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.
Prepping crops for climate change: Genetics of bloom time may be key
Plants possess molecular mechanisms that prevent them from blooming in winter. Once the cold of winter has passed, they are ...
General Mills angers environmentalists over inclusion of invasive species in ‘save the bees’ seed mix
Environmentalists are buzzing about a new campaign started by General Mills to promote awareness surrounding the world's declining bee population ...
Kenya rejects GMO corn field trials, citing environmental concerns
It will take longer before Kenya conducts open trials on genetically modified (GM) crops after the government said the country ...
Canadian farmers poised to plant GM potatoes for first time
In 2016, no acres in Canada were seeded to J.R. Simplot Company’s genetically engineered first-generation Innate potato lines. But industry ...
Infographic: Explore the future of genetic engineering and food
The first genetically engineered apple, Arctic Apple, a modified variety of Golden Delicious, hit stores in test markets in the ...
Rusty patched bumblebee officially added to endangered species list
[Editor’s note: Read the GLP’s coverage of pollinators here.] The rusty patched bumblebee on Tuesday [March 21, 2017] became the ...
‘Resurrection plants’: Future drought-resistant crops could spring back to life thanks to gene switch
Could harnessing the power of "resurrection plants" - with the ability to survive severe water shortages for years - hold ...
Bananas and many staple crops may be doomed to disease if we cannot biodiversify
[Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from the book "Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want ...
Which GM crops might be embraced by the organic movement — if sustainability matters
[Editor's note: Gerhart Ryffel is a professor at the Institute of Cell Biology, Essen University Hospital in Germany.] Several years ago, I ...
CRISPR crops face regulatory and public acceptance obstacles
[Editor's note: Armin Scheben is a PhD student and David Edwards is a professor at the School of Biological Sciences ...
Future of milk? Genetically engineered yeast could replace cows
The latest new buzzword in food tech? Fermentation. And we’re not talking about the kimchi or kombucha kind. Rather, it’s ...
‘Save the Bees?’ General Mills campaign perpetuates myths about GMOs, pesticides
Watch out – Buzz, the iconic mascot for General Mills’ Honey Nut Cheerios, is going to be missing in action ...
Environmental Working Group’s ‘dirty’ marketing serves ‘big organic’ donors, not consumers
Environmental Working Group's list of 'chemically soaked' fruits and vegetables is unscientific and promotes the false idea that conventional foods ...
Should US spend more on agricultural R&D to make food cheaper, more sustainable?
[Editor's note: Margaret Zeigler is executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, a private-sector voice for productivity growth throughout the agricultural ...
Farms are not like Eden: The case for aggressive human intervention in agriculture
Farming is controlling nature for our own purposes. There is no utopian state. We should stop trying to restore, recover, ...
Should US spend more on agricultural R&D to make food cheaper, more sustainable?
[Editor's note: Margaret Zeigler is executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, a private-sector voice for productivity growth throughout the agricultural ...
Green fears: Why are pro-science liberals less embracing of GMO safety than conservatives?
[Editor’s note: Dan Kahan is a professor of psychology at Yale Law School. This is a follow-up to an earlier blog ...
Palm reading: How genetic, epigenetic scans could boost palm oil yields, reduce environmental footprint
Palm oil is a commodity that generally evokes images of mass deforestation, human-rights violations and dying orangutans. In Indonesia and ...
Should US spend more on agricultural R&D to make food cheaper, more sustainable?
[Editor's note: Margaret Zeigler is executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, a private-sector voice for productivity growth throughout the agricultural ...
Should US spend more on agricultural R&D to make food cheaper, more sustainable?
[Editor's note: Margaret Zeigler is executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, a private-sector voice for productivity growth throughout the agricultural ...
Plants challenged to ‘breath’ because of climate change — This gene tweak could change that
New work from a joint team of plant biologists and ecologists from Carnegie and Stanford University has uncovered the factor ...
Conservatives who trust science more likely to view GMOs as safe than liberal counterparts, survey finds
[Editor's note: Dan Kahan is a professor of psychology at Yale Law School.]Â [I]n 2010, the General Social Survey (GSS)Â asked ...
Organic activists claim organic Ruby Red grapefruits and durum wheat are GMOs in disguise
Last century, a genetic innovation gave a huge boost to agricultural productivity. And, no, it wasn't recombinant DNA. And yes, ...
‘Industrial’ corn: GM variety makes ethanol more energy efficient
Farmers in [North Dakota] will grow an industrial-quality corn specifically designed for the ethanol industry this summer. Corn with the ...
Minnesota lawmakers block legislation to regulate neonicotinoid insecticides
Minnesota lawmakers have derailed legislation to give the state Department of Agriculture authority over seeds treated with insecticide. Seeds treated ...
Understanding innovation’s ‘enemies’: Calestous Juma explores how new technologies can overcome social opposition
[Editor's Note: The following is a review of the book, "Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies"Â by Harvard ...
With pesticide resistance rising, crop scientists look to CRISPR, bacteria for solutions
Resistance to conventional pesticides — among insects, weeds or microbial pathogens — is common on farms worldwide. CropLife International, an ...
