Sustainability/Climate Change
Food production needs are expected to roughly double over the next 35 years as the world population grows and people in under developed countries become more affluent and demand more calories. Healthy ecosystems are vital to the survival of all organisms. How can we grow crops without harming the environment? How can we balance technology and global food security? What is the right balance of organic and conventional farming? What role can genetics and biotechnology play without compromising the needs of tomorrow?
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
EU glyphosate herbicide ban would make weed control harder for French winegrowers
Bad weather this year has already prompted a steep drop in French wine output, contributing to a 50-year low in global ...
GMO canola high in omega-3 oils up for regulatory approval in Australia
The first genetically modified canola with health benefits is being scrutinised by [Australia's] Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The ...
Natural insecticide created with spider venom and genetically modified yeast
Scientists have noticed the powerful punch some spider venoms pack, and have started looking to them for inspiration for all kinds ...
USDA allows ‘organic’ label for soil-less farming, upsetting movement’s founders
The pioneers of the sustainable farming movement are mourning what they call the downfall of the organic program, following a Wednesday ...
Viewpoint: ‘GMO paranoia’ blocking scientifically sound solutions to food system problems
According to NPR’s All Things Considered, [genetically engineered pigs] could save farmers millions of dollars on heating and food. ...
Australia imports over 60 GMO food crops—but farmers can only grow one
Food derived from 60 genetically modified crops can be imported into Australia, but local growers can only grow one GM ...
The race to grow meat without slaughtering animals—can genetic engineering help?
Operating with a team of just 10 (though it's expected to grow to 40 in a matter of months), [Memphis ...
South African saga: Anti-GMO activist groups’ disinformation campaign against new disease-resistant corn
South Africa's corn is already more than 90 percent GMO. An application to introduce an improved, disease-fighting variety has revved ...
Viewpoint: Anti-GMO activist Doug Gurian-Sherman’s Food Evolution review misrepresents Uganda banana research
[Editor's note: Patricia Nanteza is a science communicator at Uganda's National Banana Research Program. The following is excerpted from her letter to ...
New rice variety that grows in salty water could feed millions in China
Scientists in China have developed several types of rice that can be grown in seawater, potentially creating enough food for ...
How one farmer stood up to anti-GMO activists and the Italian state—and won
As chair of the local farmers federation [Giorgio Fidenato, a small-holder farmer growing corn, tomatoes and soybeans in Italy] pushes for ...
Video: How glyphosate herbicide enables no-till, environmentally friendly farming
[Editor's note: Jake Freestone is the manager of an arable and sheep LEAF Demonstration Farm in Tewkesbury, England.] [N]o-till or zero-till, ...
Could we protect bees from neonicotinoid insecticides by planting trees?
[I]t's unlikely farmers will give up or limit pesticide use, so instead, a team of researchers at the University of ...
Disease-resistant GM potatoes that reduce pesticide use ‘worked brilliantly’ in UK field trial
A genetically-modified (GM) potato designed to resist a devastating plant disease has worked “brilliantly” during the first year of field ...
Can any GMO documentary, pro or con, get the issue right?
Both films [Food Evolution and Island Earth] were fun to watch. They both also get a lot of the facts right. But ...
Arctic golden delicious: Non-browning genetically engineered apples debut in Midwest grocery stores
Boldly going where no genetically modified apple has gone before, Arctic apples from Okanagan Specialty Fruits will ship to about ...
Talking Biotech: Former anti-GMO activist Mark Lynas on how resistance to crop biotechnology hurts small African farms
Mark Lynas, Cornell Alliance for Science: "Moral injustice" of NGOs preventing Africans from adopting GMO crops driven by "green ideology" ...
Glyphosate herbicide ban won’t save anyone from cancer, will harm environment
The widely used weedkiller glyphosate is available in every garden store, but now there are fears it can cause cancer ...
Using sunlight to make plastic? Genetically modified algae shows promise
Michigan State University scientists are proposing a new way to economically produce biodegradable plastics with sunlight and help from an ...
Is organic farming sustainable? 5 carbon footprint challenges
Along with unsubstantiated claims of better nutrition and safety, supporters of organic farming often cite its lower carbon footprint as ...
Video: Why organic and non-GMO labels don’t matter when it comes to eating healthy
[N]on-GMO labels do more than placate people concerned about scientists secretly tinkering with their food. They might persuade people to make ...
Neonicotinoid insecticides may hurt honey bee colony health by reducing genetic diversity
[Editor's note: The following is from a study published in the open-access mega-journal PLOS ONE.] Neonicotinoid insecticides can cause a ...
Activists in India put GMO mustard in regulatory limbo
India has frozen requests to commercially release a locally developed genetically modified mustard, an environment ministry document released on Tuesday [October ...
Glyphosate herbicide may negatively impact beneficial soil bacteria in certain situations, study finds
As farmers battle in their above-ground war on weeds, they may inadvertently create underground casualties – unintentionally attacking the beneficial ...
Non-GMO condoms? Label’s proliferation confuses consumers
The National Milk Producers Federation launched a “peel back the label” campaign this summer, aimed squarely at a growing list ...
European Commission seeks 5 to 7 year renewal of glyphosate herbicide—down from 10
The European Commission will seek to extend the license of glyphosate — the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide — for between five ...
Jon Entine podcast: Corruption and secrecy behind IARC’s glyphosate cancer designation?
Glyphosate has been in the headlines for two weeks. Here's a background interview with the GLP's executive director explaining the ...
