Aloe Vera
Posted - February 1, 2005
Aloe Vera Improves Well-Being in Diabetics:
Promising Results Show No Side Effects
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Aloecorp, the world’s leading vertically integrated supplier of bioactive Aloe Vera raw materials, reports that Aloe Vera is one of the few natural ingredients proven in human clinical trials to show promising results for addressing health concerns related to diabetes, without the side effects often associated with drugs. According to 2002 statistics from the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects nearly 18.2 million Americans, or 6.3% of the population, and in the year 2000 was cited as the 6th leading cause of death.
Diabetes involves a deficiency or absence of the hormone insulin, the main hormone responsible for the control of sugar in the blood, resulting in an unhealthy increase in blood sugar levels, along with an increase in oxidative stress, lower levels of free radical-fighting antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
According to Ken Jones, Aloecorp’s Director of Research and Development, “various studies and human clinical trials have shown that Aloe Vera has had a significant effect on health concerns related to type 2 diabetes, such as the regulation of blood sugar, triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels, as well as improvements in lipid profiles and suppressed free radical-induced oxidative damage”. Jones added that a large number of human clinical trial participants were able to decrease or discontinue the medications they were previously taking to regulate their blood sugar levels, hypertension and angina.
John Rhees, Aloecorp’s President and Chief Executive Officer, further commented: “Thanks to scientific advancements and sound results in the study of aloe for addressing diabetes, people experiencing this disease now have a natural and safe option for supporting improved health. I am thrilled that the Aloe Industry can assist those involved in such a huge and growing public health concern.”
Those afflicted with type 1 diabetes must take insulin because their bodies do not produce enough of it; those suffering from type 2 diabetes may control their condition through healthy diet and exercise. In contrast to people suffering from type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be controlled in some cases through diet and exercise, while others do require medication to control their blood sugar. Studies have shown that regular supplementation with Aloe Vera can positively affect the health of type 2 diabetics.
The healing properties of Aloe Vera have been known for centuries. Today, the market is flooded with aloe products at both conventional and organic stores. From toothpaste to skin creams, cosmetics, yogurt and even ice cream, aloe is back. But check the labels. They should describe the exact concentration of aloe.
German firm Santa Verde recommends that a good Aloe Vera product should not use aloe concentrate that is made up with water and is used for low-priced cosmetics and beverages. Water is not always declared in the label as the main ingredient. Santa Verde also explains that some manufacturers use the whole leaf without peeling the outer skin, which results in a juice that requires activated carbon filtering to eliminate the not-allowed aloin, located in the second layer of the aloe outer skin. Important is also to look for preservatives, many with sodium benzoate. Flavourings and other additives such as sorbitol should also be avoided.
BioPlaza
Posted - February 1, 2005
Bioplaza: First Organic Store in Bogota
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
German-born Alexander von Loebell opened BioPlaza two years ago in Colombia, a nation where citizens are less involved in environmental issues as they are in dealing with unstable social and political events that shape, and often disrupt, their lives. This first organic store in this country offers 100 m2 retail space with all sorts of colorful, fresh vegetables and fruits, Andean cereals like quinoa and amaranth, meat and poultry and a section for natural remedies and herbs.
But what brought retailing pioneer von Loebell to Bogota? “I spent my early childhood here, where my family has been running a biodynamic farm for 16 years. I love Colombia, its people and landscape. It offers one of the richest places on earth for its bio-diversity. There is so much to do here”, offered the enthusiastic entrepreneur.
He is also attracted to homeopathy and biodynamic agriculture, terms unknown to most people in that part of the world. Located in a well-established neighborhood of Bogota, BioPlaza has concentrated on informing people about organic agriculture with field visits. “We organize tours to our farm and our suppliers to help people understand the added value, and why the difference in price from a conventional product”.
BioPlaza is also reaching the mainstream middle-class with the introduction of nutritious lunches for employees who work nearby. “The connection between the people and the land is what is missing in our modern society”, he added.
But Colombia’s organic agriculture and trade sector faces many challenges. One of them is convincing the public that GM crops are a dangerous game. Promotional campaigns are including expensive television advertisements and a stream of newspaper stories trumpeting genetically manipulated crops as a savior for the country’s economy and farmers.
