Catering to the large vegetarian demographic in India, McDonald's has announced that it will open its first all vegetarian location in the holy Sikh city of Amritsar next year.

In a notable victory for India, a country plagued with controversies surrounding the widespread genetically modified crops found across the nation, the government announced that beginning in January 2013 all food products containing genetically modified ingredients must be labeled if they're going to be sold in the country.

At this year's Boston Seafood Show, which opened on March 20th, worldwide organic farming advocate Naturland is urging the fishing industry to consider more eco-friendly fishing techniques.

Hans Hohenester, chairman of the Naturland board of directors, says current fishing practices are unnatural, unsustainable, and contaminate waters with harmful chemicals and antibiotics.

That's why Naturland has impressive standards and strict procedures for ensuring organic and sustainable production.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference begins today in Copenhagen, some experts believe world leaders will be sufficiently motivated to achieve consensus on ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

In the United States, retired military leaders like Gen. Anthony Zinni call climate change a “threat multiplier” that could have disastrous consequences for unstable countries like Somalia, Sudan, Kenya and Nigeria.

Chinese, Indian and Pakistani leaders are keenly aware of these risks, recognizing that their nations may endure water scarcity as global warming dries up mountain snowpack and disrupts the monsoon season.

The United States could still agree to “Kyoto Lite”—a set of targets and a timetable that look weaker than 1997’s Kyoto Protocol, according to Matthew R. Auer, PhD, a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. If so, U.S. leaders would still be agreeing to reduce more carbon dioxide than any other country.

“The U.S., China and India could turn out to be climate heroes if they put their minds to it,” says Dr. Auer, author of Restoring Cursed Earth: Appraising Environmental Policy Reforms in Eastern Europe and Russia. “China is getting smarter about how it produces and uses energy, with everything from high-tech furnaces at steel mills to newly insulated office buildings now saving energy in Chinese cities. China’s solar power and wind turbine industries compete fiercely with U.S. firms for global market share.

“In India, Tata Motors’ peppy Nano minicar gets 65 mpg, and new alternative fuel and electric battery models are in the works. With that kind of ingenuity and their newfound wealth, China and India in partnership with the U.S. could go a long way in fighting global warming, with or without a resounding diplomatic triumph at Copenhagen.”

If you had to pick the “hot” new spice for 2006, which would it be?

You may be surprised to learn that cardamom tops the list, according to chefs interviewed at a recent American Culinary Federation conference.

“Use of this spice is going through the roof,” notes J. Hugh McEvoy, a certified executive chef with the ACF. In fact, industry statistics reveal cardamom sales have increased 650% over the last year.

Cardamom is one of the most common spices used in Indian cooking, cultivated from the dried, unripened fruit of the perennial Elettaria cardamomum. Tiny fragrant brown seeds are encased in green pods. (You may purchase cardamom as dried whole pods or ground seeds.) Many home cooks mispronounce the spice as “card-a-mon,” but notice that its name is correctly spelled with an “m” at the end.

Cardamom’s popularity may be attributed to Americans’ growing fascination with Indian cuisine, but it’s showing up in Asian, Arabic, Latin American and North African entrées, as well as Scandinavian desserts and coffee drinks, McEvoy notes.

This week, Organic Authority will feature a series of top chefs’ unique recipes featuring cardamom—from traditional Indian fare to one-of-a-kind desserts and spiced beverages. If you’d like to submit a recipe for consideration, please email me at organic@journalist.com. In the meantime, stock your organic pantry with this highly flavorful spice.

Sources for Organic Cardamom

Frontier Natural Products Co-op
Mountain Rose Herbs
Well, Naturally Products Ltd.

Read More About Cardamom

Masala Chai
White Hot Chocolate
Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Pecan Streusel Topping
Cardamom Flan