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.
Bangladesh approves ‘confined trial’ for genetically modified cotton
The Bangladesh government has made a move to introduce genetically modified (GM) cotton varieties to farmers in the country. The ...
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 ...
Ukraine to allow cultivation of GM crops
Ukraine may soon join the list of European countries that allow genetically modified crops, prompted by a new government proposal ...
Maine Legislature ‘did the right thing’ by passing GMO labeling bill
Maine's Morning Sentinel published an editorial in support of GMO labeling, writing that "the Maine Legislature did the right thing earlier ...
South Australian government acknowledges ideological motives for extending moratorium on GMOs
The South Australian government extended its moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified crops by another six years, agribusiness consultant David ...
EU must reconsider its broken GMO evaluation process
According to a graduate of the European Public Affairs Masters program at Maastricht University, the European Union evaluation system of ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
