The Cornucopia Institute

If you’re new to our work, let us introduce you to carrageenan, a dangerous ingredient in our food system. If you aren’t new and you’re one of the many people who know the health risks all too well, we have some good news: The science has caught up with consumer experiences. Thousands of studies indicate that carrageenan causes or contributes to inflammation. Cornucopia has been busy these past several years tracking the science.

Cornucopia’s slog to rid organic food of carrageenan continues. Not familiar with this so-called “natural” ingredient? Carrageenan is a food additive used as an emulsifier, thickener, and gelling compound. While celebrated by industry, the highly processed ingredient is shunned by a growing group of consumers because it is linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and disease.

At Cornucopia, we like to say that we go deep so you don’t have to. This is particularly true with organic dairy, a complex marketplace impacted by changes in organic regulations and shifts in dairy production practices. We’ve studied both to bring you our Organic Dairy Scorecard refresh.

Cyclospora is a perfect storm for our highly consolidated food system. Since late June, Cyclospora cayetanensis has dominated food conversations in the US. The tiny single-celled parasite causing explosive gastro-intestinal distress in 49 states is elusive and resilient. Cyclospora finds its way into fresh produce every summer, going back to the 1990s. It is now endemic in tropical and subtropical regions where quite a lot of food is grown and processed.

Despite concerns that the spring 2026 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting could be cancelled, it took place in Omaha, Nebraska – albeit later in the year than is usual. (The fall 2025 meeting was delayed even longer and was held in January 2026.) NOSB meetings are announced in the Federal Register, where federal agencies publish proposed and final changes to rules and regulations. When the meeting is announced, the public is invited to submit comments for consideration by the NOSB.

If you’ve lost track of the Farm Bill, we get it. Hot button issues are holding up an already slow, hard-to-understand process. Yet the values driving organic farming transcend politics. Community-scale organic farmers from every state work extraordinarily hard to nourish our communities and ensure our food future. We can’t afford to leave them behind. The Farm Bill’s next stop is the Senate Agriculture Committee, which may be ready to discuss it next week.

Community-scale organic farmers work extraordinarily hard to bring us the food future we all need. And now, they need us in their corner. The House passed a Farm Bill that has gravely disappointed the organic community, and now that bill is headed for the Senate. Please take five minutes today to call or write your senators and urge them to fight for organic farmers and food in the Farm Bill.

After the scheduled October National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Omaha was cancelled due to the government shutdown, the NOSB reconvened online  (January 13 & 14, 2026 ) in a makeup meeting. The meeting was truncated to only two days and did not include oral comments.

After the scheduled October National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Omaha was cancelled due to the government shutdown, the NOSB reconvened online  (January 13 & 14, 2026 ) in a makeup meeting. The meeting was truncated to only two days and did not include oral comments.

The current draft of the Farm Bill hurts ethical farmers. And it’s bad news for human health and animal welfare. So, who comes out on top? Industrialized agribusiness. The bill attempts to shield pesticide companies from lawsuits related to human health impacts. And it restricts the freedom of some state or local jurisdictions to maintain their own health standards.