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FACTS
Denmark Farmers Get Huge
Government Boost to go Organic
Denmark’s government is spending US$1.8 billion
over the next two years to help farmers convert
to organic production. The state support is
needed because of the high costs and time
required for farmers to go organic. Minister
of Food and the Environment, Esben Lunde
Larsen, says organic Danish produce is in high
demand, and not just in Denmark. “There is a
sense of higher demand from Danish consumers for
organic products. In fact, we have the largest domestic
market in the world, with over 10 per cent of our domestic
(food) market being organic,” Larsen says. “With regard to
export, we are seeing places where the middle class is growing and
demand becoming larger. We see it particularly in China.” Larsen says there’s
still a place for traditional farmers and their needs would continue to be taken into account.
—thelocal.dk
New Grape Variety Coming Out of Ontario
A new table grape could soon be coming to stores in Canada as researchers test out a new
variety in Ontario. Growers want a grape that’s available through Canadian Thanksgiving
and, right now, the only fall grape is the Sovereign Coronation variety (a semi-
seedless blue grape) grown in BC. So far, the Jupiter grape (developed by
the University of Arkansas) is the front runner in Ontario after
75 per cent of attendees at a grape-tasting event preferred
the Jupiter over five other kinds of grapes. Jupiter’s harvest
window falls after the Coronation, which is beneficial. “If
growers have a different harvesting window, the
fruit will store better into the fall which could
increase their marketing window. It’s a bit later
than Coronation but still within comfortable
climatic conditions in order for it to ripen
correctly,” says Michael Kauzlaric, technology
scout and grower outreach at Ontario’s
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
The Jupiter grape could be available in 2021.
—freshplaza.com
Paris Transforming City Structures into Urban Farms
After getting elected in 2014 as the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo is making
good on a campaign promise to improve the city’s green spaces.
The Hidalgo administration is in the process of transforming, via the
Parisculteurs program, one-third of some 247 acres of rooftops and
walls into urban farms. So far, 74 organizations have signed on
and the city has approved 75 projects for the transformation,
which is expected to produce more than 500 tons of fruits
and vegetables. Paris is already well on its way to becoming
a leader in European urban farming thanks to projects like
La Chambeaudie Farm, which is run by agriculture start-up
Aéromate. The 5,380 square-foot farm is located on top of a
medical center owned by the Paris Metro and grows more
than 40 varieties of plants and herbs via a hydroponic system.
—greenmatters.com
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