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.
Farmer’s viewpoint: BBC and other British media ‘continue to falsely imply that genetic engineering remains highly controversial and uncertain’
Phil Lodge, who farms on the outskirts of Doncaster, explained his reasons for taking part in the GM crop trials: ...
Viewpoint: Aspirational India — Embracing genetic modification in agriculture key to country’s ‘nutritional security’
India has made stupendous strides in becoming self-sufficient in food, primarily driven by technological investments during the green revolution. Using ...
Risk, hazard and the precautionary principle: Why Europe gets crop biotechnology and chemical regulation so wrong
David Zaruk, Founder of GreenFacts, Environmental-Health Risk Governance Analyst, Professor at Odisee University College | July 24, 2018 Highlights: European ...
Viewpoint: Technology hypocrites? Greenpeace is far less ecological than it claims
In July 2022, Greenpeace leaders deplored the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the European green taxonomy (this new classification ...
‘Without major changes to agriculture, government targets for mitigating climate change are at risk’, scientists warn
For decades, scientists have pursued a tantalizing possibility for bolstering food supplies and easing hunger for the world’s poorest: improving ...
Hundreds of companies now making plant-based proteins, from beef to chicken to seafood. Here is what’s on the platter
Imagination is a wonderful thing. It is even more incredible when you can realize your dreams. Did you ever think ...
Better seeds and biotechnology can boost Africa’s crop productivity, study finds
Though Africa has a quarter of the world’s arable land, its crop productivity falls well below the world average, particularly in ...
Viewpoint: Will late blight-proof GMO potatoes ever make it to Africa? Not if anti-biotech activists succeed in their scare campaigns
Despite increased potato production and high-yield potential, yields in developing countries have not reached their full potential. Smallholder farmers often ...
In defense of meat: A sustainability and climate argument
The number of carbon atoms returned to the atmosphere from beef farming is less than that removed by grass growth ...
Is any agriculture method ‘ecologically sustainable’? A biologist’s perspective
If we define “ecological” as that act or activity that is carried out without causing a negative impact on the ...
The politics of wheat: As agriculture becomes a weapon of war, biotechnology emerges as a strategic tool for the West
Is the world facing “a potential mass starvation event” due to the war in Ukraine? It is starting to look ...
‘Difficult if not impossible’: Why US organic standards fail farmers and consumers
Many U.S. consumers swear by organic foods but are unaware of the history, principles, and regulations behind the NOP. Read on ...
CRISPR gene-edited rice could help soil bacteria produce nitrogen fertilizer. Here’s how it works
Researchers have used CRISPR to engineer rice that encourages soil bacteria to fix nitrogen, which is required for their growth ...
Video: Lessons from Sri Lanka — Embracing organic farming methods from the 19th century collapsed an entire economy
Whether it's agriculture or industry, production systems will never go back to the past. Sri Lanka, the small island country, ...
Viewpoint: GM vs organic crops — How to feed the world without destroying it
There are more and more people in the world who are getting richer and are therefore eating more and more ...
Viewpoint: Great Green Leap… backwards — Europe’s ideological obsession with old solutions
I have too often warned that Western affluence and prosperity can disappear in a heartbeat through irrational policies. Europe has ...
Viewpoint: Ordinary African farmers should not be blocked from technologically-advanced agricultural solutions helping the rest of the world
Besides the long drought making food production difficult there are crop pests and diseases that are steadily wiping out staple ...
Kenyan farming experts urge permanent lift of GM ban to address animal feed shortage
Punitive local tax regimes, technical restrictions, challenges in access to foreign currency and logistics disruptions — most of these exacerbated ...
Viewpoint: ‘We need to reduce imports’ — Colombian food security proponents urge expanding GMO crops to reach food sovereignity goal
During his inaugural speech, President Gustavo Petro stated that “Colombia is a country that must and can enjoy food sovereignty ...
Dutch farmer viewpoint: ‘Green activists want to destroy the ability of farms to produce high-quality, abundant, clean, and inexpensive food’
Over the past few months, thousands of Dutch farmers have blocked highways and staged protests. Hundreds have been arrested, and ...
Europe’s climate change-induced droughts endanger food security, spur calls to embrace biotechnology and other sustainable measures
The scientific community has preferably dealt with studying drought in regions or countries ( Sahel , Horn of Africa, South Africa, Australia...) ...
Glyphosate re-approved for Sri Lanka import as country attempts to recover from failed organic-only experiment
The Finance Ministry has lifted the import ban on the popular weedicide glyphosate with effect from August 5 while allowing ...
Gene-edited rice can naturally fix nitrogen in the soil, vastly reducing the need for chemical fertilizers
Renowned botanist Eduardo Blumwald, professor at the University of California, and his team have found a new way to give cereal crops ...
Analysis: Assessing sustainable food production — Certifications like ‘organic’ tell us very little. It’s time to shift focus to outcomes
In 80 years—during which our knowledge of farming’s environmental impacts has grown profoundly—the federal government’s basic approach to agricultural sustainability ...
Investigation Part II: Fraudulently marketing ‘organic food’ offers huge illegal rewards for growers
Over the roughly six years Anderson bought conventionally grown grain and fraudulently sold it as organic at a huge profit, ...
Investigation Part I: Growing fraud threatens trust in organic food industry, says South Dakota News
Kent Duane Anderson of Belle Fourche made $71 million in fraudulent income by selling thousands of tons of conventionally grown ...
Viewpoint: ‘Regenerative agriculture’ could lead the way in feeding the world — but to fulfill its potential it needs to embrace biotechnology
The use of technology - such as AI - in regenerative agriculture is key. Biotech is also increasingly creating potential ...
