Chemical Controversies
What’s a ‘GMO’ food?
[W]hat exactly is a GMO? The initialism stands for "genetically modified organism," but it's a term lacking scientific precision. Moreover, ...
Nanotechnology might help farmers fight climate change, pests and disease–and boost yields
Researchers are exploring the impact of using nanoscale nutrients––including copper––on eggplants and other crops. While early results have shown substantial ...
Monsanto, farmers groups sue California claiming glyphosate cancer warning would be ‘false speech’
Monsanto Co and U.S. farm groups sued California on Wednesday [Nov. 15] to stop the state from requiring cancer warnings ...
Disease-resistant GMO bananas could save $12 billion Cavendish global industry
A billion dollar banana industry at risk of a deadly disease could be saved by a scientific breakthrough from a ...
Viewpoint: Blame activist social media for Europe’s anti-science crusade against glyphosate
[Editor's note: Richard Hackett is an Agronomist based in North County Dublin, Ireland.] [A]ccess to abundant food has led to complacency ...
What’s next in the long, heated battle over bees and neonicotinoid insecticides?
[S]tudies showing real-world evidence of harm from pesticides in the field have been mounting — and environmental organizations have demanded ...
Viewpoint: From Non-GMO to gluten-free, ‘fake transparency’ in food labeling offers little but higher prices
At what point does food labeling become less about transparency and more about marketing strategy? A new federal law mandating ...
GMO stigma: The challenge of growing virus-resistant papaya in Hawaii
[Michael] Kamiya is a strong supporter of agricultural technology, which he credits for saving his family’s farm. He has childhood ...
European farmers: Finding replacement for glyphosate is no easy task
As European politicians move toward blocking the use of glyphosate, farmers there are facing the prospect of using less-effective replacements ...
Monsanto v. Arkansas: Dispute over dicamba herbicide drift damage moves to the courtroom
A fight over one of the most powerful new weapons against hard-to-kill weeds, developed by agricultural giant Monsanto Co., is spilling into the ...
Trade disruption: Fears grow that EU glyphosate herbicide ban could upend global food markets
A possible glyphosate ban entails the risk of trade disruption to food imports from third countries, in case the EU ...
How glyphosate became the world’s most popular weedkiller
Since it was introduced in the United States in 1974 by pesticides and seed maker Monsanto as Roundup, the use ...
Indian farmers growing unapproved herbicide-resistant GMO soybeans, farmers union says
For the first time, illegal cultivation of a genetically modified (GM) food crop — GM Soyabean — which is herbicide ...
Partial ban of dicamba herbicide approved by Arkansas Plant Board
An Arkansas regulatory panel voted Wednesday [Nov. 8] to ban the use of an herbicide for part of next year ...
Neonicotinoid, chlorpyrifos insecticides impact bird migration, study finds
"Studies on the risks of neonicotinoids have often focused on bees that have been experiencing population declines. However, it is ...
Brazil farmers group asks court to cancel Monsanto GMO soybean seed patent
Soybean growers in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest producing state, have asked a court to cancel Monsanto’s Intacta RR2 PRO patent ...
NGO opposition to GMO, gene-edited crops not rooted in emotion and dogma, research suggests
In 2016, 107 Nobel Laureates signed an open letter calling on Greenpeace to desist from campaigning against agricultural biotechnology and ...
UK backs complete EU ban of neonicotinoid insecticides, citing harm to pollinators
The UK will back a total ban on insect-harming pesticides in fields across Europe, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has ...
Stalemate continues: EU fails to agree on glyphosate herbicide renewal as deadline looms
An EU vote has failed to resolve a controversy over the use of glyphosate, the world's biggest-selling weedkiller. ... The ...
IARC rejects US House science committee’s request to testify on glyphosate cancer report scandals
The International Agency for Research on Cancer will not comply with a House science committee's request related to the agency's conclusions on ...
‘We are those farmers’: Why you shouldn’t villainize farmers who use GMOs—or the food they grow
[Editor's note: Kate Lambert and her husband grow corn and soybeans in Brookfield, Mo.] We are those farmers they want you ...
Viewpoint: Taxpayer-funded Canadian news agency promotes ‘fake news’ about glyphosate herbicide’s health risks
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed anti-GMO activist scientist Theirry Vrain and published an article featuring several false and misleading claims ...
France rejects 5-year renewal for glyphosate herbicide; wants 3-year license instead
France will oppose a European Commission proposal to renew authorisation for controversial weedkiller glyphosate for five years instead of 10, ...
Large long-term farm study finds no statistically significant cancer link to glyphosate herbicide
A large long-term study on the use of the big-selling weedkiller glyphosate by agricultural workers in the United States has ...
Scientists warn EU policymakers that farm pesticides could be to blame for insect declines
A recent study showed a 75% decline in Germany’s insect population over a period of almost 30 years but the European Crop ...
EU farmers union: Glyphosate herbicide renewal dispute ‘undermines’ Europe’s scientific credibility
EU farmers’ union Copa-Cogeca has rejected the Commission’s revised proposal for a five year re-authorisation of glyphosate, claiming that such ...
Bacteria-armed mosquitos approved for US release in fight against Zika, dengue and yellow fever
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of a common bacterium to kill wild mosquitoes that transmit ...