Agriculture & Food
We eat to live. Humans use approximately 11% of Earth’s land for the cultivation of crops for food, but also for clothing, medicine and biofuels. Globally, major crops include sugarcane, pumpkin, maize (corn), wheat, rice, cassava, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
‘Non-GMO’ genetic tool helps yogurt fend off bacterial viruses
Two years ago, a genome-editing tool referred to as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) burst onto the scene ...
Judge weighs arguments in Vermont GM labeling case
A federal judge is weighing whether to put the brakes on Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law before it even goes ...
Indiana joins other states with proposed GM labeling legislation
Advocates hoping to see labels on genetically modified foods have a Republican state senator as an unlikely ally in Indiana ...
Vandana Shiva teaches how not to communicate science
We can learn a lot about people from not just what they say, but how they choose to say it. ...
GMO plants can be used for biofuels
Biofuels have long been studied and, like many alternative fuels, given corporate subsidies by the government, but they haven't made much ...
Anti-GM campaigners concerned over UK’s plans to plant GM crops in next few years
The government is preparing for the planting of GM crops in the UK by putting in place 'rules' to govern ...
Genes from rice and grapes crossed to develop heat-tolerant wheat
Kansas State University researchers are working on a transgenic wheat that would tolerate warmer temperatures during the critical grain filling ...
Scientists say blaming Bt cotton for Indian farmer suicides is unreasonable
Farmer suicides in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha area and other parts of the country have nothing to do with Bt cotton, scientists ...
GMO research on African crops shows promise
Over five decades ago, the world experienced a striking breakthrough in agriculture, the Green Revolution. This saved at least a billion lives ...
Dupont’s new GMO soybean is transfat free, benefitting consumers
For 37 years - since 1977 - breaded and fried white mushrooms have been a favorite in the food court ...
China extends permits on GM rice and corn research
The government has renewed permits allowing scientists to grow three varieties of genetically modified rice and corn in China, more ...
Ugandan scientists develop disease-resistant banana, but law may prohibit it from reaching farmers
Banana bacterial wilt, a disease caused by Xanthomonas bacteria, is so devastating to banana and extremely burdensome and costly to ...
Avoiding “foreign genes” trap: Tale of two potatoes highlights new era of GE crops
J.R. Simplot’s recently approved Innate potato could be the first in a new generation of GMO crops bred using new ...
Scientists urge revamped regulations for genetic engineering
Scientists are calling for revamped regulation of genetic modification, especially the new techniques not subject to current rules ...
How to spot a science ideologue
Critics of consensus science--those who challenge the certainty of evolution, the reality of human caused global warming, or the safety ...
New vegan cheese uses human DNA to create protein
San Francisco-based iGem group said it found a way to make cheese proteins using genetic sequences found in mammals. The ...
‘Pour me a tall glass of transgenic orange juice’
Florida orchards are in danger because of citrus greening disease. Carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, an insect, the bacterium ...
Can new meatless burgers wean us off unsustainable beef?
I dumped meat a few weeks ago, and it was not an easy breakup. Some of my most treasured moments ...
Will gene editing and other new GM techniques sidestep controversy over ‘foreign’ genes?
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is developing genetically modified grass that would need less mowing, be a deeper green and be resistant to ...
Will my child be born autistic if I eat GMOs? A scientist’s view
The Internet is aflame with claims linking autism to GMOs and the herbicide glyphosate, frightening many parents. Contributing columnist and ...
Critical look at recent meta-analysis on GMO crops passes muster
Hundreds of studies have been conducted to assess the impact of GE crops. A recent study, A Meta-Analysis of the ...
Mother’s science-based view: Organics and Whole Foods are ‘scam of the decade’
"USDA Certified Organic." These words may conjure notions of wholesomeness, healthiness, freshness and responsible consumer habits. So why is this ...
Scotts’ GMO turfgrass approved as USDA concludes no risk review necessary for ‘gene gun’ modifications
A new GMO variety of tall fescue turfgrass that's resistant to glyphosate herbicides has been cleared for cultivation by USDA without ...
Bogus claim glyphosate, used with GMOs, causes autism races through cyberspace
She’s baa-aack. Remember Stephanie Seneff? When last Orac discussed her, she had been caught dumpster diving into the VAERS database ...
LA drops GMO ban plan provoking cries of lobbyist interference
The Los Angeles City Council was seriously considering a ban on growing genetically modified crops (GMOs) within the city limits ...
Anti-corporatism envelops local food movement
If your idea of a locavore is a slow-foodie-body-inscribed-lefty type who’s disdainful of big corporations and ready to Occupy, you ...
