Figures collected by the market research company TNS show spending on organic food and drinks fell from a peak of nearly £100m a month, and earlier this year is to £81m in the most recent four week period recorded. Organic food sales have fallen as shoppers try to cut costs and experts warn that consumers are more confused than ever about whether it is worth paying the higher prices.
The figures will be seized on as further evidence of the pressure on consumers struggling to balance household budgets. Edward Garner of TNS said “we’re certainly seeing a dip, the question is a dip that’s bouncing back again or it could be the start of a real drop.”
The National Farmers Union said members had reported falling demand and particularly in organic eggs and chicken. Charles Bourns chairman of NFU’s poultry board said “I was talking to somebody in the NFU and they were saying that it’s happening in beef and everywhere because at the end of the day it is a nice to have, not a need to have.”
Helen Browning the association director of food and farming said “I predict will plateau a bit but not decline,” and also said she believed most organic buyers would stay loyal and top quality producers should not be affected.

Ph.D. Pam G. Marrone is reports a development of a new “green” pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed, in a report scheduled for presentation at the 236th national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The booming consumption of organic foods creates a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as “organic”.
Founder and CEO of Marrone Organic Innovations Inc., Marrone said, “the product is safe to humans, animals, and the environment.” The new biopesticide have an active compound that alerts plant defenses to a range of diseases, including powdery mildew, gray mold and bacterial blight that affect fruits and vegetables. Marja Koivunen, Ph.D., director of research and development for Marrone Organic Innovations said that the product will be available this coming October for conventional growers and a new formulation has also develop for organic farmers and will be available in 2009.
Biopesticides are derived from plants, microbes, and other natural materials and are proven to be safer for humans and the environment. The Marrone Organic Innovations or MOI R&D team is working on an organic rice herbicide based on an extract from a marine microorganism, and also on insecticides and nematocides to kill insect pests and soil inhabiting, like parasitic roundworms that affect plants and animals.
The synthetic pesticides sales dominate the $30 billion pesticide market and the use of biopesticides is increasing. Marrone Organic Innovations officials estimate that global sales will hit $1 billion by 2010 and grow 10 percent a year on average and the biopesticide could make up 4.25 percent of the global pesticide business in 2010, up from 2.5 percent in 2005

“To provide a healthy alternative while educating our community and securing our place in the organic culture.” This is the mission of Chad Cherry, Roosevelt Desir, Kirk Nelson and Andre Walker. Cherry said “We want people to live a more organic lifestyle,” “Not necessarily 100 percent, but to incorporate being green, sustainability, taking care of your body and mind.” At least two of the four, that last admonition is more than trend-speak. Chad Cherry a 28 year old has type II diabetes, and in 2006 Roosevelt Desir a 26 year old developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in remission since a bone marrow transplant last year.
Roosevelt Desir said “As soon as I finished treatment, my best friend introduced me to Kirk and Chad about organic,” “I took the opportunity and ran with it. I always loved to cook and took some of what I know and what I learned from the guys and clicked right off the bat.”
Kirk Nelson is 27 and a head chef his come up with the sauces for all the dishes. Pineapple jerks sauce, mango peppercorn sauce and a honey mango that is perfect for holiday baked ham. Andre Walker age 34 he said “I jump in wherever needed marketing strategies, for instance. But cooking is a love of mine” and his specialty are codfish fritters. Roosevelt Desir specialty is a dish called legumes, long steamed eggplant and cabbage, sometimes with carrots and parsley. And Chad Cherry makes a mango mousse with fresh strawberries and a strawberry reduction and also says that “We plan to be the new face of organic.”

This is that time of the year that smorgasbords of the finest organic produce, along with entertainment throughout the day and night and with a free bar. The free bar is available courtesy of Maggie May’s Bar Loughrea. Menus features delicious organic chowder from Marco’s Catering with organic vegetable soup, steaks, chicken fillets, and burgers, Kinvara organic salmon with organic brown breads, baked potatoes, vegetable curries, salads, and a delicious breads and desserts from Foods of Athenry.
Organic coffees, cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate will be available to you to drink. This event will feature a range of entertainers including Mike Flavin, Abba International, Sean De Burca and Stephen Simmonds, Gary Quinn, Celine Hession Dancers, Oddity, and the comedian Frank Forde of MidWest Radio. The Monster Organic Ball proceeds from this year will go to AIDS Partnership with Africa, Irish charity works to alleviate the suffering communities in Ethiopia and Tanzania decimated by the HIV/AIDS.
Last year Monster Organic Ball raised €100,000 for the charity which was used to unite thousands of orphaned street children with family relatives or foster parents, purchase medicines and other materials. Organizer of the event extended their thanks to the many dedicated and committed sponsors who make the event possible, including C&F group, main sponsors Cashla Quarries, Tossie Mogan, Ard Precision Engineering, Castle Ceilings and Partitioning, Global Group Ireland, Ger McDonagh and sons, Curly Holdings, MF Dolan and John Earls, Seamus and Huge Lambert, Bill Madden nurseries, Mike Burke of Pier Head, Newell Roofing, and Declan Corry. This event will be on October 11 from 2pm to 12 am in Tossie Mogan’s field in Oranmore, tickets are cost €200 and it includes food, free bar, and entertainment and to purchase tickets just visit www.monsterorganicball.com or www.monsteroganicball08.com .

Local Blues Legend and shake your moneymaker for one summer time blast, a Second Annual Blues for Food Festival. Blues for Food Fest is an all age event featuring some of the finest blues bands in the Northwest, organic food vendors, a homemade pie auction, and children’s hands-on gardening activities. Lettuce Link/Solid Ground will be at the Blue for Food Festival to collect fresh organic vegetable donation at the “Beet Hunger” booth. It will be harvest time, so you can donate generously, the food banks need s.
Local farmer’s market favorite, Green Go Food will serve up delicious organic grass fed beef hamburgers and savory polenta cakes. A Homemade Pie Auction, P-Patch Pie Queens will be tempting your taste buds with delicious and satisfying harvest time pies.
This event will be held at Magnuson Park Amphitheater, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115 on August 30, 2008 11 am to 7 pm. The local blues bands schedules: Brian Butler Blues 11:00am to 11:50am, Billy Roy Danger and the Rectifiers 12:00nn – 1:30 pm, Crossroads Blues Band 2:00pm to 3:30pm, Polly O’ Keary and the Rhythm Method 4:00 to 5:30 pm, and Mark Riley 6:00 – 7:00pm.
The Blues for Food Fest benefits the P-Patch Trust. The P-Patch Trust provides community gardens with small development grants, plot rental fees for low-income gardeners, and tools for all at the garden to use. Seattle’s P-Patch food bank gardens, community farms, and community fruit tree harvest donate more than 20 tons of fresh organic produce to local food banks, meals-on-wheels programs, shelters for women and children and transitional housing. The ticket cost for the children under 12 years old is $10 while the teens and adults is $20; the tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. This event will be an alcohol-free.