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.
Nigeria rejects $10 million worth of unapproved GMO corn imported from Argentina
Nigeria’s National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) says it has, in conjunction with the Customs Service, ordered that the genetically modified ...
Viewpoint: Blame activist social media for Europe’s anti-science crusade against glyphosate
[Editor's note: Richard Hackett is an Agronomist based in North County Dublin, Ireland.] [A]ccess to abundant food has led to complacency ...
Nanotechnology might help farmers fight climate change, pests and disease–and boost yields
Researchers are exploring the impact of using nanoscale nutrients––including copper––on eggplants and other crops. While early results have shown substantial ...
What’s a ‘GMO’ food?
[W]hat exactly is a GMO? The initialism stands for "genetically modified organism," but it's a term lacking scientific precision. Moreover, ...
Genes associated with improved photosynthesis could double crop yields, suck more CO2 out of atmosphere
Scientists from Wageningen University & Research have found natural genetic variation for photosynthesis in plants and are unravelling it to ...
Viewpoint: From Non-GMO to gluten-free, ‘fake transparency’ in food labeling offers little but higher prices
At what point does food labeling become less about transparency and more about marketing strategy? A new federal law mandating ...
Crop armor: Genetic modification to protect plants from drought, climate change
An army of scientists is hard at work to understand how plants sense, defend and adapt to harsh environments. ...
What’s next in the long, heated battle over bees and neonicotinoid insecticides?
[S]tudies showing real-world evidence of harm from pesticides in the field have been mounting — and environmental organizations have demanded ...
Small artisanal farms might not be our environmental salvation
[Cricket flour] was the first note of a dinner set up by the Breakthrough Institute, a pro-technology environmental think tank, in order ...
How glyphosate became the world’s most popular weedkiller
Since it was introduced in the United States in 1974 by pesticides and seed maker Monsanto as Roundup, the use ...
Neonicotinoid, chlorpyrifos insecticides impact bird migration, study finds
"Studies on the risks of neonicotinoids have often focused on bees that have been experiencing population declines. However, it is ...
Omega-3 fish oil from a plant? GMO camelina could offer sustainable alternative
The distant relative of rapeseed could solve one of the problems faced by fish farms -- growing fish with the ...
Talking Biotech: TALEN gene editing to make more nutritious food crops
Calyxt's Dan Voytas: Using TALEN gene editing to create soybeans with healthier oil, high fiber wheat and canola with lower ...
NGO opposition to GMO, gene-edited crops not rooted in emotion and dogma, research suggests
In 2016, 107 Nobel Laureates signed an open letter calling on Greenpeace to desist from campaigning against agricultural biotechnology and ...
UK backs complete EU ban of neonicotinoid insecticides, citing harm to pollinators
The UK will back a total ban on insect-harming pesticides in fields across Europe, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has ...
Stalemate continues: EU fails to agree on glyphosate herbicide renewal as deadline looms
An EU vote has failed to resolve a controversy over the use of glyphosate, the world's biggest-selling weedkiller. ... The ...
Organic farmer’s plea for a better relationship between organic, conventional farming
An organic farmer speaks out on the similarities between conventional and organic--and the benefits farmers can receive from using both ...
‘We are those farmers’: Why you shouldn’t villainize farmers who use GMOs—or the food they grow
[Editor's note: Kate Lambert and her husband grow corn and soybeans in Brookfield, Mo.] We are those farmers they want you ...
Could the Arctic Apple be the beginning of a new wave of consumer-oriented GMO foods?
This month, bags of sliced apples will hit grocery-store shelves in the midwestern United States for the first time. Shoppers ...
Buying local, organic food won’t shrink your carbon footprint—but here’s what can
If you're paying more for local and organic groceries because you care about the environment, here's some bad news: science ...
Scientists warn EU policymakers that farm pesticides could be to blame for insect declines
A recent study showed a 75% decline in Germany’s insect population over a period of almost 30 years but the European Crop ...
Viewpoint: After Christopher Wild departure, next IARC chief must fix ‘beleaguered’ agency
With the sudden departure of IARC head Christopher Wild, here's a wish list put together by David Zaruk, who offers ...
Sequenced potato genomes could speed development of disease-resistant varieties
Examining the ancestors of the modern, North American cultivated potato has revealed a set of common genes and important genetic ...
Ecological Armageddon? Scientists criticize media coverage of insect study that raised questions about farm pesticide use
Results of a study of insects in protected areas across Germany earned dramatic headlines warning of "ecological Armageddon". ... [T]he ...
USDA scraps overhaul of GMO and gene edited crop regulations that biotech advocates viewed as ‘unscientific’
The Trump administration withdrew a proposed USDA rule change made by the Obama administration that would have been the first ...
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 ...
