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.
Video: Herbicide-resistant rice variety could help address ‘superweed’ problem affecting non-GMO crops
As weeds become more resistant to herbicides, plant breeders are faced with the challenge of developing new varieties that are ...
Viewpoint: Food Evolution movie shows biotech is ‘an opportunity, not a disaster’
[Editor’s Note: Ben Gordon received his Master's in development practice from UC-Berkeley in 2016 and will begin a PhD program in agricultural ...
Lead author of bees and neonicotinoids study: ‘I don’t appreciate’ Bayer, Syngenta ‘calling me a liar’
The lead author of a major study which found that neonicotinoid pesticides harm honey bees has hit back against criticism ...
15 years after debuting GMO crops, Colombia’s switch has benefited farmers and environment
GM crops saved water, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and provided farmers and the rest of Colombia with a variety of ...
Can GMOs and organic work together to feed growing population?
In theory, genetic engineering could make a valuable contribution to sustainable agriculture. Some plant diseases are virtually impossible to control ...
Government of region where half of India’s mustard is grown says it won’t allow GM seeds even if approved
The Rajasthan government ... said it will never allow commercial cultivation of GM mustard even if the Centre approves it, ...
GM ryegrass feed could help reverse Australia’s ‘dairy crisis’
The Australian dairy industry has experienced 15 months of “disruption” (to coin a trendy term). For many, this has resulted ...
Pamela Ronald: Sustainable farming should focus on impact of crops, not on how seeds developed
[Editor's note: Pamela Ronald is a rice geneticist at the University of California Davis.] Many worthy people objected to the production ...
Berkeley professor Zilberman: No, Michael Pollan, Food Evolution movie is not ‘propaganda’
[Editor's note: David Zilberman is a professor of agriculture and resource economics at the University of California Berkeley.] Food Evolution is a ...
With GMO insect-resistant sugarcane approval, Brazilian farmers poised to reap benefits of biotech pipeline
With the approval of Brazil's fourth genetically-engineered crop--insect-resistant sugarcane--Brazil is emerging as the most genetically innovative developing country ...
Opinion: Why the National Organic Program’s funding should be eliminated, not just cut
[Editor's note: Henry Miller is a physician and molecular biologist, and a Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He ...
Monsanto’s hidden influence? Glyphosate’s future in hands of EPA and the courts
Roundup has revolutionized farming. Now, human health and Bayer’s $66 billion deal for Monsanto depend on an honest appraisal of ...
Opinion: Bloomberg journalists botch another anti-Monsanto article
[Editor's note: Hank Campbell is president of the American Council on Science and Health.] Bloomberg Businessweek has written another anti-Monsanto article.... It's ...
Alaskan Sen Murkowski introduces bill to label GMO ‘frankenfish’ salmon that could ‘wreak havoc’
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has introduced new legislation mandating that genetically engineered salmon be so labeled. The Genetically Engineered Salmon ...
Green Line: Why plant scientists need to talk about climate change impacts on farming
[Editor’s note: Kevin Folta is a molecular biologist and chair of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida.] As a molecular ...
Video: Plant defenses turn caterpillar pests into cannibals
If you’re a hungry caterpillar and you’ve got a choice between eating a plant or another caterpillar, which do you ...
New York organic farm group opposes release of genetically engineered moths to rescue brassica crops
A local farming association is criticizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing a permit for the world’s first open-air ...
How Berkeley-led academics conspired with anti-GMO groups to attack Food Evolution movie
Emails show the Pesticide Action Network, Center for Food Safety, and Friends of the Earth helped write and promote a ...
Kevin Folta: ‘Berkeley 45’ has opportunity to rethink ‘activist aided’ attack on Food Evolution movie
[Editor’s note: Kevin Folta is a molecular biologist and chair of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida.] The release of ...
5 ways the food industry can earn consumer trust for gene-edited foods
[Editor's note: Charlie Arnot is CEO of the Center for Food Integrity.] Trust research from The Center for Food Integrity ...
‘Ebola of plants’: Can gene sequencing save tropical food staple cassava from whitefly-borne virus?
Almost a billion people around the world rely on cassava as a staple food. The root vegetable is a versatile ...
Viewpoint: Organic industry faces credibility crisis as USDA investigates ‘phony’ imports
Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, the grocer that brought pricey organic food to the masses, comes during a time of ...
Monoculture: Do intensive farming and GMOs really threaten biodiversity?
Many critics claim GMOs increase the practice of monoculture cropping, but is this accurate? Does intensive farming damage our land ...
Indian agricultural scientist: ‘Gene revolution’ needed to feed growing population
[Editor's note: The following is a Q&A with Vasanth Kumar Thimakapura, an internationally-recognised agriculture scientist and social entrepreneur who runs Green ...
Milk without cows, eggs without chickens? Synthetic biology could lead to more sustainable food
[Editor's note: The following is a Q&A with Swedish bio-hacker Hannes Sjoblad.] Bio-hacking applies technology in innovative ways to modify biological systems ...
Sen. Pat Roberts: ‘Uncertainty and dysfunction have overtaken’ USDA organic program
The far-reaching difficulty that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has in determining whether imported “organic” food meets standards or is ...
How ‘pollinator entrepreneurs’ helped stave off ‘beepocalypse’
[Editor's note: Shawn Regan is a research fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Montana.] Despite ...
