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.
Genetically modified rice could help address China’s smog problems
Chinese scientists have found a way to change the genetic make-up of a popular species of rice, a move they ...
GM crops: One divisive issue that stands in way of US-EU free trade deal
Food safety is a major stumbling block in EU-U.S. talks aimed at creating the world's biggest free trade zone. The ...
Anti-GMO ecology activists reject BBC’s Panorama portraying them as ‘fear mongers’
The pro-GM bias of the BBC was plain to see during Monday's (8th June) Panorama programme 'GM Food - Cultivating ...
How GM labeling could bankrupt small Vermont dairy farm
As a farmer in Vermont, I'm worried that a senseless food label will ultimately put our family farm out of ...
Tanzania removes GM research obstacles for scientists
The Tanzanian government has removed the strict liability clause in the Environmental Management (Biosafety) Regulations of 2009 to enable researchers conduct ...
Breeding barley for antioxidants could make healthier, longer lasting pita bread
Healthier and longer lasting pita bread may be the outcome of barley research underway at the University of Adelaide's Waite ...
Bee breeders select genetic qualities that help colonies stave off varroa mites
The plight of the threatened honeybee was made a national priority last month when President Obama announced the first National ...
Why we need a ‘dispassionate’ look at GMOs
Despite myriad assurances from scientists that foods containing genetically modified ingredients are safe to eat, consumers are likely to see ...
Project aims to develop biotech disease-resistant potato to pass both US and EU regulations
Spuds are a staple diet for many people on Earth. While potatoes seem like robust vegetables, they’re actually pretty susceptible ...
Floating farms: New take on old tech to feed world?
The global population looks likely to hit 9.6 billion by 2050. To meet the hungry demands of so many, food ...
Monsanto suggests new UK headquarters, new name to lure Syngenta to accept merger deal
Monsanto, the U.S. seed and agrochemicals group known for its genetically modified crops, wants to switch its headquarters from the ...
How science of GMOs can refine our environmental values
Many humans care deeply for the environment, and I really appreciate that sentiment. In order for us to have the ...
GMO ban in Oregon county in effect, but officials say they aren’t enforcing it
Saturday is the first day people in Jackson County, Oregon, can alert county officials about violations of the ban on ...
Agriculture’s climate change costs could be minimized by trading crops
If countries and farmers make adjustments in what crops they grow and where, then the effects of climate change on ...
Jane Brody: Anti-GMO movement needs to rethink fear-based opposition
A review of the pros and cons of G.M.O.s strongly suggests that the issue reflects a poor public understanding of ...
Iran’s new GMO cotton could increase yields by five times or more
Iran has unveiled the first sample of genetically modified cotton, which has been produced through indigenous technology by Iranian specialists ...
California drought highlights need for genetic engineering of crops
In this time of unprecedented drought, much attention has been focused on the use of water for farms to grow ...
Former UK Greenpeace chief says anti-GMO campaigners “morally unacceptable”
Campaigning against the use of Genetically Modified crops in Britain is “morally unacceptable”, according to the former head of the ...
Why Neil Young’s viral anti-Monsanto and Starbucks song is wrong on GMO safety
Neil Young blew up the Internet this past weekend with the video release of “A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee ...
Augusta, Ga. Chronicle editorial: Mandatory GMO labels are demonization tactic
The only thing that could be worse than having unnecessary GMO labels on food is having 50 different kinds of ...
Monsanto expected to raise bid for Syngenta as competing offer appears imminent
Monsanto Co., and its advisers are working flat out to accommodate Syngenta's qualms about regulatory hurdles to a deal whose ...
Making case for organics: Costs more but ‘you should buy it anyway’ because of fewer chemicals
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Loud voices dismiss organic ...
BBC debate: Is GMO opposition grounded in science?
Should we embrace technology that could help feed the world, or are concerns about the impact of global agribusiness and ...
Genetic engineering could help wine industry face challenges
We are decades away from seeing commercially planted genetically engineered (GE) grapevines, but the research has already begun. All major ...
Why ‘GMO-free’ and ‘antibiotic-free’ are worlds apart
Poultry giant Foster Farms announced it would cut back on the antibiotics it feeds to its chickens. This follows similar promises from Tyson ...
Study: Scientific proof of safety unlikely to sway hardened GMO skeptics
Even when provided with scientific information about genetically modified organisms or global warming, some consumers may hold fast to the ...
Greenpeace, leader of anti-GMO movement in India, faces precarious future
The first year of Modi Sarkar has been disastrous for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country. Including Greenpeace, about 9,000 have ...
