Issues

	Fair Trade Fair Trade guarantees fair wages and employment opportunities to millions of producers of coffee, chocolate, and many other foods and artisan handicrafts. Fair Trade is a proven solution, benefiting farmers and rural communities, while meeting a growing consumer demand for high quality products that respect people, their communities and the environment … read more
	Irradiated Food While many in the food industry and U.S. government see irradiation as a safe and effective weapon against E.coli, the process concerns many consumer and health activists. Minnesota’s Organic Consumers Association is one of the most outspoken opponents of irradiation. The group argues that too little is known about the health effects irradiation has on people and that it amounts to simply neutralizing fecal contaminated meat, allowing processors to cover up sloppy habits and yet avoid changing the way cattle are raised and processed… read more
	Organic Food The organic industry is a rapidly growing sector of the economy. The global market for organic products reached $23 billion in 2002, according to Organic Monitor . Here at home, increasing demand has helped fuel a 10.1 percent increase in organic production, as North America overtook Europe as the largest market for organic food and beverages.. .read more
	Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease) came on the heels of the dramatic increase in the use of animal protein - rendered meat and bone meal left over from the slaughterhouse - in commercial livestock feed in recent decades. The recent discovery of an infected cow in Alberta, Canada, and the subsequent US ban has raised new concerns about the long-term safety of the U.S. meat supply... read more
	Biotechnology and Agriculture Although many see genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as a tool with great benefits to farmers and consumers, there is concern about the potential impacts on human health and on the environment... read more