“All this comes at the expense of the organic food industry. Consumers are confused. There is nothing like seeing their change of attitude as they experience the meaning of an organic farm and taste a truly nutritious and affordable meal!”
Bioluske
Posted - February 1, 2005
At Bioluske, Cinema And Jazz Sell Organics:
First Organic Supermarket with Integrated Cooking and Entertainment Studio
By Wolfgang Dannebaum - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
A supermarket in a movie theater with original 1950’s architectural features? A cool party room and a state-of-the-art cooking studio? A store where parents do the shopping served by friendly and well-informed staff, while children and teenagers enjoy cooking classes? An inviting place that turns into a cozy room in the evening for wine connoisseurs to host intimate dinners, or a large cocktail party with a live jazz band?
Yes! This is exactly what German-born Frank Luske envisioned and successfully created when he recently opened Bioluske, a well-designed multipurpose retail space in one of Berlin’s best-known neighborhoods. It provides shoppers with a relaxing atmosphere in an airy and well-illuminated 500 m2 area, offering over 5,000 organically certified products, surrounded by the theatre’s stunning original movie screen and walls painted in warm colors.
Lured by the smell of fresh baked bread and aromatic cappuccino, Bioluske has been attracting hundreds of new organic and conventional shoppers from all parts of town since the day it opened. “Old and young, professionals, students, children and teens, the first two days we had more than 2,000 buyers and lots of familiar faces keep coming,” reported the very enthusiastic owner, Frank Luske. The store features carefully organized displays of colorful vegetables and fruits, dried foods, spreads, cereals, sauces, spices and a large variety of wines, cheeses and meats, cosmetics and toiletries.
The cooking studio on the second floor overlooking the retail store is without a doubt the highlight of Bioluske. Over 50% of the clients that attend the cooking classes are not organic consumers. It provides a great venue to show them that organic people are not necessarily extreme vegetarians, bearded intellectuals or people with allergies and other health conditions, but conscious and informed consumers from all credos and backgrounds who want to improve their quality of life with healthier and natural food.
Luske, a 35 year-old professional gardener, knows the organic sector inside and out. He worked for several years as a farmer in Ireland and ran an organic farm store before moving back to Germany to work in one of the first organic supermarkets. He learned the retail operation and loved the direct contact with the customers, meeting suppliers and choosing new products. Last year, he decided to start his own venture.
“Berlin was still behind during the first ten years after the wall fell down, but it is a city that has always attracted the unconventional,” Luske explained. “In 2000, when I moved to this city, there were no organic supermarkets, but in just a couple of years nice stores selling 100% organics have been opening and doing well”.
Bioluske truly offers a great shopping experience. The packaging of well-known brands like La Selva, Bruno Fischer, Allos, Rapunzel, and Byodo appears amidst a great selection of Spanish, French and Italian wines. The meat and dairy selection includes regional and international suppliers and the cosmetics department offers quality products from Logona, Lavera, Dr. Hauschka, Sante, Weleda, Tautropfen, and aloe products from Santa Verde.
“We have a good basic selection of goods. Now we are interested in smaller suppliers of unique foods and other products not available at other organic supermarkets,” stated Luske, who will attend BioFach in February in his search for novelties. Exotic fruits are on his list, to add flair to his project. “It is important to keep our clients interested in learning about new options. If the selection is too basic they can get bored”, concluded Luske.
Sekem
Posted - February 1, 2005
Sekem Proves Organic Textiles Bring Prosperity:
First Vertically-Integrated Conglomerate to Introduce Biodynamic Farming in Egypt
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Egypt, the world’s premiere exporter of long to extra-long staple cotton, had developed a pesticide problem. By the late 1980s, it was clear that the pesticides widely used on Egyptian cotton crops had dramatically affected the soil and the environment in the country.
In 20 years, the total amount of pesticides in cotton cultivation in Egypt rose to 1,800 tons for 980,000 acres; 350,000 tons of chemical pesticides were sprayed every year. These chemicals are known to be toxic to humans and wildlife.
In 1990, the Egyptian government asked SEKEM to find a solution that would enable healthy cotton production, but which would cause less damage to the environment. The SEKEM initiative is an enterprise founded by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleisch with a remarkable infrastructure and production facilities. In cooperation with scientists, farmers, consultants and consumers, SEKEM developed a solution to the cotton crop problem: It presented biodynamic procedures of organic cotton cultivation.
