Food & Agriculture Features
The GLP explores the role of genetic engineering in food production and the polarized debate surrounding it. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- Chemicals and pesticides
- Organics
- Conventional crops
- New breeding technologies
- Animal biotechnology
- Food systems
- Sustainability
- Regulations
- Politics
- Ideology
Viewpoint: Uncomfortable truth — ‘Organic farming takes too much land to have any chance to feed the world in a climate-changed environment’
Science for Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) was recently asked by the farming media to comment on a policy paper issued by the ...
Viewpoint: Consumer Reports flunks Chemistry 101 — again — in scientifically illiterate, reckless data-manipulated claim that conventional produce poses ‘serious pesticide risks’
Headlines about harmful pesticides in conventional foods are lying to you in order to create fear. Another day, another post ...
Climate instability concerns across Europe put pressure on farmers, spurs calls for reform of crop gene editing regulations
Leveraging the proposed European Green Deal (EGD) announced in December 2019, the EU aims to become the first climate-neutral continent ...
From 72 to 400: US announces expansion of number of agricultural chemicals it will monitor
For several years, biologist Nathan Donley has worried about the future of a pesticide database run by the U.S. Geological ...
Viewpoint: Debunking organic food myths again… and again
Over and over, the term ‘organic’ is used as an umbrella for a variety of qualitative features in food. There ...
How Wegovy and Ozempic could transform our food systems
Can GLP-1 drugs for obesity and diabetes, like Ozempic and Wegovy, help change the food industry? Consumers on these drugs ...
GLP Podcast: Organic food industry marketing fraud; 200 dangerous chemicals in drinking water?
Are organic foods really pesticide-free? Nope. Organic industry marketing misinformation is everywhere. An anonymous French whistleblower claims to have found ...
Avian flu virus detected in raw milk from infected dairy cows. Are we in danger of it spreading to our food supply?
It was three months ago when we wrote about the surge of the H5N1 bird flu strain that had by then already ...
Viewpoint: Agribashing and the French media — Paper withdraws ‘fake news’ viral article claiming drinking water contains 200 ‘dangerous’ chemicals
In the ordinary chronicling of agribashing, we recently witnessed in France a ‘scary’ report on Google News or MSN News ...
How microplastics impact our food and our health
Small pieces of plastic, now termed microplastics have infiltrated all ecosystems, posing a severe threat to wildlife…and now us. New research has ...
Debating sustainable agriculture: Weed management and crop biotechnology
Any discussion of crop chemicals must consider the broad sweep of agricultural history, the pivotal moments of technological innovation, and ...
Bumblebees threatened by pesticides? Independent German university study finds wild bees ‘relatively resistant’ to even potent chemical cocktails
Bumblebees appear to be quite resistant to common pesticides. This is shown by a new study, the results of which ...
Viewpoint: The organic food industry is a $180 billion marketing fraud
As a biomedical scientist, it has never failed to annoy me that the term ‘organic’ has been co-opted to spread ...
Is tilapia a human-made freak that we should avoid — or an evolutionary rockstar?
Posts were appearing on my Facebook feed warning against the dangers of eating tilapia. So I decided to do a ...
Are we facing an ‘Insect Apocalypse’ caused by ‘intensive, industrial’ farming and agricultural chemicals? The media say yes; Science says ‘no’
The media call it the “Insect Apocalypse”. In the past few years, the phrase has become an accepted truth of ...
Viewpoint: Do we have to give up beef to limit climate change?
Are cows really a major cause of climate change? Wealthy nations are not pushing people to switch to a plant-based ...
GLP podcast: RFK Jr. recycles ‘gay frogs’ pesticide conspiracy; GMO v organic debate is over; Scientist behind gene-edited twins back in the lab
RFK, Jr. has resurrected the long-debunked speculation that atrazine, a low-toxicity weedkiller, causes sexual dysphoria in frogs—and humans. The oft-reported ...
Viewpoint: Public investment in agricultural innovation is woefully inadequate. Here’s what should be done
Doubling government funding for agricultural research and development (R&D) would have tremendous environmental and economic benefits, according to a new ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why the EPA needs to relax regulations that make it harder for farmers to access pest-resistant biotech crops
Plant pests and disease have a massive global impact, causing the loss of 20–40% of crop production and costing over USD 220 billion ...
Are GMOs causing an increase in allergies?
The potential for allergies from foods with genetically modified ingredients is no higher than that in any food, including organics ...
Video viewpoint: Humans as frogs? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. claims that unsubstantiated but perceived rise in male sexual dysphoria is driven by atrazine in our water supply
Conspiracy nut Robert Kennedy, Jr. is desperately trying to convince the American voting populace that he is indeed a serious ...
Viewpoint: US regulators are not keeping up with lightning-fast advances in biotechnology. How can that gap be closed?
Improved crop genetics can help protect crops from pests and disease, reduce food waste, increase yields, limit deforestation, and decrease agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Improvements in ...
Viewpoint: Here’s how genetically engineered fruits and vegetables will soon emerge as a grocery store ‘selling point rather than a scare tactic’
Fruits and veggies are nature’s gift to humanity. Chock full of vitamins, delicious and colorful, they deserve a starring role ...
What is ‘carbon farming’ and could it provide a path to a more sustainable agricultural future?
As the effects of climate change intensify and paths for limiting global warming narrow, politicians, media and environmental advocates have rallied behind ...
Uruguay joins gene-editing nations, revamps CRISPR crop approval process
The ministries of Environment and Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries will work together in the analysis of the New Genetic Improvement ...
Did you hear the story about the GMO that nearly destroyed the world?
An old myth has resurfaced that a GMO almost destroyed all life on Earth — but what's the real story? ...
Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen Deception: No, your fruit and vegetables are not ‘soaked’ with pesticides
In supermarket conversations (and yes, I do have them) people are scared to death about their fruits and vegetables. I ...
