While USDA-certified organic food still accounts for a small fraction of total U.S. food sales, it’s now big business. In 2020, data from the Organic Trade Association showed sales of organic food rose at a record rate to a new high of $56.4 billion, and as the industry has become more lucrative, fraud and cheating have increased. The Cornucopia Institute is a non-profit watchdog organization that has been working to hold companies and the USDA accountable to organic’s original ideals around soil health, animal welfare, and more. In this episode, host Lisa Held speaks with executive director Melody Morrell about the organization’s organic scorecards, a new Living Soil campaign, and what’s happening at the USDA right now to close loopholes and strengthen the standards.

Correction: In this episode, Melody Morrell's statement that 25 operations produce 75% of the organic milk in the country is false. The correct statistic is: 22 operations produce 25% of the organic milk in the country.

Photo Courtesy of Cornucopia Institute.

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