.2% increase in same-store sales growth for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Total revenues increased to $13.4 million compared to $9.3 million before. Mrs Green's Natural Markets – Planet's U.S. division, reported sales results for the 13-week quarter ending March 31, 2008. Same-store sales increased by 11.4% or $11.6 million compared to $10.4 million for the same period last year.
Planet operates nine natural food supermarkets throughout Canada under the Planet Organic Market banner and eleven natural food supermarkets in the U.S. under the Mrs Green's Natural Markets banner. The company also operates 48 natural health outlets under the Sangster's Health Centre banner and eight natural health outlets under the Healthy's banner. Another Planet Organic company, Trophic Canada, is the country's leading manufacturer of natural supplements.

The company has a total of 65 stores throughout Canada and 11 in the U.S..[+]

 GM HONEY BANNED, BUT NO PROTECTION FOR BEE-KEEPER
The Augsburg administrative court ruled on 30.5.2008 that honey containing pollen from MON 810 genetically modified corn is not tradable.
Although the judge recognizes that the plaintiff, bee-keeper Karl-Heinz Bablok, is very adversely affected by this ruling because he is not allowed to sell such honey, it is the court's opinion that he has no claim to protection against the growing of GM corn. Bablok and the "Alliance for the Protection of Bees against Agro-Genetic Engineering" are now counting on a new verdict in the principal proceedings. The alliance of the food industry, bee-keeping associations and many individuals is supporting the bee-keeper in his legal action.[+]

 AUSTRALIA: NEW STANDARD FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ORGANIC SECTOR
Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) and subsidiary company Australian Certified Organic have released for industry and stakeholder comment a new policy to deal with nanotechnology.
The policy, with the final endorsement of industry, will be integrated into the Australian Organic Standard and put forward for consideration for inclusion in a base domestic safety-net standard, due to be released by Standards Australia at the end of this year.
Nanotechnologies are reportedly reaching the market at a rate of 3-4 new products per week with cosmetics and sunscreens representing a reported 60% of listed products. With the proposed new nanotechnology standards in place, organic certification logos will provide consumers with the choice of purchasing products that have not been exposed to nanotechnologies or GMOs.[+]

 TASMANIA LOOKS TOWARDS ORGANIC GROWTH
The Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, David Llewellyn, opened the 'Organic Conversion and Expansion - Steps to Sustainable Success' conference in Launceston and pledged his support to organic farming. Mr Llewellyn stressed that the organic industry was well placed in the marketing of its products to the world, but urged that Tasmania continue the push to satisfy consumer demand for regular supply and consistent quality. "The Tasmanian organic industry is worth around 20 million Australian dollars (12.3 m EUR), with the national market at $400-$500 million," said Mr Llewellyn. "In most sectors there's been a pleasing growth, estimated at 25 per cent." [+]

 ORGANIC PRODUCTS REACH IKEA STAFF IN ITALY
Starting the first week in June, a project was launched for IKEA's employees in Padua. The project was introduced by AIAB, which brings together almost 200 organic farms throughout Italy, and is carried out through the platform of the agricultural cooperative El Tamiso. IKEA's employees are offered various processed products and a box scheme with fresh products. A list is updated weekly and sent to the employees via web. The employees order from the list via email. The products are delivered to the workplace on two different days a week.

This is a pilot project aiming at reaching, when fully implemented, around 8,000 employees working in fourteen IKEA locations throughout Italy. The project also provides information on the positive value of organic farming. With this commitment, IKEA aims at strengthening its position as a company interested in environmental protection.[+]

 UGANDAN ORGANIC EXPORTERS IN DDT SCARE
Barely three weeks since spraying of the controversial insecticide DDT to control malaria started in Uganda, a country with an important Organic Agriculture sector, the dispute between the government and exporters of organic products is re-emerging, this time over "irregularities" in executing the exercise.
A consortium of exporters of organic products is preparing to file a lawsuit against the government, accusing it of non-adherence to World Health Organization guidelines on indoor residual spraying in the endemic districts of Oyam and Moyo in the north of Uganda.
The exporters contend that the manner in which the spraying is being done could contaminate the food chain, reviving fears that Uganda's organic exports will be rejected in American and European markets in their entirety if traces of DDT are found in any consignment.
Uganda is the only country in East Africa using DDT in the fight against malaria. According to the Ugandan Ministry of Health, the chemical is 50 per cent cheaper than the alternative – Icon, a pyrethroid insecticide with much lower toxicity to humans – that exporters were pushing for. [+]

 THAILAND: NEW ORGANIC COOKERY SCHOOL
After offering health-conscious consumers a taste of organic dishes for a decade, Anotai restaurant is now ready to open the country's first organic cookery school. Anotai Organic Cookery School is a partnership with the high-end German kitchenware manufacturer Gaggenau, which supplies not only kitchenware but also students, the customers who have bought its appliances.
The Rai Pluk Rak farm supplies organic vegetables not only to Anotai restaurant, but also to leading supermarkets such as Central Food Hall, Foodland, Home Fresh Mart at The Mall chain and Gourmet Market at The Emporium and Siam Paragon.
According to Green Net statistics, Thailand had 22,550 ha of organic crops in 2006, of which 2420 ha were vegetables. The acreage has increased sharply from about 1670 ha reported in 2000.

 WWF OPPOSES EXPANSION OF STRAWBERRY GROWING IN ANDALUCIA
The Andalucian state government and the local authority of Almonte have granted approval for irrigated cultivation of 16 ha of agricultural land in a 'Natura 2000' protected area. Half the area is assigned for organic agriculture trials, despite the fact that groundwater in this area already originates from illegally bored wells and is used excessively.
The nature conservation groups WWF and Adena have publicly notified the Almonte Organic Agriculture Committee of their opposition to the increased irrigated area in the Doñana Delta. According to WWF, all growth or change of agricultural use in the Doñana National Park must stop until a special plan has been passed and the use of the soil and groundwater in harmony with nature is assured. "Our organization supports research into strawberry growing and organic agriculture, but only as long as the land and water are not used illegally," says Juan Carlos del Olmo, General Secretary of WWF/Adena. [+]

  News Ticker                                                            

Packages in Germany may be labelled "no genetic engineering" retrospectively with effect from 1.5.2008.

 
[*] 93 % of all Germans want to buy organic products in future, with the main focus on the price. This is the result of a survey of 1011 interviewees by the agency 'Agentur diffferent'.