Chemical Controversies
Agronomist: No amount of data will satisfy ‘anti-biotech extremists’ peddling precautionary principle
[Tim Durham is a professor of agronomy and agricultural science at Ferrum College in Virginia.] The [precautionary principle, or PP] ...
Studies claiming serious GMO crop risks published mostly in low quality journals and riddled with conflicts of interest, bad science
[Editor's note: Miguel Sanchez is Executive Director of ChileBio. Wayne Parrott is a professor of Crop Science at the University of ...
Parts per billion trace amounts of glyphosate herbicide found in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
A growing number of foods commonly found in kitchens across America have tested positive for glyphosate, the herbicide that is ...
Herbicide-tainted Ben & Jerry’s ice cream? NY Times falls for anti-science group’s dubious attack on glyphosate
The Organic Consumers Association uses junk science testing organization to claim ice cream contains trace parts-per-billion of glyphosate—at least tens ...
Quebec’s plan to prohibit neonics and other pesticides upsets grain producers
Grain producers are not digesting the concept of pesticide regulation announced on [July 19] as part of the Quebec Pesticide ...
Chemist Derek Lowe: Panera Bread spreads misinformation on chemicals and food—yet again
[Editor's note: Derek Lowe is a Duke University-trained organic chemist.] [S]everal people alerted me to one of the latest ads ...
Lawsuit claims chemical companies ‘secretly’ encouraged illegal dicamba herbicide spraying
As suspected drift from dicamba took a toll on farmers the past two growing seasons, Monsanto ... publicly urged growers ...
10 ‘fake news’ unscientific buzzwords and health fads
[Editor's note: Alex Berezow is Senior Fellow of Biomedical Science at the American Council on Science and Health. He holds ...
Viewpoint: California activists ‘gamed system’ to get glyphosate herbicide labeled as carcinogen
Environmental activists found the perfect targets to help them defame the popular herbicide glyphosate — widely-accepted as safe — in ...
Bollworm resistance to Bt cotton problematic for southern farmers
From the Carolinas to Texas, the cotton bollworm is leading an assault on Bt cotton again [in 2017]. Growing resistance ...
Monsanto’s Robert Fraley: How gene editing and data science can help meet global food needs sustainably
[Editor’s Note: Robert Fraley is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto.] I was humbled to be the ...
Dicamba drift fiasco: Example of failed GMO-related chemical technology?
Several states have banned the use of a recently reformulated dicamba herbicide after farmers complained about damaging chemical drift. Identifying ...
South America projected to overtake US in GMO soy production, accelerate corn output by 2026
Brazil will outperform the United States as the world's largest soy producer in the next decade, While the increase in maize ...
Scotts reports ‘significant progress’ in eliminating GE bentgrass that escaped Oregon field trails
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is reporting significant progress in eliminating genetically engineered creeping bentgrass plants from Malheur and Jefferson counties in ...
Opinion: Anti-GMO documentaries on Hawaii farming warp reality
A movement in Hawaii promotes the romanticized view that the world can be fed locally and without farm pesticides and ...
French scientists create disease-resistant tomato varieties
Scientists in France have created two new varieties of tomatoes, with an attractive color, shape, and melt-in-the-mouth taste, and which ...
Deciding between GMO and non-GMO seeds? Two farmers weigh pros and cons of each
[in 2015] Minnesota farmer Pat Duncanson switched 95% of his corn acres to non-GMO crops. His motivation was to save ...
Ugandan professor: NGO scare-mongering confuses public about GMO crops’ potential for good
[Editor’s Note: Morris Ogenga-Latigo is a member of the Pan African Parliament and former member of the Uganda National Biosafety ...
Chemist on Food Evolution: Activists present their case but movie shows science isn’t on their side
[Editor's note: Yvette d'Entremont holds a B.S. in chemistry and a master's degree in forensic science.] Imagine there was a documentary ...
Video: Herbicide-resistant rice variety could help address ‘superweed’ problem affecting non-GMO crops
As weeds become more resistant to herbicides, plant breeders are faced with the challenge of developing new varieties that are ...
Non-GMO herbicide-resistant crops developed with process used ‘since the beginnings of agriculture’
Kaiima Bio Agritech works on boosting crop performance by using the plant’s own DNA, without the need of introducing external genes. In ...
Lead author of bees and neonicotinoids study: ‘I don’t appreciate’ Bayer, Syngenta ‘calling me a liar’
The lead author of a major study which found that neonicotinoid pesticides harm honey bees has hit back against criticism ...
Can GMOs and organic work together to feed growing population?
In theory, genetic engineering could make a valuable contribution to sustainable agriculture. Some plant diseases are virtually impossible to control ...
Judge dismisses lawsuit claiming ‘natural’ label misleads due to parts per million glyphosate herbicide
A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against General Mills over the company's use of "natural" to describe the ...
Pamela Ronald: Sustainable farming should focus on impact of crops, not on how seeds developed
[Editor's note: Pamela Ronald is a rice geneticist at the University of California Davis.] Many worthy people objected to the production ...
With GMO insect-resistant sugarcane approval, Brazilian farmers poised to reap benefits of biotech pipeline
With the approval of Brazil's fourth genetically-engineered crop--insect-resistant sugarcane--Brazil is emerging as the most genetically innovative developing country ...
Opinion: Why the National Organic Program’s funding should be eliminated, not just cut
[Editor's note: Henry Miller is a physician and molecular biologist, and a Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He ...