The Walmart of organics? Whole Foods’ move to centralize is criticized
Whole Foods’ decision to centralize buying for its U.S. stores will likely make it much harder for smaller producers of organic and natural foods to get to market. The move could thus further solidify the control of the corporate food giants currently dominating the organic and natural foods sector.
Claim: new SNAP rule disqualifies ‘tens of thousands’ of stores
The USDA proposal for grocers to stock a greater variety of healthy foods would push "tens of thousands" of convenience stores out of the food stamp program, one-third of the members of the House said in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Links in food chain are out of public view
When it comes to transparency on the source of fruits and vegetables, "Only country of origin need be shared," writes Elizabeth Grossman in Mother Jones in an article prompted by her attempt to trace-back the Mexican-grown mango that she bought in a Portland, Ore, grocery store. Retailers are required under a 2009 law to display the country of origin of its produce. As Grossman learned, produce distributors regard the names of their growers and packers as confidential business information and there is no legal obligation to share them with the public.
Grocery stores closer than thought in poor areas
Many poor neighborhoods are close to a supermarket - 86 pct are within a mile, says Tufts associate professor Parke Wilde in his U.S. Food Policy blog. That's a shorter distance than commonly thought and a shorter trip than faces higher-income people, according to research by Wilde and colleagues.
How much of grocer revenue comes from food stamps?
The government could soon be required to make public how much a retailer or a specific store records in food stamp sales, says a story in Mother Jones and produced in partnership with the Food and Environment Reporting Network; a longer version appears at thefern.org.
Pompeo, Butterfield unveil GMO pre-emption bill
Reps Mike Pompeo of Kansas and GK Butterfield of North Carolina will unveil a bill today to set a federal standard for labeling genetically engineered foods and block states from adopting labeling laws of their own.