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2005 research funding on par with 2004
The 2005 Appropriations Omnibus bill, signed by President Bush on Dec. 8, provides key U.S. organic agriculture programs with funding levels equal to amounts appropriated in 2004. Organic provisions in the $388.4 billion Fiscal 2005 omnibus bill included $2 million for Organic Standards (the National Organic Program at the USDA), $1.89 million for the Organic Transitions research grant program, and $500,000 for collecting data on the scale and growth of organic agriculture in the United States.

Organic research boosted at Cornell
Organic food research at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has been boosted by $1.99 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants. USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services' (CSREES) Integrated Organic Program awarded $894,450 to the Organic Seed Partnership (OSP) to improve organic seed quality and farm profitability, $518,306 to study dairies in transition to organic, and $575,028 that will be used to investigate a wide range of issues facing organic farmers, from staying competitive during the transition from conventional to organic, to measuring soil health's impact on weeds, pests and disease, to training extension personnel and "farmer-mentors."

Organic Lead Group established in Northern Ireland
Ian Pearson, MP, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland, announced the establishment of the Organic Lead Group and confirmed the appointment of Christopher Stopes as the Chair of the Group for a 2-year term. The role of the Organic Lead Group will be to work alongside the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in implementing an action plan for the organic sector, drawing on the recommendations published in the report Organic Farming in Northern Ireland: A Development Strategy (2001). Implementation of the action plan was recommended in the Vision Report (2002), which set out the priorities for the development of the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland.

Organic advisers institute to be launched
A new organisation supporting the work of organic advisers and trainers will be launched at the Soil Association's annual conference on 7 January 2005. The Institute for Organic Training and Advice is a professional body, which aims to help advisers provide a better service to farmers and further the development of organic farming. The Institute will ensure that its members meet certain professional standards and will offer advisers and trainers assistance by giving them access to a single source of information collated from its partner organisations. For further information about the Institute of Organic Trainers and Advisors contact Mark Measures, on 01588 640118 or [email protected].

Report: The Australian Organic Industry
A new report, The Australian Organic Industry – A Profile, summarises the key findings of a study conducted in 2003 and 2004. It is designed to provide general information to current and prospective producers, processors, distributors, exporters, retailers, consumers, certifying organisations, industry associations and others interested in the organic industry. The full report (PDF, 1.7MB) is available at http://www.daff.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/food/aust_organic_industry_full_report.pdf. A summary report (PDF, 1.1MB) is available at http://www.daff.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/food/australian_organic_industry_summary.pdf.

Free organic export consulting program launched for California
The Certified Organic Product Export Strategy - California (COPES) export marketing initiative for California's organic industry, is now providing free trade promotion and organic regulatory consulting to California-based organic growers, processors, and shippers. These new free one-on-one consulting services are offered as part of CCOF's (California Certified Organic Farmers) successful COPES program. For more information, visit www.copes-ca.org.

Organic milk higher in omega 3
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, have shown that organic milk is a good alternative source of omega 3. The research, which compared the omega 3 content of organic and conventional milk shows that organic milk can contain up to 71% more omega 3 than non-organic milk and has a better ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 than conventional milk. This is put down to the more natural diet of organic cows which is rich in red clover silage that produced milk which contained higher levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

United Natural Foods sales increase 25%
U.S. organic and natural food distributor United Natural Foods reported net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2005 were $477.5 million, an increase of 25.2% from the $381.4 million recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2004. Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2005, increased 50.0% to $9.9 million, or $0.24 per diluted share.

New organic service in North East England
The Soil Association's North East Organic Programme (NEOP) will be launched at the Newcastle Falcons' Rugby Ground on December 1. This new service will provide impartial information and support to all organic farmers and businesses in Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and the Tees Valley. To contact the Northeast Organic Programme telephone 0845 121 7645/07717 802 183, e-mail [email protected] or log onto the website www.northeastorganic.org.

Research: Nitrogen loss in organic systems
An organic crop rotation is at least as sustainable as no-till farming or chisel tillage in terms of nitrogen loss and maize yields, according to a USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. The five-year study showed that a three-year rotation of organic maize, soyabeans, wheat and a legume cover crop had nitrogen losses and maize yields similar to those on land where either chisel-tillage or no-till farming had been used.