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.
Canadian fruit growers ask federal government to block Arctic Apple
The Fruit Growers Association in British Columbia, Canada has asked two federal ministers to impose moratorium on the genetically-modified Arctic ...
Whole Foods hones anti-GMO strategy to drive growth
“Non-GMO is a line in the sand for us. It’s the start of the discussion, not the end topic. We ...
Activists block solution to GM cross-pollination (don’t call it ‘contamination’) fears
Cross pollination between fields of crops, whether genetically modified or organic, cannot be avoided. Whose responsibility is it to keep ...
Breakthrough GM phtoreceptor technology could help food crops thrive in crowded fields
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are working on genetically modifying plant photoreceptors to allow crops to grow in tightly ...
Food economist challenges pop anti-GMO activist Robyn O’Brian for fanning allergy scares in TED talk
Jayson Lusk, food and agriculture economist, critiques a TEDx talk by popular anti-GMO activist and author Robyn O'Brian in which ...
Food industry presses for voluntary GMO labeling standards
Crucial players in the American food industry are pressing for legislation that would institute a national voluntary labeling system for ...
Why we won’t see GMO labels in the United States anytime soon
(Summary) "Until scientific evidence shows that eating GMOs is dangerous," labeling laws won't change, writes Brian Stoffel in the Motley Fool ...
China and US can use biotechnology to end ‘scourge of global hunger’
"Biotechnology has been extensively researched and safely used for three decades," writes Michael Scuse, Under secretary for Farm and Foreign ...
China rejects unapproved GM corn from US
China rejected a cargo of U.S. corn because it contained a genetically modified variety that is not approved for import, ...
EU must change policies regarding GMOs or face ‘scientific, economic and social consequences’
(Summary) The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has warned that European countries must change their policies regarding genetically modified ...
Hawaii farmers, ranchers: ‘We are under attack from a vocal minority’
Farmers, ranchers and floral and nursery growers have written a letter to the Hawaii County Council, urging them to vote ...
Activist group in Ghana calls for non-GM solutions for food security issues
The Civil Society Network in Ghana, a group of non-governmental bodies, says government should address the wider causes of food ...
Aversion to GMOs in wealthy nations influences views in poor nations
(Summary) The debate over genetically modified organisms in America and Europe affects the views of biotechnology in Africa. Robert Paalberg, ...
The origins of Oregon’s GM wheat remain a mystery
It’s still unclear how genetically modified wheat ended up in Oregon last spring, and industry members aren’t sure when the ...
Ukraine farmers demand fewer restrictions on GM crops
(Summary) Farmers in the Ukraine are fighting back against government proposals to ban genetically modified organisms, Agrimoney reports. Despite heavy restrictions ...
Israeli biotech company promises high yield crops without genetic modification
Kaiima Bio-Agritech, a Galilee-based enterprise that aims to boost global crop yields without the aid of genetic modification, says it ...
GMO plants could be ‘green factories’ for vital omega-3 fish oils
Scientists at the UK's Rothamsted Research have developed a variety of Camelina sativa (flax) that produces Omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid ...
New Hampshire lawmakers aren’t buying anti-GMO scare tactics
(Summary) Grace Boatright, legislative director of the National Grange, a non-profit organization that advocates for rural agriculture, praises New Hampshire ...
Steve Savage: USDA should deregulate Arctic Apples
(Summary) Steve Savage, agriculture scientist specializing in plant pathology, recently came out in support of the deregulation of the genetically ...
Indonesia: Agriculture Minister calls for acceptance of GMOs
Indonesia must adopt genetically modified crops if the world’s fourth-most-populous nation wants to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples like corn, ...
Chinese state media kick into high gear to ease GMO food fears
China's state media are working overtime to persuade the public that genetically modified food is safe, apparently softening up the ...
Head of UK Rothamsted–‘oldest agriculture science center in the world’–urges more GMO field trials
(Summary) Maurice Moloney, head of UK's Rothamsted Research, the "oldest agriculture science center in the world," speaks to Nature News about his ...
Oregon gears up for GMO labeling fight
Opponents of a ballot initiative to label genetically engineered food in Oregon have gone to court with their objections to ...
Call for single, centralized body to regulate GMOs across Africa
(Summary) "Africa needs a centralized body to help it overcome the lack of scientific capacity," says a study in the ...
With Mayor’s veto of anti-GMO bill on verge of being upheld, bill supporters force Kauai Council to postpone vote
(Summary) Faced with the the prospect that there were not enough votes on the Kauai County Council to overturn Mayor ...
Anti-GMO vs. pro-GMO: Can they agree on anything?
(Summary) Tamar Haspel of the Washington Post spoke to several organizations that had a wide variety of opinions about genetically modified food--from ...
Anti-GMO activism forces countries to use unregulated chemical and radiation techniques to breed new varieties
(Summary) When countries reject genetically modified organisms because of unsubstantiated claims of health risks, agricultural companies in those countries are ...
