Agriculture Spotlight
Bernie Sanders, 10 Senate Democrats push USDA for ‘consumer-friendly’ GMO label
Senate Democrats are pushing the Agriculture Department to create a labeling standard for products made with genetically modified organisms (GMO) that ...
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 ...
Buying local, organic food won’t shrink your carbon footprint—but here’s what can
If you're paying more for local and organic groceries because you care about the environment, here's some bad news: science ...
Viewpoint: After Christopher Wild departure, next IARC chief must fix ‘beleaguered’ agency
With the sudden departure of IARC head Christopher Wild, here's a wish list put together by David Zaruk, who offers ...
Food fears: How anti-science myths—like ‘clean eating’ and GMO health risks—make eaters anxious
We talk about food in the negative: What we shouldn’t eat, what we’ll regret later, what’s evil, dangerously tempting, unhealthy ...
‘Science Moms’ documentary counters anti-GMO, anti-vaccine misinformation
In an era of fear-based marketing targeted to parents, one group of moms hopes to launch a movement of science-minded ...
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 ...
How the ‘Dunning-Kruger’ effect explains public’s anti-GMO views
[A] new study from Carnegie Mellon University has provided key information on what factors influence public acceptance of GMOs and ...
Video: Dissecting claim that Canadian professor is a ‘Monsanto sock puppet’
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently brought forth allegations that professor Peter Phillips of the University of Saskatchewan is a Monsanto ...
Genetic engineering ‘fastest method’ to save Florida citrus industry from greening disease
[Editor's note: Manjul Dutt is a research assistant scientist and Jude Grosser is a research professor, both at the University of ...
Sequenced potato genomes could speed development of disease-resistant varieties
Examining the ancestors of the modern, North American cultivated potato has revealed a set of common genes and important genetic ...
Ecological Armageddon? Scientists criticize media coverage of insect study that raised questions about farm pesticide use
Results of a study of insects in protected areas across Germany earned dramatic headlines warning of "ecological Armageddon". ... [T]he ...
Will herbicide drift damage push non-GMO farmers to buy dicamba-resistant seeds?
About 4 percent of all soybean crops planted in the United States have been damaged by a weed killer this ...
New Zealand farmers group drops lawsuit, paving way for local GMO bans
Federated Farmers has dropped a legal battle against rulings allowing regional councils to decide whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can ...
USDA scraps overhaul of GMO and gene edited crop regulations that biotech advocates viewed as ‘unscientific’
The Trump administration withdrew a proposed USDA rule change made by the Obama administration that would have been the first ...
How the Midwest became the Silicon Valley of agriculture
Matthew Crisp, president and CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems, [says] the rural zones of Midwestern America are proving fertile ground for ...
Viewpoint: Will Europe botch regulation of gene editing as it has GMOs?
Plant biologist: Europe's precautionary stance toward agricultural biotechnology has all but blocked the introduction of GM crops and could provide ...
Viewpoint: Challenges to glyphosate, neonic safety shows science under attack from ‘viral misinformation’
The news of scientific prejudice [in the decision by IARC stating that glyphosate was a likely carcinogen, on top of ...
GMO canola high in omega-3 oils up for regulatory approval in Australia
The first genetically modified canola with health benefits is being scrutinised by [Australia's] Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The ...
Closing gap between rich and poor farmers: CRISPR gene editing targets disease, pests and climate
Gene editing technology could revolutionize the way scientists breed high-yielding drought, disease and pest resistant, quality plant seeds, greatly reducing ...
Natural insecticide created with spider venom and genetically modified yeast
Scientists have noticed the powerful punch some spider venoms pack, and have started looking to them for inspiration for all kinds ...
EU glyphosate herbicide ban would make weed control harder for French winegrowers
Bad weather this year has already prompted a steep drop in French wine output, contributing to a 50-year low in global ...
14 corn genes identified that could boost vitamin E levels
New research has identified genes that control vitamin E content in maize grain, a finding that could lead to improving ...
Bangladesh releases high-yielding disease-resistant wheat variety to farmers
As wheat farmers in Bangladesh struggle to recover from a 2016 outbreak of a mysterious disease called “wheat blast,” the country’s National ...
Viewpoint: Confirmation bias, conflicts of interest plague ‘science’ behind glyphosate cancer claims
Anti-biotech activists hate the herbicide glyphosate, sold by Monsanto under the brand name Roundup. Those activists won a victory in ...
View from the farm: Why there is no advantage in saving seeds
A common criticism of GMOs is that corporations force farmers to buy new seeds every year. But do farmers actually ...
CRISPR gene-edited cassava could help stave off food crisis in Nigeria
Cassava brown streak disease can keep a cassava farmer awake at night. It can lead to complete crop loss, is difficult to ...
