Glossary

B.C. Association for Regenerative Agriculture

http://licensees.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/bcara_list.asp

Based on a series of lectures given by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924, biodynamics is a method of agriculture which seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. It is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement, predating the organic agriculture movement by some twenty years and has now spread throughout the world.

Biodynamic is different than Organic farming, in that Organic farming simply eschews chemical fertilizers and pesticides while Biodynamic farming works towards balancing and healing the soil and the earth, growing for quality rather than quantity to give our bodies the best fuel possible.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic

Simply put, "Bird Friendly®" coffee is coffee that comes from farms in Latin America that provide good, forest-like habitat for birds. Rather than being grown on land that has been cleared of all other vegetation, "Bird Friendly®" coffees are planted under a canopy of trees. Because of the shaded, forest-like setting created by these canopy trees, coffee produced this way is called shade-grown. Not only are "Bird Friendly®" coffees shade-grown, they are also organic, meaning they're grown without the use of chemical pesticides which poison the environment.

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Coffee/f...

Boundary Organic Producers Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/bopa_list.asp

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSEⁱ or more commonly mad cow disease) is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of cattle, which is transmissible to humans. Misshaped prion proteins cause the degeneration and spread the disease between individuals. Very rarely BSE may arise spontaneously, but more often it spreads in epidemic fashion. Spontaneous disease arises in animals that carry a rare mutant prion allele, which expresses prions that contort by themselves into the disease-causing shape. Transmission of BSE occurs when healthy animals consume tainted tissues from others with the disease. Practices recently banned in many countries allowed this to occur.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bse

Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/

DDTⁱ or Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane is a colourless crystalline organochloride insecticide. It is very soluble in fats and most organic solvents and practically insoluble in water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT

Demeterⁱ is the brand for products from Biodynamic® Agriculture. Only strictly controlled and contractually bound partners are permitted to use the Brand. A comprehensive verification process insures strict compliance with the International Demeter Production and Processing Standards, as well as applicable organic regulations in the various countries; without a gap, through every step, from agricultural production to processing and final product packaging. Yet, the holistic Demeter requirements exceed government mandated regulations. Not only do they exclude the use of synthetic fertilisers and chemical plant protection agents in agricultural crop production, or artificial additives during processing, but also require very specific measures to strengthen the life processes in soil and foodstuffs.

Demeter-International

http://www.demeter.net/

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals possess the characteristic ability to alter, or disrupt, hormone or endocrine systems. Known or suspected endocrine disruptors include industrial chemicals like dioxin and PCBsⁱ, a number of now-banned pesticides such as DDTⁱ and chlordane, and certain other synthetic chemicals. Natural hormones, for example estrogens excreted in animal manures, may also be disruptive should they move to surface water and reach high concentrations. A number of plants naturally contain chemicals called phytoestrogens that can have endocrine effects if consumed in large amounts.

http://res2.agr.gc.ca/london/faq/endo_e.htm

Fair trade is a term used broadly by social justice, peace movement, ecology movement, and Green Movement groups, to contrast with free trade as promoted by the World Trade Organization and NAFTA. Fairtrade is also a trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, an organization which exists to promote products which are produced and sold in accordance with its definition of fair trade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade

Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer

Fungicides are pesticides for destruction or development prevention of fungi. One example are the QoI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungicide

Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/fvopa_list.asp

http://www.fvopa.ca/

Genetically Modified Organism

A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic material has been deliberately altered. Examples are diverse, and include commercial strains of wheat that have been modified by irradiation since the 1950s, transgenic experimental animals such mice, or various microscopic organisms altered for the purposes of genetic research.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMO

Grass fed beefⁱ has been raised primarily on forage rather than in a feedlot. This type of beef is experiencing a surge in popularity, due to the natural methods of raising it, and due to scares related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSEⁱ or, colloquially, "mad cow disease").