It was a success. By 1995, pesticide use in Egyptian cotton had fallen 90% and the average yield of raw cotton under biodynamic cultivation increased nearly 30% to 1,220 kg per acre over the conventionally cultivated fields in the surrounding area.
More methods to control insects without pesticides have been implemented. Today in Egypt around 150 farms on 2,000 hectares grow organic cotton biodynamically. SEKEM produces more than 300 tons of cotton fibre and employs 500 people, with 200 at Conytex, its textile processing plant.
Cotton is not the only crop for which SEKEM developed biodynamic growing methods. In an area of 70 hectares of desert, SEKEM first developed a variety of medicinal herbs in 1977. Gradually cereals and vegetables were added, exporting 40%.
The success of the SEKEM initiative has been recognized with several international awards. Its production, health and educational facilities provide 4,000 jobs and benefit more than 30,000 people. In the textile sector, SEKEM is widely lauded for having played an important role in spurring international demand for organic cotton. Its line of clothes is distributed to the United States and Europe through Alnatura under the brand Cotton People.
Clean Water
Posted - February 1, 2005
Drinking Water Needs Cleaning:
Which is the Best Water for the Organic Sector?
By Dr. Sabah A. A. Jassim - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Research shows that drinking water, including bottled water, contains impurities that can cause health problems and infections that can resist typical antibiotics.
Drinking water contaminants include microbial, inorganic or organic substances, or residues of human drugs. These contaminants don’t often threaten immediately the health of most people. However, people with weakened immune systems - HIV/AIDS, patients receiving chemotherapy or who have had organ transplants, the elderly and infants - are more vulnerable to infections and allergy to such contaminants.
Some pharmaceutical compounds - which have been excreted in urine - are resistant to standard water-treatment processes. According to research, 80% of a typical dose of a pharmaceutical is excreted in urine: on average, people retain only 20% of a dose. Thus, some medicines can remain in the water supply for long periods of time.
Consuming water with residual pharmaceuticals over time can pose significant health risks. Bacterial or viral strains highly resistant to antimicrobial agents could emerge.
Other contributors to dirty” water are upswings in human and animal population density. The results are elevated levels of microbial contamination in drinking and recreational water. Microbes in drinking-water remain a major cause of illness and death worldwide, particularly in developing nations.
There is undoubtedly a need for a rapid inexpensive microbiological approach for bacterial identification and detection in water industries - in particular ones that can detect and identify important human pathogens, and microbial biofilms.
Professor Dr. Sabah A. A. Jassim. Department of Microbiology, Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. profjassim@yahoo.co.uk
Retail Success
Posted - February 1, 2005
A New Sensibility Takes Root:
Organic Retailers Share Sale Strategies to Win Customers
By O.W.N. - News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
We can confirm it! The organic sector has become mainstream. From North and South America to Europe, the Middle East, China and beyond, the organic sector has left behind its traditional role as a local niche market. It has now established itself as a healthy, global, retail segment, ready to offer more than just organically grown fruits and vegetables to a small clientele. In this exciting new scenario, organic retailers are gradually positioning themselves as an innovative alternative for conscious consumers. Their clients have grown tired of the false nutritious statements made by fast food and cereal brands with their multi-million dollar advertising campaigns. Organic retail stores are capitalizing on their client’s desire for the real thing, and direct human communication about food choices. Food once again has become one of the basic pleasures of life to enjoy, not a technology that our fast-paced modern society has demanded.
The number of truly inspiring success stories in the sector continues to grow. Organic & Wellness News visited some retail stores to learn about their unique ideas and marketing strategies that have attracted and retained a New Era of organic consumers.
Organic Textiles
Posted - February 1, 2005
Why Organic Textiles? Did You Know
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
- Conventional cotton growers are the world’s largest users of pesticides, using 20% of all global insecticides
- The average cotton t-shirt takes 150 grams of pesticide
- Non-organic cotton gets between 2 and 9 applications of pesticide each season. In some countries, there can be as many as 20 applications
- Chemicals used include organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates and organochlorines. They are toxic and frequently persist in the environment, causing the death of animals higher in the food chain and disrupting the local ecology
- Some of these chemicals, such as the organophosphates, bioaccumulate, which means they concentrate in animals higher up the food chain. These chemicals can cause nervous system damage, cancer, birth defects, reproductive abnormalities and birth defects
- Many of the wet processes that involve dyeing, cleaning or changing the look and texture of a fabric involve heavy chemical use. Wet textile processing facilities in the developing world frequently fail to manage waste with any regard for the environment. Effluent, carrying toxic chemicals, is often sent to municipal water treatment plants, which lack the facilities to properly treat the effluent. Worse still, it is not uncommon for effluent to be discharged straight into local rivers
Pesticide Action Network UK estimated that at least 20,000 people in developing countries die every year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides. Three suffer acute or reproductive after-effects of conventional cotton production.
