Dive Brief:

According to a recent TechSci Research report,the global organic food market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14% from 2016 to 2021.The new OTA survey supports this belief as the organic sector once again showed signs of an upward trajectory. In fact, organic food now accounts for 5.3% of total food sales in the U.S.

Growth like that is great for the industry, but there may be a problem lurking in the shadows. In order for supply to keep up with the rapidly expanding demand, more farmers will need to get on board the organic train. This is quite a challenge. Transitioning to organic farming is a long and expensive process, which takes three years, many process changes, and copious inspections. earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture partnered with the OTA on a new transitional certification program, which could make it more enticing for farmers to make the switch.

Its a move that many who support organics said is greatly needed as the shopper base has expanded far beyond the traditional core group of hard-core organic loyalists. Many analysts saying those who buy organics has more than doubled in a short time. However, others are not sure if consumers will understand what transitional certification means or if they will be willing to pay higher prices for food bearing that seal.

Organics may also get their own government-authorized check-off program, which could help raise $30 million a year to spend on research and marketing. The program was authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, and the issue of how to establish it was opened for public comment earlier this year. If the program comes to be, those funds could also help expand the organic supply.

Its not just organic food seeing a rise in popularity. Sales of organic items for consumers'wardrobes, bedrooms and bathrooms are also on the rise. Non-food organic products saw sales increases of almost 9% to $3.9 billion, according to the report.

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Organic food sales totaled $43B in 2016 - Food Dive

The U.S. organic sector stayed on its upwardtrajectory in 2016,as consumers across the country ate and used more organic products than ever before.

TheOrganic Trade Associations (OTAs) 2017 Organic Industry Survey released on Wednesday showed organic sales in the U.S. totaled around US$47 billion in 2016, reflecting new sales of almost US$3.7 billion from the previous year.

Of the total, a record US$43 billion corresponded to organic food sales, marking the first time the U.S. organic food market wasbroken though the US$40-billion mark.

Organic food now accounts for more than 5.3%of total food sales in this country, the according to the report.

It added organic food sales increased by 8.4% year-on-year, far higher than the 0.6% growth rate in the overall food market. Sales of organic non-food products were up 8.8% in 2016, also surpassing the overall non-food growth rate of 0.8%.

The US$15.6-billion organic fruits and vegetables sector held onto its position as the largest of the organic food categories, accounting for almost 40% of all organic food sales.

Posting an 8.4% growth rate almost triple the 3.3% growth pace of total fruit and vegetable sales organic fruits and vegetables now make up almost 15% of the produce that Americans eat.

The OTA said produce had traditionally been the entry category for consumers new to organic, in large part because in the produce aisle the benefits of organic are probably the easiest to understand.

In produce, grab-and-go salads and ready-to-eat veggies (fresh or frozen), were top sellers.

Organic products of all sorts are now found in the majority of kitchens and households across our country, OTA CEO and executive director Laura Batcha said.

But the organic sector is facing challenges to continue its growth. We need more organic farmers in this country to meet our growing organic demand, and the organic sector needs to have the necessary tools to grow and compete on a level playing field.

That means federal, state and local programs that help support organic research, and provide the organic farmer with a fully equipped tool kit to be successful.

Photo: http://www.shutterstock.com

http://www.freshfruitportal.com

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U.S. organic food sales hit record US$43B in 2016 - FreshFruitPortal ... - Fresh Fruit Portal

Regulating [food] supply chains to ensure, for example, that organic foods deserve their labels is hard. Here are five reasons why.

1) The U.S. government doesnt enforce its standards for organic foods[T]he USDA doesnt actually administer the standards for imported foods. Instead, the certification checking that the food meets U.S. standards is done by USDA-recognized foreign regulators or USDA-authorized third-party organizations. This means the USDA outsources its authority to its equivalent agencies in other countries, as well as third-party certifiers.

2) Not all countries have U.S.-recognized regulators The number of USDA-recognizedinternational regulatorshasbeengrowing since 2009. However, it is still relatively small.

3) Thats why third-party certifiers are necessary USDAs Certifier Lookuppage lists 82 authorized third-party organizations. Although most of these USDA-accredited certifying agents are domestic, 33 areforeign agents. Also, although some of them are purely private, others arepublic.

4) But certification remains challenging in a complex global economy In practice, ensuring that imports labeled organic are actually organic is very hard, because global supply chains are complex and nontransparent. A number of suppliersor organizations may sell the product before they reach the final customer.

