Daily Food & Ag Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of agricultural and food issues, including the GMO debate, conventional and organic farming, regulations, new breeding technologies and sustainability. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
The never-ending GMO debate: Pros and cons
According to the Genetic Literacy Project, “The most recent data from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) ...
Food-borne illnesses are a growing problem. CRISPR-based biosensing may be key to food safety
The availability of safe food is crucial for maintaining both nutritional well-being and overall health security. Estimates indicate that 1 in 10 people ...
Organic farming acreage in the U.S. is in steep decline
[A]merica’s certified organic acreage fell almost 11% between 2019 and 2021. Numerous farmers who implement sustainable practices told The Associated ...
The latest gene edited crop: Oats with higher yields, more fiber and climate change resilient
For the first time, scientists have successfully edited oat DNA, a breakthrough that could accelerate the development of oats with ...
Chemicals in food packaging is an increasing health threat
A research study, published in the Nature Medicine journal, explores the health impacts of exposure to synthetic chemicals in food. The scientists identify ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why farmers use pesticides like atrazine and glyphosate—and why they are safe
Corn growers need access to all types of pesticides. [Glyphosate was] developed more than 50 years ago to control a ...
Why the right is rushing to ban lab grown meat that could save tens of billions of animals every year
Unlike plant-based meat substitutes like the Impossible Burger, lab-grown meat consists of actual animal tissue, but made without slaughtering animals ...
Viewpoint: ‘Kenya must balance GMO adoption against concerns about environmental impact and preserving traditional farming
Officials are urging Kenyans to trust science and embrace GMO benefits, but Kenya must proceed with caution. GMO foods are ...
MAHA is anti-corporate and chemophobic; Farming in the U.S. is the opposite. What will give?
Efforts to secure statutory immunity from liability for personal injuries caused by pesticides have converged with massive increases in federal ...
Viewpoint: Challenging the FDA to closely regulate unreviewed chemicals in our food
Although a comprehensive fix to the “Generally Recognized” standard will require legislation from Congress, there are significant steps the FDA ...
Viewpoint: Sustainable agriculture—Why gene editing should be welcomed by organic farmers
Gene editing should be allowed in organic crop cultivation to boost yields and promote more sustainable farming practices, according to ...
Trump administration’s schizophrenic farm policy
Independent and organic farmers say chaos created by the Trump administration’s cuts has hurt their businesses, even as the US health secretary, Robert F ...
Viewpoint: How media coverage has undermined support for cultivated ‘clean’ meat
Is cultivated meat ‘real meat’? Does it pose any benefits? Is it an inevitable, necessary marker of change to the ...
Iran uses nuclear technology to produce drought-resistant rice
This rice variety was obtained through targeted mutagenesis methods and originated from the popular local native variety Tarom. Key features ...
Viewpoint: ‘I’m a mom and a farmer. Here’s why it’s safe to use pesticides
In addition to the title of mom, I also have the title of farmer, giving me firsthand experiences and understanding ...
Climate change challenge: How to ‘future proof’ crops
In a review in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Stephen Long, a professor of crop sciences and of plant biology at ...
Under its year old regulation, Canada has yet to approve a gene edited animal for human consumption. U.S. approved pig is a test
The approval in the United States for food use of pigs gene edited to resist Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, ...
AI can read plant DNA. That could transform agriculture and help feed the world
Plant DNA has become a frontier for artificial intelligence, with large language models turning genetic sequences into interpretable content for ...
Bioterrorism experts not buying Trump’s FBI administration claims that Chinese students smuggled in fungus for a bioweapon
Fungus already widespread in U.S., poses little food safety risk, experts say Experts say it would be ineffective as agricultural ...
Precise ‘genetic tailoring’ of plant genomes addresses critical challenges in food security and sustainability
Simplifying the complexity of genome editing is essential to prevent misunderstandings and counter misinformation propagated by certain interest groups that ...
How worried should you be about the health effects of microplastics?
Animal studies indicate that microplastics may harm reproduction, particularly sperm quality. They can also affect lung and gut functioning and ...
Viewpoint: What would be the consequences if we moved from conventional, tech-advanced farming to organic?
Close your eyes and imagine grocery stores where produce costs triple, with a sparse selection and visible insect damage. This ...
Viewpoint: Battles erupt among Republicans over food and pesticides
Some in the Republican Party say they’re worried about farmers in their districts who rely on pesticides. And there are ...
India’s new gene-edited sheep increases muscle mass by 30%
The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Kashmir) has successfully produced a gene-edited sheep, setting a new benchmark in ...
Viewpoint: Why agriculture should not be politicized
[A]ttaching a political label to [agriculture] means we lose the opportunity to have meaningful connections and conversations based on fact ...
Poll: Few voters concerned about pesticide use in agriculture
Fifty-seven percent of national voters agreed that farmer control over weeds, diseases and pests on crops keeps food affordable, according ...
60% of imported bananas go bad. How non-browning gene edited varieties will help reduce waste
It is estimated that a third of the produce that is harvested worldwide is never consumed and goes to waste ...
