Food & Ag 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
Myth busting: RNA from GMO foods won’t alter your genes
Biotech critics claim ingesting RNA from food like Monsanto’s Bt corn can change the genes of those that eat it ...
Viewpoint: ‘Advocacy research’ discredits science and aids unprincipled activism
This article originally appeared at Forbes and has been republished here with permission of the author. The scientific research enterprise ...
Will US cut off support for WHO’s IARC over pilloried glyphosate cancer report?
Regulatory agencies in the US, Europe and most recently Australia have concluded that the International Cancer Research Agency botched its ...
Glyphosate in wine and cereal? Why dubious detection methods undermine GMO scare claims
Two NGO commissioned studies found parts per billion concentrations of glyphosate in wine and oatmeal. Are these findings cause for ...
Bayer’s proposed takeover of Monsanto has GMO critics taking aspirin
Politicians and activists have been speaking out against Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto. Should consumers and farmers worry about the increasing ...
Nature busts anti-GMO myth: Gene swapping among plants, insects common occurence
Examining the genes of wasps, moths and butterflies reveals widespread genetic exchange between species. What does this mean for our ...
Nobel laureate Richard Roberts: Opposition to GMOs is an ‘indulgence of the affluent’
In June, more than a hundred Nobel laureates sent a clear message to Greenpeace: abandon the campaign against GMOs. Since ...
After India’s GMO cotton miracle, food crops remain blocked– Here’s why
As India's population continues to boom, many wonder how the country will feed its citizens. Can biotechnology offer a solution? ...
GMO Bt corn’s underrated ability to reduce mycotoxins benefits health and economy
One side benefit of Bt corn is its ability to reduce mycotoxin contamination, which could provide health and economic benefits ...
China lays groundwork to be major producer of GMO crops
With a series of recent moves and policies, China seems to be preparing to change their stance on GMOs ...
Chemical residues on foods and why dose matters
Dosage is what decides whether a compound actually produces toxic effects in the short-term, or long-term effects, such as cancer ...
Glyphosate herbicide in vaccines? Here is what concerned parents should know
Scientists say Moms Across America glyphosate-vaccine study methods don't reveal anything about herbicide ...
New York PTA’s proposed bans on GMOs, milk from rBST-treated cows flunk science
Scientists say the NY PTA has been hijacked by anti-GMO activists who want to impose their beliefs on the food ...
Who funds the grassroots anti-GMO movement?
A farmer discusses the tactics of anti-GMO leaders and how they use grassroots movements to promote organic products ...
Eliminating food waste requires behavioral changes, but GMOs can help too
Economists show solving the food waste problem is more than a matter of avoiding the trash bin ...
Kevin Folta: One year after Lipton’s NYT article, attacks on character continue
Attacks on Kevin Folta continue for perceived "shilling" for Monsanto. Folta responds to latest article, this time from the Alternet ...
GMO myth busting: Behold the dandelion, the weed with farm busting superpowers
What does it mean to say that weeds are developing a "resistance" to glyphosate or another pesticide? Is this related ...
More than half of pesticides used by California farmers are active ingredients approved for organic
Critics of modern agriculture claim organics use few pesticides while conventional framers uses highly toxic ones. Data from our largest ...
Emails show anti-GMO organic activists driving food and farming policy at Consumer Reports
Consumers Union says it's an unbiased and impartial voice for consumers. So why is one of its senior scientists secretly ...
Farmer viewpoint: Organic sector offers unique sustainability model for all agriculture
Rather than dismissing organic standards as arbitrary restrictions, we should recognize the role that they play in guiding sustainable behaviors ...
GMO high tech farm animals stuck on the shelf
Various genetically engineered animals have shown promise in research. But they wait in the wings with no certainly of whether ...
Is the organic farming yield gap a sustainability gap too? New study argues for cooperation
Organic farming can't match conventional's yields. But if the acrimony could end, farmers now pitted against one another could crossbreed ...
Non-GMO label hoodwinks consumers to promote corporate profits
For many products, the Non GMO label simply means exploiting concerns of skittish consumers ...
No rotten tomatoes—Can genetic engineering help create a tastier but still hardy fruit?
From Flavr Savr to today, a history of the genetically modified tomato ...
Ontario farmer: Milkweeds, monarch butterflies and GMOs–What should science-minded farmers do?
I see no scientifically credible reason to be less diligent in removing milkweeds and other unwanted plants from my crop ...
Does CRISPR gene editing = GMO? Biotechnology skeptics may split on how to regulate New Breeding Technologies
The movement opposed to products that have been called "GM" maybe splitting into two, with one faction considering to taking ...
Designing GMOs for human Mars colonies: Follow the ‘toxic salt’
Before we grow staple grains such as wheat and corn on Mars , we need to deal with the soil's ...