This creates ample opportunity for things to go wrong.

5) The problem stretches beyond the USDA This is not the USDAs fault it is one regulatory agency with limited resources, trying to deal with a multitude of suppliers. Some of these suppliers, in all likelihood, are operating unethically.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Why its so hard to know whether organic food is really organic

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5 reasons why it's so hard to know whether 'organic' food is really organic - Genetic Literacy Project

This is really not my forte, Jayson Werth told the Organic Trade Associations 2017 Policy Conference Wednesday afternoon in downtown D.C. Id actually feel more comfortable facing Mariano Rivera in the World Series than standing up here right now. And I havent got any hits off that guy, ever.

Werth then launched into his keynote address to the group, a speech thattouched on his diet, his lifestyle, his entree into the world of organic farming, his challenges in turning his Illinois farm into a sustainable and profitable enterprise, and his goal to throw himself into even larger-scale organic farming and consulting after his baseball career is over.

When I started this thing, I didnt really know what I was doing, he told the crowd, speaking of his organic enterprise. I wasnt planning on anything. It just happened, organically. I thought we were just gonna have a nice place for the animals and for us to hang out, and here we are nine years later. So as time goes on and my career winds down, I think Ill have more opportunities, and I kind of see myself headed in this direction in my next life. But hopefully thats not too soon. I think Ive got a few good years in me. And this is my last season in Washington potentially Ill be a free agent after this year, and Im looking to still play every day. So in the meantime, Im focused on baseball. But long-term, this is where Im gonna put my attention and put my energy.

This being his organic farming in Illinois, which maybe I should have known about, but Im not convinced I did. Werth, needless to say, sure seemed to win over the organic policy crowd, leading to an invitation for him to join the group during its Thursday lobbying trip to Capitol Hill.

We play every day, he said, apologetically. I would love to, actually, but we play at 4. (The Nats game was later moved up to just after noon, but Werth also told the crowd that he might have chores to do at his extensive home organic garden, so he wasnt sure if he could make it.)

Werth was introduced as a man that is part of the solution in the batters box, in left field, on the organic farm and throughout his community, but most of his talk was descriptive rather than prescriptive. He talked about his struggles with health and durability early in his career, how he was looking for an edge, how his wife had her eyes opened about nutrition during a college course. Ten years ago, he told the crowd, we eliminated gluten and dairy entirely from our lives and tried to stay away from no-organic food and GMOs as much as possible. Once I started eating clean and as much organic produce and grass-fed meat as possible, my career started to take off.

And so when he purchased 280 acres in central Illinois, he told the crowd, my dream was to have a farm that matched my philosophy on food and diet. I didnt want toxic chemicals on my property and my crops, and I still dont want toxic chemicals on my or my familys food.

But his family, he said, was totally clueless about farming, knowing only that they wanted to be organic. And so they navigated a world of red tape and regulations, of organic certification and the challenges of farming next to conventional land, a world of financial hurdles and continued problems with fraudulent labeling. Werth cited a recent Washington Post report on mislabeled imported soybeans being marketed as organic, calling it totally heartbreaking and really unsettling, to say the least.

His farm improved as he found effective consultants familiar with organic practices, he said, and as he invested in improved equipment, which he called the key to his success. The Werths found a way to leave out the fallow-year they had originally used every four years. They improved their soil, increased their yields and sawthings turn around. Werth eventually added three more properties, giving him nearly 500 tillable acres. He created an expansive wetland and wildlife preserve, with more than a thousand trees. He removed 300 acres of invasive bush honeysuckle. (Are you still reading? Its okay if youre not.) And he saw the critters on his land multiply.

The neighbors who have lived in the area their whole lives have commented on the incredible changes in wildlife and habitat: grasshoppers, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, deer, quail and recently pheasants pheasants that we havent seen in our area in almost 20 years, Werth said. They are all now common inhabitants. We are involved with our local Quails Forever chapter to improve the quail habitat. When I bought my property, there were no quails, we never saw any. Now we have many coveys; when Im out hunting, I see them all the time. Their population is actually thriving.

Recent spikes in coyote populations were believed to be the reason for the loss of these animals, but I believe that we have proven that its the loss of natural habitat, he went on. And coyotes are not welcome down on the farm, either. We do this great thing: we get these pelts made. My wife loves em. You know, you throw em over your shoulder when youre cold, got that whole Game of Thrones thing going on.

