Cornucopia Institute

{{Short description|American non-profit organization}}The Cornucopia Institute is a national food and farm policy 501(c)(3) non-profit watchdog group with the stated goal of upholding the integrity of organic, local, and other forms of alternative agriculture.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Cornucopia has exposed factory-farming conditions at organic egg production facilities confining tens of thousands of hens per building with inadequate outdoor access,{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/15/millions-of-organic-eggs-come-from-industrial-scale-chicken-operations-group-says/|title=Millions of ‘organic’ eggs come from industrial scale chicken operations, group says|website=Washington Post|access-date=2016-06-27}} and at organic dairies, where thousands of cows have no access to pasture in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO).{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/20/usda-declines-to-investigate-alleged-violations-at-major-organic-farms/|title=USDA declines to investigate alleged violations at major organic farms|website=Washington Post|access-date=2016-06-27}} Their ongoing “flyover project” has resulted in high-resolution aerial photography of unethical organic livestock facilities across the country.

Cornucopia produces reports and consumer scorecards that rate organic and natural brands of eggs,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/business/improving-the-eggs-before-they-are-hatched.html|title=Putting the Chicken Before the Egg|last=Strom|first=Stephanie|date=2015-11-23|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-06-27}} pet food,{{Cite web|url=http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/18/truth-about-pet-food/|title=The Truth About Pet Food|date=2015-12-18|website=EcoWatch|access-date=2016-06-27}} yogurt,{{Cite web|url=https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/group-blasts-most-yogurt-as-junk-food-112514.html|title=Group blasts most yogurt as "junk food"|access-date=2016-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924221857/https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/group-blasts-most-yogurt-as-junk-food-112514.html|archive-date=2016-09-24|url-status=dead}} soy foods,{{Cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/04/which-veggie-burgers-contain-neurotoxin|title=Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin?|access-date=2016-06-27}} and breakfast cereals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/keeping-up-with-sugary-cereal-news-still-not-a-good-choice/250431/|title=Keeping Up With Sugary Cereal News: Still Not a Good Choice|last=Nestle|first=Marion|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-27}} They have also reported on the food additives carrageenan{{Cite web|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-18/health/ct-met-carrageenan-0318-20130318_1_doubts-surface-fda-scientists-u-s-food|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530131408/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-18/health/ct-met-carrageenan-0318-20130318_1_doubts-surface-fda-scientists-u-s-food|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 30, 2013|title=Doubts surface about carrageenan, a common food additive|access-date=2016-06-27}} and DHA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_QuestionsAnswers.pdf|title=Questions and Answers About DHA/ARA and Infant Formula|last=|first=|date=|website=Cornucopia Institute|access-date=July 28, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/what-does-organic-mean-for-baby-formula/?_r=0|title=What Does 'Organic' Mean for Baby Formula?|last=Molloy|first=Aimee|access-date=2016-06-27}} In addition, Cornucopia has released white papers and reports covering current issues in organics such as a Hydroponics White Paper (2015), a Children’s Health Report (2015),{{Cite web|url=http://host.madison.com/ct/opinion/column/mark-a-kastel-studies-suggest-organic-food-right-choice-for/article_1af8a11b-a9d0-5eb0-bc19-34f595ef9e5b.html|title=Mark A. Kastel: Studies suggest organic food right choice for children's health|last=Institute|first=MARK A. KASTEL {{!}} co-director, Cornucopia|access-date=2016-06-27}} and an Organic Watergate White Paper (2011).{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/restaurants/is-your-definition-of-organic-the-same-as-the-usdas-cornucopia-institute-declares-an-organic-watergate-6548666|title=Is Your Definition of Organic the Same as the USDA's? Cornucopia Institute Declares an Organic Watergate|last=Sietsema|first=Robert|date=2012-05-18|access-date=2016-06-27}} They also have produced a scorecard of organic certifiers, the organizations responsible for ensuring organic producers have followed the USDA’s organic rules.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/14/organic-food-industry-is-booming-that-may-be-bad-consumers/|title=The organic food industry is booming, and that may be bad for consumers |last=Reiley|first=Laura|date=2019-03-14|newspaper=The Washington Post|issn=0190-8286|access-date=2020-11-10}}

The Cornucopia Institute also takes legal action on organic integrity issues, for instance having filed complaint against Dean Foods (White Wave), based on the use of the term organic. It challenged a USDA marketing order related to almonds, and has filed complaints with the USDA about certain practices of Aurora Organic Dairy, Horizon Organic, Silk, and others, as they relate to organic standards and regulations. In 2016, Cornucopia filed suit against the USDA alleging that agribusiness personnel were improperly appointed to seats reserved for organic farmers on the National Organic Standards Board.{{Cite web|url=http://farmfutures.com/story-cornucopia-institute-files-suit-against-usda-0-140340|title=Cornucopia Institute files suit against USDA|access-date=2016-06-27}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}