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
See no evil: Feinstein’s Frankenfood Folly
Activists opposed to modern techniques of genetic engineering have made it clear that they regard labeling as a first step ...
20 answers on GMOs: What would conversation be like if we discarded ideology?
Do GMOs pose unique health or environmental problems? Not likely, says Grist columnist, who offers his year end recipe for ...
UK Guardian botched ‘suicide gene’ story: ‘Terminator seeds’ will not usher in agricultural judgment day
UK Guardian botched its story on "terminator" seeds in Brazil, fanning misconceptions, undermining vaccine and drug research ...
In hyped claim organic milk is healthier, activist science meets bungled reporting
Last week, the web erupted after organic researcher Charles Benbrook promoted a new study as the long-awaited proof of the ...
Simple genetic modification could restore American chestnut to dominance
Scientists have found a simple genetic modification to revitalize the American chestnut, but now the question remains: should they be ...
Podcast: Part II of organic grower Jack’s Farm Radio interview with GLP’s Jon Entine
In Part II of Dan Heckler's interview with GLP’s Jon Entine, the discussion turns to environmental sustainability and claims by ...
MIT Technology Review makes ‘green’ argument for genetically modified food
Advances in genetic engineering have opened doors for scientists to tackle some of the biggest threats to agriculture in a ...
No GMOs? How about a helping of irradiated mutant fruits and veggies instead?
Although plants bred through industrial means like mutation breeding for genetic modification might seem dangerous, unnatural does not automatically mean ...
Grist’s Nathanael Johnson’s GMO archives: Wading through the ideological thicket
The GMO debate is wrought with arguments based on emotion, not facts. Grist's Nathnael Johnson has been wading through the ...
Podcast: Organic grower Jack’s Farm Radio interviews GLP’s Jon Entine on GMOs and sustainability
In his exploration of the ins and outs of genetically modified food, organic farmer Dan Heckler interviews GLP's Jon Entine ...
Food and Chemical Toxicology editor-in-chief defends retraction of Séralini study
In response to several allegations of misconduct against the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, the editor-in-chief released a letter explaining ...
Johnson in Grist: Despite drawbacks, GE key tool in strengthening global food security
Some say that the costs of genetic engineering outweigh the benefits, but GE is still an important tactic against threats ...
Anti-GMO salvo: Activists target transgenic trees that could protect endangered forests
Scientists believe that genetically modified trees could bring huge sustainability benefits as the increased development needs of a growing global ...
Post GMO agriculture: Are some farmers turning away from high tech crops?
The USDA reports that 90% of all corn grown in the US is genetically modified, yet some local pockets of ...
Video: Hofstra GMO debate highlights science v precautionary fears
Scientists and other professionals debate whether regulations on GMOs should be tighter or less restrictive ...
Jeffrey Smith’s claim of rampant GMO/gluten allergies rebuked by Celiac Disease Foundation
A recent report by anti-GMO activist Jeffrey Smith claims that GMOs can be blamed for the rise of gluten-sensitivity disorders, ...
Campaign to block McDonald’s healthier GM french fries threatens next generation consumer friendly GM foods
Anti-GMO campaign to pressure McDonald's from using a healthier and more environmentally friendly GM potato threatens next generation of consumer ...
GMOs vs. mutagenesis vs. conventional breeding: Which wins?
Is the process of mutagenesis more safe and efficient than genetic modification? Maybe not ...
From anti-GMO to pro-science: ‘A Layman’s Guide to GMOs’
In this week’s newsletter feature, Genetic Literacy Project guest contributor Fourat Janabi, author of The Lowdown on GMOs: According to ...
French scientist Séralini threatens suit after discredited anti-GMO paper retracted
As GLP executive director Jon Entine reports in Forbes, the GMO wars are set to escalate after the discrediting of ...
Retraction! Prestigious journal pulls botched Séralini GMO rat study
In a stunning development, Food and Chemical Toxicology, which last year published the now notorious GMO rat study by French ...
In Israel, push to screen for breast and ovarian cancer genes leaves many conflicted
Israeli Jews, facing the world's highest incidences of breast and ovarian cancer, but among the lowest rates of mastectomies, are ...
Critics’ concerns over GM salmon unfounded, ‘don’t merit comment’
Canadian government agencies have scrupulously assessed AquaBounty's genetically modified salmon and have approved it for commercial production. But this hasn't ...
Islamic perspective on genetically modified food
The Quran has many passages regarding food ethics, specifically stressing that food must be good, pure and wholesome. In debating ...
Organic farming not the answer to world food challenges, but offers some sustainability advantages
Organic farming won't save the planet, but it can set an example for how to improve sustainability on conventional farms ...
Japanese genetically altering rice varieties that could address climate change effects, allergies
Japanese research institutes are leading the world in developing new strains of rice that are capable of withstanding drought, disease, ...
Can botched handling of the trans-fats controversy shed light on the GMO labeling debate?
Trendy "healthy" labels of foods containing trans-fats raised their popularity, but now the Food and Drug Administration has banned them ...