There was much laughter at all this. Werth looked around and grinned. What? he asked, to more laughter. Sorry.

His family has taken up beekeeping, too, and now has four hives. But Werth said making the transition from conventional to organic remains prohibitive for many farmers: they lack the knowledge and the equipment to farm organically, and cant afford to make the three-year transition. Thats why he said he is forming a consulting wing to help Midwestern farmers transition to organic: his group will provide recommendations in equipment, grains, cultivation, weed prevention, crop rotation, red tape navigation, certification and so on to farmers who want to go organic but dont know how.

One thing I know is that people wanting to transition need help and the tools to do so. Were preparing to help those in need of guidance, he said to applause.

Werths goal, he said, is to acquire 1,000 tillable acres by the time he retires, with the ultimate goal of having 10,000 acres under his management, via direct ownership, consulting or lease arrangements. But there are still many frictions for organic farmers, he said, things like a lack of non-GMO labeling, the empty buffer zones organic farmers have to surrender, the risks of contamination, the high price tags on new equipment and on organic fertilizers and seeds, the insurance disincentives for organic farms compared to traditional. (Are you still reading? Its okay if youre not.) None of that is enough to chase him away.

Baseball has been my life, but now towards the end of my career I am realizing what it has really done is help me build toward a better life for my family and others, he told the group. Before today, really, I did not know what I was getting into. And Ive got to say, thank you for doing all this. Im happy and glad to be a part of this, because this is something I can get behind.

Werth said his teammates are increasingly adopting some of his diet preferences, something he has discussed in the past.

When I got here to Washington seven seasons ago, no one knew anything about anything, he said. I was coming from a team in Philadelphia where we had been to two World Series, we were successful, we had a lot of older veteran guys. And when I came here, we had a lot of younger guys that didnt know a whole lot about anything. There wasnt much thought to nutrition and training. But now Im happy to report that the Washington Nationals are one of the few teams that have gone almost strictly organic in the food room and have lots of non-GMO products, and weve really made some great strides in that regard. But I think most teams are still very far behind the curve.

And he indicated he would be increasingly visible as a voice for organic farming and organic products as years go on, and added, eating organic is vitally important, I think we all can agree to that. After a bit more than 30 minutes, he signed off.

Alright, Ive got to go to work, he told the crowd. So see you guys later.

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Jayson Werth gave a great speech about organic farming (and coyote pelts) - Washington Post

The global organic food & beverage market is expected to reach USD 320.5 billion by 2025. Growing popularity of non-GMO products among consumers, owing to the health benefits associated with their consumption, is expected to drive the demand over the forecast period.

Fruits and vegetables dominated the global organic food market accounted for over 37% of revenue share in 2015. Furthermore, increasing consumption of meat and poultry products resulted in the fastest growth of the segment and is expected to grow substantially at a CAGR of 13% over the forecast period.

Non-dairy beverages such as rice, soymilk, and oat beverages accounted for over 33% of the total share of organic beverages market in 2015. However, beer and wine is projected to grow substantially at a CAGR of 13.5% over the forecast period owing to increasing global economic conditions and high consumption of a broad range of flavored beverages.

The industry in Asia Pacific is projected to witness fastest growth over the forecast period and account for over 12% of global revenue by 2025. Asia Pacific is projected to witness highest growth on account of growing agriculture sector in the region coupled with robust domestic demand has led to significant demand for the product.

Companies Mentioned

Key Topics Covered:

1. Methodology and Scope

2. Executive Summary

3. Organic Food & Beverage Industry Outlook

4. Organic Food & Beverage: Product Outlook

5. Organic Food & Beverage Market: Regional Outlook

6. Competitive Landscape

7. Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/m2nb7f/organic_foods_and

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/organic-foods-and-beverages-market-to-reach-320-billion-by-2025---growing-popularity-of-non-gmo-products-among-consumers---research-and-markets-300463931.html

SOURCE Research and Markets

http://www.researchandmarkets.com

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Organic Foods and Beverages Market to Reach $320 Billion by 2025 - Growing Popularity of Non-GMO Products ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Submitted by Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center

Tacoma, WA: Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center in Tacoma, WA will present a day course titled, Connecting with Our Dream-Like Self & Letting go of Problems; A Meditation Workshop, Sunday, June 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The problems we face in life, which seem so solid and real, will disappear like last nights bad dream when we apply Buddhas teachings on emptiness, the way things actually exist as opposed to the way they appear. In the book Modern Buddhism, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche explains:

Dream-Like Self; a Meditation Course

If we dream of an elephant, the elephant appears vividly in all its detail we can see it, hear it, smell it, and touch it- but when we wake up we realize that it was just an appearance to mind. We do not wonder, Where is the elephant now? because we understand that it was simply a projection of our mind and had no existence outside our mind.