Grass fed beef is considered to be a healthier beef because it contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), it is rich in Omega 3s--essential fatty acids, it has reduced fat, and it is natural additive-free beef.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_fed_beef

A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill certain targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often based on plant hormones. Herbicides used to clear waste ground are nonselective and kill every plant with which they come into contact.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbicide

Homogenization is used on fresh milk to prevent the separation of a cream layer. In more technical terms 'Homogenization is a fluid mechanical process that involves the subdivision of particles or droplets into micrometre sizes to create a stable dispersion or emulsion for further processing'.

Homogenization forces hot milk, under high pressure, through small nozzles. The fat globules become small enough so that they remain evenly dispersed throughout the milk.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogenization

An insecticide is a pesticide whose purpose is to kill or to prevent the multiplication of insects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticide

Islands Organic Producers Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/iopa_list.asp

Kootenay Organic Growers Society

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/kog_list.asp

http://www.kogs.bc.ca/

Living Earth Organic Growers' Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/leoga_list.asp

North Okanagan Organic Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/nooa_list.asp

Pacific Agricultural Certification Society

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/pacs_list.asp

Pasteurization is the process of heating food for the purpose of killing harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. The process was named after its inventor, French scientist Louis Pasteur.

Pasteurization is typically associated with milk. There are two widely used methods to pasteurize milk: high temperature/short time (HTST), and ultra-high temperature (UHT). HTST is by far the most common method. Milk simply labelled "pasteurized" is usually treated with the HTST method, whereas milk labelled "ultra-pasteurized" must be treated with the UHT method. HTST involves holding the milk at a temperature of 161.5 degrees F (or 72 C) for at least 15 seconds. UHT involves holding the milk at a temperature of 280 degrees F (or 138 C) for at least two seconds.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurized

Polychlorinated Biphenyls. PCBsⁱ are a class of manufactured chemicals that tend to last for many years. They do not break down easily on their own, and they are difficult to destroy.

Little is known about the long-term health effects of PCBs, so it is important to keep our exposure to these chemicals as low as possible.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/environment/pcb.html

A pesticide is a chemical used to control, to repel, to attract or to kill pests, for example, insects, weeds, birds, mammals, fish, or microbes, that are considered a nuisance. Pesticides are usually, but not always, poisons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide

Persistent Organic Pollutants are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. With the evidence of long-range transport of these substances to regions where they have never been used or produced and the consequent threats they pose to the environment of the whole globe, the international community has now, at several occasions called for urgent global actions to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals.

http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/

Raw milkⁱ is milk that has not been processed via pasteurization (heating) or homogenization before consumption by humans.

See also:
http://www.rawmilk.org/
http://www.realmilk.com/

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_milk

recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, rBGHⁱ or rBST.

The term "shade-grown" can refer to a number of different farming practices that use shade trees. The term generally describes coffee that is grown under a canopy of diverse species of shade trees, often on small farms using traditional techniques. Shade-grown coffee, in contrast to sun-grown or "technified" coffee, provides food and shelter for songbirds, as well as other animals and plants. The use of shade trees provides natural mulch, which reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Up to 40 species of trees can be found on traditionally managed shade coffee plantations; these trees protect the coffee plants that grow beneath them from rain and sun, help maintain soil quality, reduce the need for weeding, and aid in pest control. Organic matter from the shade trees reduces erosion, contributes nutrients to the soil, and prevents metal toxicities.

Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign

http://www.seattleaudubon.org/shadecoffee/business/faq.html

South Island Organic Producers Association

Similkameen Okanagan Organic Producers Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/soopa_list.asp

Shuswap Thompson Organic Producers Association

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/stopa_list.asp

Full cream, or whole milk, has the full milk fat content (about 3-4% if Friesian- or Holstein-breed are the source). For skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, all of the fat content is removed and then some (in the case of semi-skimmed milk) is returned.

The best-selling variety of milk is semi-skimmed; in some countries full-cream (whole) milk is generally seen as less healthy and skimmed milk is often thought to lack taste.

Whole milkⁱ is recommended to provide sufficient fat for developing toddlers who have graduated from breast milk or infant formula.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk