Agriculture Spotlight
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 ...
Crop armor: Genetic modification to protect plants from drought, climate change
An army of scientists is hard at work to understand how plants sense, defend and adapt to harsh environments. ...
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 ...
Small artisanal farms might not be our environmental salvation
[Cricket flour] was the first note of a dinner set up by the Breakthrough Institute, a pro-technology environmental think tank, in order ...
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 ...
GMO tomato created with dramatically higher vitamin levels, antioxidant properties
The School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in collaboration with the Institut de ...
US District Court dismisses lawsuit claiming GMO foods shouldn’t carry ‘natural’ label
On October 25, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed a consumer class action under Massachusetts law, ...
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 ...
Survey showing health benefits from non-GMO diet? ‘The misinformation is staggering’
It was the stuff of anti-GMO activists' dreams: A “peer-reviewed” paper, published in a scientific-looking journal with an impressive title, detailing ...
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 ...
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 ...
Omega-3 fish oil from a plant? GMO camelina could offer sustainable alternative
The distant relative of rapeseed could solve one of the problems faced by fish farms -- growing fish with the ...
Innovation meets precaution: NGO delay tactics hinder gene-editing revolution in Europe
Does today’s fear of potential risks caused by GMO make us unable to carry out necessary actions for a better ...
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 ...
Organic farmer’s plea for a better relationship between organic, conventional farming
An organic farmer speaks out on the similarities between conventional and organic--and the benefits farmers can receive from using both ...
Artificial selection: 10 non-GMO crops that don’t look anything like their wild counterpart
Genetically modified foods are a big source of debate these days. Some don’t want anything to do with modern GMOs, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Could the Arctic Apple be the beginning of a new wave of consumer-oriented GMO foods?
This month, bags of sliced apples will hit grocery-store shelves in the midwestern United States for the first time. Shoppers ...