This view of emptiness, the dream-like nature of things, teaches us that we can overcome our fears and gradually become more peaceful, flexible, and creative. In How to Transform Your Life, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche writes:

All our delusions stem from self-grasping ignorance. Self-grasping ignorance is the source of all our negativity and problems, and the only way to eradicate it is to realize emptiness. Emptiness is not easy to understand, but it is extremely important that we make the effort. Ultimately our efforts will be rewarded by the permanent cessation of all suffering and the everlasting bliss of full enlightenment.

In this day course, Gen Kelsang Wangpo will teach how we can recall and apply these profound teachings throughout our day and transform our life and experiences with wisdom.

Everyone is Welcome

For more information or to register call (360)754-7787 or visit http://www.MeditateInOlympia.org.

The course will take place at Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center located at 1501 Pacific Avenue S, Suite #301 Sprague/United Way Building in Tacoma.

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Connecting with Our Dream-like Self A Meditation Workshop - The Suburban Times

New York Times

A Novelist's Meditation on Loss and Identity New York Times Zinzi Clemmons, whose first novel is What We Lose. Credit Monica Almeida for The New York Times. When Zinzi Clemmons was in third grade, her family moved from West Philadelphia to Swarthmore, Pa., drawn by the quality of its public schools.

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A Novelist's Meditation on Loss and Identity - New York Times

MADISON In addition to Mahjongg, canasta, bridge, ping pong, poker, coloring, trips and movies, the Madison Senior Center inside the Madison Civic Center at 28 Walnut St. has added more fitness programming to its schedule.

Popular instructor Donna Sue Dowton will continue to lead classes in Stretch and Flex, Not Your Daughters Yoga and Balance and Stability. In addition, she has introduced Meditation, a twice-monthly class in the Senior Centers Activities Room, designed to educate adults about the benefits of guided breathing and relaxation exercises.

A classroom setting is less likely to have the distractions of a home setting, and the guided exercises allow students to concentrate on the fundamentals rather than sequence, Dowton explained.

Better Sleep

Among the benefits of meditation, Dowton noted, are lower blood pressure, improved blood circulation, lower heart rate, slower respiratory rate, less anxiety, deeper relaxation and better sleep. For an additional charge of $10, a 40-page booklet and CD can be purchased.

The meditation classes is under way and will continue on the first and third Tuesday of each month. There is a $5 fee per class which is billed on a quarterly basis.

Registration is ongoing for Stretch and Flex, Balance and Stability and Not Your Daughters Yoga.

Stretch and Flex is held at 10:30 a.m. Mondays and at 9 a.m. Thursdays, and students can sign up for once-weekly or twice-weekly classes. The yoga class meets at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, and the balance class is held at 1:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

The fee is $60 for a 12-week series. Donna Sue Dowton is a certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor who has worked exclusively with senior citizens since 2001. Her training includes certifications in balance, posture, anatomy, chair yoga, and exercise for people with joint replacements, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

All classes are held on the upper level of the Madison Civic Center at 28 Walnut St. For information, call (973) 593-3095.

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Meditation joins fitness classes at Madison Senior Center | Madison ... - New Jersey Hills

LUNENBURG -- Residents are trying to stop a four-day music and meditation festival from being held next month.

On May 16, selectmen granted the nonprofit Unifier Festival a temporary license for an all-ages, interfaith, and substances-free event at 300 Holman St. from June 22 to 25.

The festival has drawn support from those planning to attend. But a "super majority" of Holman Street residents want nothing to do with it, said Steven Whitman, of 473 Holman St.

"We're looking for the Board of Selectmen to rescind the license," said Whitman, formerly the director of the Department of Public Works in Leominster and founder of the civil engineering firm Whitman & Bingham Associates.

In its fourth year, Unifier Festival organizes "sacred celebrations" featuring yoga, music, dance, live art, and spaces for "interfaith ceremony" and permaculture, according to festival literature.

