Organic farming commands more money. And in a time when farmers are suffering as a result of global climate change and unpredictable profits, it’s a welcomed addition to the farming industry.

Today, a growing number of consumers are looking for the organic label to ensure that foods are free of synthetic pesticides and GMOs and they’re willing to pay extra for foods that meet this need.

In all, 2 million of the world’s 1.5 billion farmers farm organically, with nearly 80 percent of it based in developing countries. This may seem like a small margin but the organic industry has shown enormous growth in the past 15 years.

Today, 164 countries have certified organic farms totaling $63.9 billion worth of crops versus 86 countries producing $15.2 billion worth of crops in 2000. While it’s still a small margin, agricultural analysts call it significant, with growth focused in developing nations.

“[There are] probably 500 million small family farms worldwide; most of those are traditional farmers who farm primarily through organic principles,” says Andre Leu, president of IFOAM, reported on Christian Science Monitor.

Each year, 200,000 organic farmers become certified. It’s appealing because it adds value to crops just as farm incomes have dropped significantly.

“Basically, organic farming anywhere in the world – if you are certified – is the one label that is most clearly defined,” Joel Gruver, a soil science professor at Western Illinois University in Macomb told the Christian Science Monitor. “Each nation has its own rules in how they define organic, but the general set of rules is very much the same,” he says.

Consumers are willing to pay extra for organic foods because they meet so many needs for health purposes and for environmental purposes.

“[T]here is more demand than supply,” says Anna Lappé, author of “Diet for a Hot Planet.” Ms. Lappé also points out that less than 1 percent of agricultural research funding now goes toward refining proven chemical-free farming methods, according to Christian Science Monitor.

Countries like Denmark and Sweden have set goals for the amount of land that will be set aside for organic farming in an effort to reduce the amount of pesticides polluting ground water and soil. Other countries are also more wary of GMOs, though that’s not the case in the U.S. Protecting soil through the use of organic methods safeguards farmland and allows it to remain productive for years to come.

Related on EcoSalon

Is Organic Food Better?

Antibiotic Resistance and the Meat Industry

Zero-Waste Farming of the Future

Image of an organic farm from Shuttershock

The post Organic Farming Increasing Globally appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re craving warmth without the bore of coffee, check out these warming morning drink recipes.

Researchers at Yale University and the University of Colorado have suggested that physical warmth and emotional warmth are actually linked, and in fact the temperature of your beverage can influence your trust and tenderness toward the people around you. Maybe that’s why we sip on warm beverages more often in the winter.

4 Warming Winter Drink Recipes

1. Spiced Warm Apple Cider

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple cider
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 0ne-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled
3 whole cloves
8 sliced apples

Method

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, ginger, and cloves.

2. Heat to a simmer and allow to cook 20 minutes. Strain into a punch bowl and garnish with orange slices. Serve warm.

Serves 6.

2. Aztec Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

4 cups organic whole milk
One 3.2-ounce disk Mexican chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chocolate, guajillo chile, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly to develop some froth and completely melt the chocolate.

Serves 4.

3. Soothing Ginger Tea

Ingredients

4 tsp cardamom pods, crushed
4 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
5 cups water
1 piece (6 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thick slices
1 Tbsp. raw honey

Method

1. Toast cardamom and fennel in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

2. Add water and ginger. Reduce heat, and simmer until it reaches the desired strength, 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe: Martha Stewart

Serves 5.

4. Chocolate Cappuccino

Ingredients

1/2 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped organic dark chocolate
8 cups very strong coffee or espresso
Chocolate curls for garnish

Method

1. Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until soft peaks form.

2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chopped chocolate into a coffee cup and add hot espresso. Top with whipping cream and chocolate curls.

Serves 8.

Related on EcoSalon

11 Ways the World Drinks Coffee

Personality Types Revealed in a Cup of Coffee

Hot Chocolate the Ulitmate Comfort Drink Then and Now

Images: Elana’s Pantry, awduthie, Cinnamon Vogue, eblaser

The post 4 Warming Morning Drink Recipes Instead of Coffee (We Dare You) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Clary Sage Organics Black Ribbon Pants with a Black Essential Cami

I love that yoga clothing has gotten a lot more fashion-forward, don’t you?

Gone are the days of moms in old leotards and tights doing Jazzercise with their breasts bouncing to the beat of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria!”

Movin your Boogie Body?

Clary Sage Organics can keep up with that.

And to prove it, they’ve donated these super stylish Black Ribbon Pants with a black Essential Cami. Take my word for it, this little outfit will not only keep you all together when in Downward Dog, it will keep you looking stylish whenever you want to boogie down.

Wherever that might be.

From their apparel to beauty products, tinctures to medicinal teas, Clary Sage Organics is committed to using 100% organic or ecologically sustainable products.

Their site says:

“As one of the most heavily sprayed crops, conventionally grown cotton is a particular concern. More than 13 million acres are harvested every year in the U.S., and each of those acres is sprayed with an average of 13 lbs. of carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, and defoliants that contaminate our soil, air and water, ultimately ending up permeating our bodies and our children’s bodies.”

Clary Sage has also partnered with the Sustainable Cotton Project in support of local California farmers producing organic cotton and strive to offer the highest possible percentage of organic cotton in their apparel.

Wait a minute.

Do you hear it?

It’s Laura Branigan music creeping in quietly.

It’s a segue to leave a comment below to win this beautiful Clary Sage Organics outfit that fellow yogis will breathlessly admire.

STRRRRRETCH and leave a comment below to be entered.

For official guidelines, go here.

The post Clary Sage Organics Yoga Cami + Ribbon Pants Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.