Posts tagged ‘food’
US Grocer Launches Franken-Label
horrid creation or beautiful thing?
 California food producer Raley’s is launching an ecolabel for its products. The dirt?
Their “Full Circle” label includes 78 items that are certified USDA organic. Another 44 products are natural Full Circle items for which the government has no standard.
According to this article Raley’s said the items come as close to a natural state as possible, and are made without artificial ingredients, have limited refined ingredients and are responsibly produced and managed.
Does mixing “natural” and “organic” just muddy the waters, or is natural a worthwhile mid-point between premium priced organics and products without environmental claims?
No Comments » | Tags: food
Posted by Jacob on Monday, February 11th, 2008 | Permalink |
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A Fortune in Ecolabels
And the grumpy gusses that ignore it.
 Interesting Fortune article about ecolabelling hitting the mainstream in the UK.
Fortune spins the rise in provision of additional environmental information as the food industry responding to pressure from NGOs and other advocacy groups. This contradicts market research like that highlighted in our (GREEN) post yesterday. That research suggests that what we are seeing is a consumer demand driven phenomenon based on a need to understand where their products are coming from and what their impact is.
This is just capitalism. There’s nothing new or scary about it, and no one is being blackmailed into doing demanding quality food. US Companies like Whole Foods are doing very well responding to that demand. According to the Wall Street Journal the company posted a 35% increase in sales for the third quarter 2007.
I enjoy reading publications like Fortune and the Economist, but it increasingly seems like their bias is becoming clear, and it’s only going to make them look more like Statler and Waldorf the longer this trend continues.
No Comments » | Tags: food
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, February 7th, 2008 | Permalink |
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Palm Oil Label at Centre of Greenwashing Storm.
Who is policing the palm oil police?
 The Palm Oil Roundtable has launched an ecolabel for palm oil. It’s industry led, voluntary, and Friends of the Earth is thinking about withdrawing support for it. The website is flashy, but the bottom line is it sounds like just the thing consumers and the planet don’t need.
Palm oil has long been a controversial product. On the one hand nations like Malaysia and Indonesia are working hard to develop, on the other hand they possess incredible natural resources and biodiversity. The booming palm oil industry is smack in the middle of that train wreck of perspectives.
We’re not against an eco-label for palm oil. Far from it, the more controversial the product, the more value a label can bring. Forestry is a classic example. The FSC did a tremendous job developing a legitimate source for green timber.
The problem is not standards, it’s how those standards are developed, monitored, and enforced.
No Comments » | Tags: food, standards
Posted by Jacob on Monday, November 26th, 2007 | Permalink |
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Right Near the Beach Mon.
All we need is an organic coconut and a snorkle.
According to the an article from the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, Barbados has applied for the Blue Flag ecolabel in order to increase the value of their tourism offering in the face of increasing competition from other tourism spots around the world.
We look forward to Barbados following the Netherlands’ lead and opening an MSC certified restaurant so we can chow down on some seafood after a day on one of their soon to be verified as pristine beaches.
No Comments » | Tags: food, tourism
Posted by Jacob on Friday, November 16th, 2007 | Permalink |
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USDA Grass-Fed Beef Label in the Works
Everything old is moo again.
USDA Grass-Fed Beef Label in the Works
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced new rules for labeling meat from grass-fed livestock. The rules stipulate that meat labeled “grass fed” must come from animals fed solely on grasses, hay and other non-grain vegetation.
This label will help consumers choose meat from ’smart pasture operations’ that are better for the environment. Unlike massive confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), these farms use sophisticated land management practices to maximize productivity without despoiling our air, water and soil.
Via Treehugger and Union of Concerned Scientists, where you can learn more about “Greener Pastures: How grass-fed beef and milk contribute to healthy eating“
No Comments » | Tags: beef, food, usda
Posted by Trevor on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 | Permalink |
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Kraft does organics right
News from the 'pleasantly surprised' department.
We like to give praise where it’s due, and today I’m happy to dole out my allotment to Kraft. Yes, that Kraft.
When I stumbled across the Kraft Organics promotions page, I was greeted by straightforward explanations of ‘organic’, certification, verification, labelling, and regulation.
If everyone was so clear, we’d be out of a job.
No Comments » | Tags: food, organic, retailer
Posted by Trevor on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 | Permalink |
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