TulsiPeople.com – An Organic India blog about organic farming, Tulsi (Holy Basil) and sustainability

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that organic dairy and meat products in a mother’s diet positively affect the nutritional quality of her breast milk-markedly increasing beneficial fatty acids.
Specifically, a diet in which 90% or more of dairy and meat products are organic is correlated with measurably higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is a type of fat that is believed to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing
effects, as well as a favorable influence on body fat composition. For newborns specifically, CLA is believed to especially aid immune system development. Read more…

The organic food and beverage market has been predicted to surpass $86bn (€62bn) by 2009, with consumers increasingly turning ‘organic’ in search of health and safety in their food products.
According to a new report by Global Industry Analysts, Organic Foods & Beverages: A global business report published this month, health and well-being is becoming increasingly prevalent on consumer priority lists, helping to spur a double-digit annual growth rate in the global organic food and beverage market. Read more..

People who choose organic fruits and vegetables to avoid pesticides and other chemicals may have another reason to buy organic. A new study finds that organically grown tomatoes have higher levels of flavonoids, which may protect against cardiovascular disease.
Ten-Year Comparison of the Influence of Organic and Conventional Crop Management Practices on the Content of Flavonoids in Tomatoes (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry)Writing in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers said the level of one flavonoid in the organic tomatoes was almost twice as high as that in conventionally grown tomatoes.
Because of evidence that flavonoids may fight age-related diseases, the study said, researchers have been trying to develop crops with higher levels of them. In the United States, only potatoes are eaten more often than tomatoes. Read More (from the nytimes.com)

Farmers will be the first to feel the heat from global warming as they grapple with new and aggressive crop pests, summer heat stress and other sobering challenges that could strain family farms to the limit, warns David Wolfe, PhD, a professor of horticulture at Cornell University who specializes in the effects of climate change on agriculture.
His gloomy assessment was part of a report by the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA) Synthesis Team, presented last Wednesday at a press conference at the New York Botanical Garden. Read More..

A U.S. study shows organic farming can yield three times as much food on farms in developing nations as does low-intensive methods on the same land.
The findings of the University of Michigan study are said to refute the long-standing claim that organic farming methods cannot produce enough food to feed the global population.
Researchers found yields in developed countries were nearly equal on organic and conventional farms. In developing countries food production could double or triple using organic methods, said Professor Ivette Perfecto, one the study’s principal investigators. Read more…

Organic tomatoes have significantly higher levels of flavonoids, compared to non-organic tomatoes, according to the results of a ten-year study carried out by researchers at the University of California.
You can read about this study in a report coming out soon in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry.Flavanoids are a class of water-soluble pigments that are present in many plants. Scientists have identified a few thousand different flavonoids. Flavonoids are known to lower hypertension (high blood pressure), thus lowering heart disease and stroke risk. Studies have also indicated that flavonoids may protect us to some extent from cancer and dementia.
The researchers believe that it is the quality of the soil that gives the organic tomatoes their higher flavonoid levels, specifically, the absence of fertilizers. Read More…

Tibetan refugees plan to introduce organic farming in India with the help of an Italian NGO.
“A pilot organic village will be set up in each of the 12 major agricultural settlements spread across India,” said Ngodup Dorje, head of the agriculture and cooperative division of the Tibetan government-in-exile here.
The model villages will receive all inputs in the process of organic conversion ranging from training programmes and exposure tours of organic farms, besides procuring seeds and making eco-friendly compost. Read more…

Nepal recorded a whopping 40 percent rise this year in organic coffee production compared to last year, The Kathmandu Post reported on Sunday.

The daily quoted Raghupati Chaudhary, acting chief of National Tea and Coffee Development Board, western regional office as saying that coffee production this year has soared to 391 tons from 278 tons of last year. Read more…

Harrods of Knightsbridge, London’s premium departmental store, is looking to India for speciality teas like organic, green, clonal CTC and orthodox and single-estate to cater to upmarket customers.
A team from Harrods was in the city to close deals with some of the leading names in the tea industry like McLeod Russel, Goodricke Group Ltd and Assam Co. Incidentally, this iconic high-street store where the Queen of England shops has also bought more teas from India this year.
Read more…

Various pollution-free organic produce now makes up 20 percent of edible agricultural products on China’s markets, according to sources at the ongoing National Working Conference on Pollution-free and Green Food.
Statistics from the meeting showed there are a total of 23,636 certified pollution-free agricultural products, 4,615 manufacturers producing 12,868 kinds of certified green food, and 520 manufacturers producing 2,278 kinds of certified organic food in China.

According to a recent report “World Organic Foods And Beverages Report (2006)” published by RNCOS, it has been found that in comparison to the world organic food market’s present growth rate, US organic food market will decelerate, but the region would remain the highest revenue generator globally even in the future.
Parents, at present, are more concerned about the health hazards of conventional food their children are exposed to. This worry is causing them to drive the sales of organic baby food, consequently encouraging more and more, firms to either join or expand their present offerings in this sector. Read more…

An ingredient found in many curries may help prevent colon cancer.
A small clinical trial showed the food chemicals reduced the size and number of precancerous growths in the intestinal tract. If left untreated, such growths commonly lead to colon cancer.
The experimental combination contained a chemical found in turmeric, the spice that gives curries a yellow color, and an antioxidant found in onions called quercetin. Read more…

People who drink at least a pint of green tea each day have a lower risk of death, a Japanese study shows.
The lower overall death risk among green tea drinkers appears to be due to a lower risk of death from heart diseaseheart disease. And the benefit of green tea is especially pronounced in women, find Shinichi Kuriyama, MD, PhD, Tohoku University School of Public Policy in Sendai, Japan, and colleagues. Read more…(from webmd.com)

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. Read more…

Now in Organic India - 15% off on Tulsi Green Tea

It may not be Earth Day, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to the United Nation’s World Environment Day this June 5, given the message regarding our melting polar ice caps. Why? It’s not just that polar bears are set to enter the ranks of endangered species. Alaskan towns are literally paying the price for climate change as melting permafrost destabilizes houses and destroys property values.