Rodale Institute Celebrates 60th Anniversary as Organic Farming Pioneers

The Rodale Institute, a non-profit organization that for more than three generations has ranked as one of the longest-running and most successful examples of organic agriculture at work, marked its 60th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 30 at its headquarters in Kutztown, PA. The event, hosted by Rodale Chairman Maria Rodale, Rodale's Chief Inspiration Officer Ardie Rodale and the Rodale Institute's Chief Executive Officer Timothy J. LaSalle, celebrated the Institute's efforts to implement organic research and education initiatives worldwide.

"The Rodale Institute has been on the cutting-edge of the organic revolution, pioneering the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming for 60 years and conducting ground-breaking research on the role organic farming can play in reducing global warming," said Maria Rodale. "We are proud to enter our seventh decade of leadership in the field."

The Rodale Institute implemented its Farming Systems Trial (R), the United States' longest-running scientific study comparing chemical with organic farming nearly thirty years ago. Subsequently, dozens of scientific papers supporting organic farming over chemical farming have been published in prestigious journals.

"The research findings have shown repeatedly that organic agriculture is not only more productive and profitable for farmers when compared to chemical farming, but is also significantly better for the health of the soil and the environment," said Tim LaSalle. "We look forward to furthering the work of the Institute, focusing on combating the effects of global warming on our water systems, researching and educating important constituencies on nutrition and famine prevention, and effecting policy change to incentivize and help farmers transition to organics. We will also aim to collaborate more closely with Rodale Inc. to further the company's mission to enable and inspire people to improve their lives and the world around them."

 

Originally published in Business Wire, Mon 01 Oct 2007

 

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Posted October 2007