Economically, farmers in developing countries who use pesticides find them to be a spiralling debt trap, with farmers being exploited by pesticide salesmen. The more pesticides you use, the more you need to use because pests continually develop a tolerance to pesticides. When crops fail, farmers need to borrow more money to buy different pesticides, which will eventually fail, too as pests become resistant to them also.
Amnesty International reported that a few years ago in Andhra Pradesh, India, more than 80 conventional farmers committed suicide as crops failed and they were left with staggering debts.
PAN UK reports that in 2000, in the small West African cotton-producing country of Benin, 260 cases of pesticide poisoning, 24 of which were fatal, were reported. Poisoning was likely caused by unsafe use of endosulfan by poorly equipped and poorly trained farmers.
The same companies that sell the pesticides (Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Syngenta Bayer) are also developing GM cotton, a different way get farmers into debt without addressing the deleterious aspects of conventional agriculture. Over 45% of all conventional cotton grown in the US is genetically engineered.
Conventional cotton production can also effect the environment in a non-chemical way. By the beginning of the 1990s, the surface area of the Aral Sea had shrunk by nearly half, and the volume was down by 75%. A host of secondary environmental effects began to appear, including dust storms a regional climate change.
The loss of water was mainly due to the growth of irrigated agriculture, particularly cotton. Over-irrigation has concentrated salt and pesticide residue in many of the agricultural areas surrounding the Aral Sea.
The Good News
Organic cotton farmers have developed natural methods of pest control and keep their fields safer for people and wildlife.
In Uganda, cotton is called pamba. Nginigini are the predatory black ants used in cotton production to keep caterpillars and other pests at bay. Organic farmers find the ants in leaves below banana trees and transfer them to the cotton. Using an organic principle called ‘companion planting’ Sorghum is grown around the cotton to attract Aphids, which attract the ants. Okra is also grown nearby to attract ‘cotton stainer’ insects away from the cotton.
Where fibres are processed in accordance of organic standards, the use of harmful chemical inputs is much reduced.
Some of the more experienced organic farmers in pilot projects in sub-Saharan Africa are obtaining higher yields than conventional farmers, and organic farmers are clear that they will not go back to using chemicals unless forced to. Their incomes are usually higher as their purchases of inputs are reduced, and their health improves, reducing spending on health care, which is usually relatively expensive in developing countries
Where manufacturers and marketers have taken a risk on organic, it has paid off. Patagonia, Remei, Hess Natur and Sekem are just a few good examples!
Water Solutions
Posted - February 1, 2005
Solutions for Improving Drinking Water Are Available
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Not satisfied with the effectiveness of conventional tap water purification methods, researchers have embarked in a fascinating journey studying the behavior and structure of water.
The discoveries are amazing. Agroisolab GmbH confirmed that the structure of water changes depending on the region where it comes from, leaving a geographic fingerprint in all organic matter. This natural labelling offers reliable food traceability.
IBE Techno Co. Ltd. has conducted several studies on pi-water, which is the water that normally flows in vegetal and animal tissues. Pi-water has high antioxidant properties, eliminates free radicals, enhances antibody activities and improves cell absorption. Knovo Beteiligungs and Hemo Trade introduced the concept of pi-water to the West. They have compiled evidence of pi-water improving crops and the processing of food, beverages and cosmetics. Grander and Ojas also offering systems that improve tap water. Ojas uses it in its line of food & beverages.
Health by Nature AS introduced VIVATAP, a tea-bag like sachet that purifies and improves tap water. Bio-Quelle has found the way to recycle household wastewater for reuse in irrigation. Time to drink cleaned water!