Jason Cohen, festival curator, stressed that the attendees have a reverence for land and community.

"There are hippie festivals where people come in and make places less beautiful, but that's not what we're doing," said Cohen. "We don't want to disturb you if you live three or four houses down."

In a certified letter dated May 20, Whitman wrote selectmen and Holman Street homeowners have retained a lawyer to pursue avenues for blocking the festival.

"Never have I witnessed such an arbitrary and capricious decision by a town or city board such as this one," Whitman wrote.

UMass Memorial psychiatrist Daron C. Massey owns the nearly 35-acre property at 300 Holman St. where the event is planned.

Cohen said Massey attended a past Unifier event. Massey volunteered to let Unifier use his land this year while organizers close a deal on a permanent property in Tolland, Cohen said.

Leominster attorney John Dombrowski is representing the 15 Holman Street homeowners aiming to halt Unifier, Dombrowski said.

They say their rural enclave cannot support the expected 500 attendees and their 250 cars.

"I have nothing against festivals or whatnot, but this is in a residential area," said Eric Blomgren, of 272 Holman St., who added his wife, a nurse, would be disturbed with noise from the festival.

The Board of Selectmen and town manager, homeowners allege, made a procedural error during the permitting process.

According to homeowners, Town Manager Heather Lemieux should have notified homeowners via mail of two May meetings when festival organizers appeared before the Board of Selectmen seeking the permit.

Advance notification would have allowed abutters to attend the meetings and voice opposition to the festival, according to several abutters.

"I have no idea why you would permit 500 people to camp by my house and not give any notice about the presentation," said Eric Short, of 502 Holman St.

The hearing was posted in advance on the town website in accordance with open meeting laws, said Lemieux.

Selectmen Clerk Paula Bertram, at last Tuesday's meeting where two abutters spoke against the event, said festival organizers addressed all health and safety concerns had by the Conservation Commission, Nashoba Board of Health, and town Fire and Police Chiefs.

Bertram said selectmen are open to reviewing abutters' concerns. She said she is not inclined to revoke the entertainment license.

"If by procedural error we made a mistake, we erred, then we will correct that error," said Bertram.

Festival opponents and proponents may get the chance to hash out their differences at a special selectmen meeting tentatively scheduled for June 6, said Lemieux.

Lemieux said town officials must consult with the town's attorney before confirming that date.

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Lunenburg neighbors call on town to stop music-meditation fest - Sentinel & Enterprise

You have left your world behind and entered ours. And now what?

Our facilities are simple, informal and relaxed. You will be sharing the week with 11 other guests in our two story main house. Our bedrooms are comfortable yet unembellished, with shared bathroom facilities. We have 9 private small rooms that are given on a first come first serve basis for the same fee. Quaint, yes. Plush, no.

A long wooden table is the centerpiece of our dining area. It will accommodate you all in a warm and homelike atmosphere. Our meals are nourishing, delicious and vegetarian.

A cozy living room with comfortable sofas in front of a welcoming fireplace bids you to relax and share the days experiences with your newfound friends.

Outside is our backyard patio and pool area. Get ready for a raucous game of water volleyball, and then a soothing soak in our relaxing hot tub.

Our meditation and yoga dome sits on a hill above the house and provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Nearby you will find small, private cottages where skilled massage therapists will knead the soreness and tiredness out of muscles you didnt even know you had.

You are beginning to change. Enjoy the feeling.

"I have traveled all over the world and stayed in amazing places, but this is indeed in a category of its own."Emilie C, New York

The all-inclusive charge for one week at The Ashram California is US$5,200 per person. Lodging, meals, programs, massage, facilities and gratuities are included.

Air fare to Los Angeles is at your own expense but we provide private ground transportation from Los Angeles Airport Marriot Hotel or other designated locations to The Ashram.

A deposit of $2000 is required at the time of your reservation, with the remaining balance due one week prior to scheduled arrival.

If you cancel within 3 weeks (21 days) of your scheduled arrival, your deposit is forfeited in compliance with The Ashram policy. A 10% cancellation fee will be charged to all refunded deposits.

If you cancel less than 7 days prior to your scheduled arrival, 100% of your deposit plus the remaining balance of the total fee will be assessed as a cancellation fee. There will be no refund unless we book another guest in your place.

We are happy to answer your questions and look forward to your visit.

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