Organic soybean producers competing with Chinese
U.S. organic soybean producers have been hit with the same kind of competition that, so far, has crippled catfish farmers in the South and garlic growers in California.
Namely, cheap Chinese imports.
The charge was made this week in a report issued by The Cornucopia Foundation, an organization that promotes organic agriculture. The report is titled, Beyond the Bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry.
In a press release about the report, the foundation cites Dean Foods, the leading U.S. marketer of organic soy milk, as a major company that has brought in organic soybeans from Chinese sources.
"White Wave (Dean's marketing division for Silk and Horizon organic milk) had the opportunity to push organic and sustainable agriculture to incredible heights of production by working with North American farmers and traders to get more land in organic production," said
-- Owen Taylor
Are they really organic? Doubtful. Organic depends to a great extent on trust that the producer followed organic procedures. Can we trust the Chinese on this? After all of the other issues with the Chinese on pet food, wall board, milk, etc., etc., etc., Dean Foods is foolish to trust the Chinese on this. They run a great risk of losing consumer confidence.
ReplyDeleteI made the post above. I went onto the Silk website to share my displeasure with them on using Chinese soy. Dean Foods says that they have not purchased Chinese soy since 2006. Maybe Cornucoppia is putting out bad information.
ReplyDeleteDean Food's may say they havn't purchased them since 2006, but why didn't they paticipate in the survey,which asked them to list their suppliers? I read the Cornucopia report, and if Dean foods was sourcing domestic organic soybeans they should have no problem reveiling who they buy from. I was a consumer of Silk until I read the report.
ReplyDelete