Brazilian Organics
Posted - February 1, 2005
Brazil Now Ready to Offer a Wide Variety of Organic Products
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Brazil ranks 5th in the world in terms of areas cultivated with organic crops; it ranks second in Latin America, below Argentina, attracting international attention. Out of the 300 million-hectare cultivated areas in the country, only 843 thousand hectares (0.3%) are dedicated to organic production. This is a very small number when compared to the areas where traditional agriculture is practiced, but it is significant when we learn that it represents an increase in the number of consumers concerned with health and the environment, making this segment grow gradually, offering a broader range of products, from fruit and honey to cotton, nuts, spices and essential oils used by food and cosmetics companies.
The sector’s figures show the good performance achieved by the organic industry in Brazil. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Supply (MAPA) calculates that operations in the sector amounted to US$ 1 billion in 2003, with the sector growing by 20% per year. Four years ago, the Instituto Biodinamico (IBD) and the Federal Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES) reported operations worth US$ 200 million and US$ 300 million, respectively, compared to US$ 120 million in 1998.
Family Business
Brazil ranks second in the world in terms of areas dedicated to organic production. According to Jean Pierre Medaets, technical liaison at the Secretary of Family-Owned Farms of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MDA), out of 19,000 farms dedicated to organic agriculture, 70-80% are run by families who are benefited by the possibility of diversifying the crops. “Small farmers are wary of investing their resources in only one kind of crop. As organic agriculture allows for diverse crops, due to its being more ecologically-balanced it meets family businesse expectations perfectly”. Mr. Medaets points out that about 90% of all organic farms are small, even though this percentage might be higher as many farms, which are not certified, are not included in the statistics.
Ricardo Vilela, president of the Brazilian Agency for the Development of Micro and Small Businesses (Sebrae/National), says the best way to overcome small businesses’ problems is to increase their presence in farmer associations. “Cooperatives can offer a bigger volume of products than that offered by an individual farmer. They can share certification costs and lobby to defend their interests”.
Throughout Brazil, there are good examples of such associations, attesting Vilela’s words. Esplar, for example, a research center in Ceara, in north-eastern Brazil, assists farmers in a family-owned farm to implement development projects, stimulating cotton culture in small areas. “It is a solid production chain that preserves natural resources, fosters social inclusion and delivers a different product to the market”, says Pedro Jorge Ferreira Lima, agronomist and deputy director at Esplar.
In the cotton production area, an important name is Natural Fashion, a textile cooperative that makes color cotton, establishing the concept of a clean and socially correct product. “In 2004, cotton production revenues doubled and it is estimated that the growth will continue this year”, says Maysa Motta Gadelha, marketing director of Coopernatural, of which Natural Fashion is part.
Highlights
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) carried out a study to define the profile of organic farms around the world. This study concluded that, although highly diversified and spread throughout the country, organic production from the 19,000 certified farms in Brazil is distributed in the east (60%) and south (25%).
Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Espa
Cranberries
Posted - February 1, 2005
The Power of Cranberries:
Natural Functional Food
By Kristina Loge - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Research has confirmed that cranberries are a powerful, effective food, packed with antioxidants that protect against cancer and heart disease. They are also a natural, rich source of vitamin C.
One of the three native North American fruits, cranberries were a valued medicine for Native Americans who used them for the treatment of bladder infections. They help to reduce the formation of dental plaque and prevent the onset of ulcers. Researchers believe that flavonoids present in foods like cranberries, grapes and wine, can prevent cardiovascular disease. They inhibit blood clotting and reduce high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.
Cranberries are perennials. They grow on long-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes. Bogs are impermeable beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay, originally made by glacial deposits. They are natural refuges for a vast array of birds, insects and other creatures, therefore it is important to encourage organic production and harvesting that does not use pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Harvest takes place in the Fall. Some cranberries are dry harvested and sold as fresh fruit. Others are wet harvested by flooding a bog with water so that the berries float to the surface. They are then made into juices, jams and marmalades.
Cranberries are now widely recognized for their natural goodness and healing properties. They can be used in a variety of dishes and are available fresh or frozen across North America. Only recently, they began to be introduced to foreign markets. Gradually they have entered organic and natural food retailers like Reformhaus in Germany.
A leading producer, processor and exporter of both organic and conventional cranberries is Fruit d’Or in Canada, represented in Europe by Dutch firm Berrico, exhibiting at BioFach 2005.
