Food & Agriculture Features
The GLP explores the role of genetic engineering in food production and the polarized debate surrounding it. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- Chemicals and pesticides
- Organics
- Conventional crops
- New breeding technologies
- Animal biotechnology
- Food systems
- Sustainability
- Regulations
- Politics
- Ideology
Costa Rica revises its biotechnology regulations, dropping restrictions on gene editing and other New Breeding Techniques
Industry experts say a November 11, 2023, update to the Costa Rican biotechnology regulatory framework facilitates utilization of innovative biotechnologies ...
Viewpoint: ‘Regulatory vigilantes’ — How former government scientists who are now high-paid ‘expert witnesses’ for predatory law firms use mass tort litigation to sidestep science
Regulatory risk management process allowed policymakers to govern over the last 60 years of technological and industrial development ...
GLP podcast: AAP refuses to print rebuttal to anti-GMO study; Billion-dollar anti-pesticide ‘money grab’; Ultra-processed food won’t make you obese?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a spurious attack on GM crops and pesticides, then reneged on its commitment ...
False dawn or new dawn for genetically engineered crops in the European Union?
It's going to be a long and difficult journey before the fate of the European crop biotechnology reform bill passed ...
How gene editing could rescue virus-devastated global papaya crop
Plant viruses are formidable adversaries when it comes to producing high yielding crops, causing significant harm to global agriculture, and ...
When a farmer and a dietitian are the same person: Telling stories to counter misinformation about biotechnology
Jennie Schmidt, Third-Generation Maryland Farmer, Registered Dietitian, Member of the Global Farmer Network | March 1, 2024 Highlights: Combining a ...
Viewpoint: Environmental Working Group’s manufactured ‘dangerous levels of chlormequat in oat cereals’ study underscores the ‘risk perception gap’
The number of messages I received from people, mostly parents, who said they had been terrified to feed their children ...
Viewpoint: Journal Pediatrics reneges on its commitment to print response to botched article claiming GMOs are harmful to children. Here’s what they censored
A lot has been said about the journal Pediatrics December 2023 Clinical Report on "Using GMOs on Children". The poor scholarship ...
GLP podcast: Bad research sows distrust in science; Pesticides in food aren’t dangerous—unless you eat 340 apples daily
Bad research in peer-reviewed journals is undermining the public's trust in science. What can experts do to stop the flow ...
Viewpoint: Are organizations claimed as “partners” with tort industry-funded Heartland Study aware of the scam? Here’s an ‘open letter’ challenge
Multiple science communicators and scientists have composed a letter to various universities and government organizations that have been linked to ...
Viewpoint: Money grab — How the Environmental Working Group works hand-in-hand with tort lawyers to generate billion-dollar junk suits
On February 15th, the litigation outfit known as Environmental Working Group, most famous for using public USDA data (although excluding pesticides from ...
Viewpoint: Exploiting chemophobia—Environmental Working Groups’s manufactured study claiming oat cereal contains dangerous pesticides designed to manipulate the media
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and media outlets are trying to scare people away from demonstrably safe and nutritious conventional food products ...
Viewpoint: UK’s organic farming lobby needs to drop its ideological rejection of gene editing if it hopes to remain viable
In July last year, the European Commission published its proposals for regulating plants developed using new genomic techniques (NGTs) such ...
GLP podcast: Technology keeps debunking ‘The Population Bomb;’ Internet access can harm mental health; Is urban farming sustainable? Probably not
Technological innovations continue to debunk predictions that global population growth will lead to mass starvation. Some mental health experts are ...
With climate change disruptions of farming and food escalating, scientists look to resilient ancient plant varieties as a possible safety net
In late September, an international team of researchers fanned out across a remote New Mexico mountain range, in search of ...
What’s driving the ‘multi-billion dollar fear-and-smear campaign against genetically-engineered crops’ — and the link between activists and Russia?
Because most of society is between two and six generations removed from farming, to many people that subject is largely ...
Viewpoint: What is sustainability? What are pesticides? The way media and politicians define ideologically diffuse words shape policy – often for the worse
Reality is perceived by the definitions we give; the black and white lines we draw upon a grey canvas. So ...
Viewpoint: Righteous Risks — Here’s how (and why) environmental advocacy groups misrepresent the risks from innovations but cynically ignore genuine dangers
Synthetic pesticides are under constant regulatory pressure, but not organic pesticides. “Green” renewables and EVs have very little regulatory scrutiny ...
England’s gene-editing rules could be far more restrictive than scientists hope
In proposals set out in a recent public consultation document, the Food Standards Agency has confirmed its plans for implementing ...
Crop gene editing greenlighted by European Parliament. Fight over labeling looms as measure moves to the EU Council
For a more sustainable and resilient food system, MEPs support a simpler process for NGT plants equivalent to conventional plants, ...
Analysis: Climate activists issue scare-warnings of impending starvation, but they ignore technology’s future role in scaling productivity
In 1968, the American scientists Paul and Anne Ehrlich published The Population Bomb. In it, The Ehrlichs foresaw widespread death and ...
GLP podcast/video: Weed won’t improve your workout; Predatory science journals attack GMOs; Eating insects will be mandatory?
Can marijuana make your workout better? Probably not, according to a recent study. Four science publications produce a large swath ...
Viewpoint: Crop biotechnology opponents are losing their war against genetic engineering but the battle for science is not yet won
It was not so long ago that the strident opponents of agricultural biotechnology were dictating the narrative over sustainable crops ...
Viewpoint: Pesticides ensure ‘sustainable productivity’ — UK farmers bemoan ‘scaremongering’ on pesticides
Three leading farmers have accused the RSPB of irresponsible scaremongering by claiming that a ‘cocktail’ of pesticides used by British farmers ...
A nutritionist reflects on the sad state of health education about GMOs and farming at schools and universities
Ruth MacDonald, PhD, Author, Professor and Chair, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, and Interim Senior ...
Viewpoint: Why proposals to ban all 12,000 PFAS chemicals contradict science
I have previously authored many articles about per- and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” and the misinformation ...
Viewpoint: Ramazzini Institute — Exposing the the shadowy, dark money and tort lawyer funded anti-pesticide research organization manipulating the media and policy organizations
Peer review came about to ensure new scientific claims are vetted by scientists prior to publication. The practice is captured ...
