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.
More evidence parasitic Varroa destructor mite poses most serious threat to bee health
[Editor’s note: Karen Rennich is the Project Manager for Bee Informed Partnership and APHIS National Survey, working out of University ...
Nigeria’s biosafety director supports advantages of GMO crops despite criticisms
Despite the criticism that has trailed the used of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, Nigeria’s bio-safety chief has defended the use ...
CRISPR technologies could help ecosystems cope with climate change
Could an ingenious new technology save humanity from its greatest act of planetary self-harm? It may sound like something out ...
Glyphosate herbicide negatively affects soil-friendly bacteria, study shows
Cornell researchers found negative consequences of the weed-killing herbicide glyphosate on pseudomonas, a soil-friendly bacteria [read the full study here] ...
Viewpoint: Self-interest, rather than ignorance, key driver in GMO and climate change rejectionism
GMO opponents and climate change deniers often share a common characteristic -- their actions and decisions are driven by the ...
Plan for farmers in Boulder County forced to transition away from GMO crops stalls
Boulder County open space farmers facing a forced transition away from GMO crops are asking for a time out as ...
Viewpoint: Climate change, pesticides endanger monarch butterfly populations
The life cycle of the monarch hinges on the availability of milkweed, but the prevalence of the herbicide Roundup has ...
Disease-resistant GMO tomato that could eliminate need for copper pesticides blocked by public fears
Field trials have shown that a disease-resistant GMO tomato variety eliminates the need for copper pesticides that pollute soil and ...
Opinions on GMOs less swayed by facts as food becomes synonymous with religion
Personal food preferences aren’t really a rational choice. They’re more like an ideology that’s bordering on a religion. ... Gillian ...
Gene identified for disease resistance in bananas, may stave off ‘bananapocalypse’
For decades, biotech researchers and conventional breeders were foiled in their efforts to bring disease resistance to the Cavendish [banana] ...
For consumers to embrace high-tech meat, producers must address sustainability concerns
Plant-based and cultured meat producers see themselves promoting sustainability, promising healthier options in a world that demands convenience and good ...
Ben and Jerry’s announces organic dairy line in Europe, pledges ‘no glyphosate traces’
Ben & Jerry’s has moved to cut all glyphosate-tainted ingredients from its production chain and introduce an “organic dairy” line ...
Conventional agriculture holds multiple ecological advantages over organic, analysis shows
Conventional farming outperforms organic in several key measures -- particularly crop yield, according to a meta analysis of 164 research ...
Drought-tolerant maize could increase food security in Zimbabwe
A new study from scientists with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) shows that drought tolerant (DT) maize ...
Is climate change to blame for disappearing bumblebees?
[Researchers] have discovered one of the reasons why bumblebees are disappearing – global warming’s effect on flowering times. Scientists at ...
Talking Biotech: Can we fight herbicide-resistant weeds with non-GMO RNAi technology?
Monsanto biochemist Doug Sammons: RNAi technology increases weed sensitivity to targeted herbicides. This could counter the growing problem of glyphosate-resistant ...
Viewpoint: Glyphosate herbicide’s ‘tough year’ could get much worse
Monsanto’s flagship weed killer, Roundup, has had a tough year. And it could get worse. With Roundup at the center ...
Rich people care more about perceived ‘naturalness’, environmental impact than lower-income food buyers
[Editor’s Note: Jayson Lusk is a food and agricultural economist and head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University.] ...
Do GMOs, pesticides cause cancer? The Amish would say ‘no’
Amish farmers may not get cancer as much, but it's not because they don't use pesticides or GMOs. In fact, ...
Crops and chemicals: What does the future hold for GMOs and pesticides?
[Editor's note: The following is a Q&A with Paul Vincelli, a plant pathology professor at the University of Kentucky.] Farmers are ...
Uganda becomes newest country to approve growing of GMO, gene-edited crops
Uganda’s Parliament voted the long-awaited National Biosafety Act of 2017 into law ... ending years of governmental debate over whether ...
Trace amounts of neonicotinoid pesticides found in 75% of honey samples worldwide—’far below’ levels dangerous to humans
A new study has found traces of neonicotinoid chemicals in 75% of honey samples from across the world. The scientists ...
Are ‘free-from’ (gluten, GMO) food labels informative—or misleading?
What could be conceptually simpler than labeling a food product? You tell the customers what’s in the product, or maybe ...
UK environmental groups ramp up effort to ban ‘bee-harming’ neonicotinoids
Environmental group Friends of the Earth has released a YouGov survey showing that over three quarters of the UK public ...
Pass the manure: Organic farming practices increase planet-warming methane emissions
The realization that livestock like cows are ruminants - and produce a lot of methane while chewing - was a ...
Guided evolution of wheat and other grains could feed growing population
Can we breed wheat and other cereal grains with the ability to fertilize themselves? Researchers report promising results that could ...
GMO seeds could be critical for extended space travel, colonization
If we hope to colonize space, scientists must figure out how to feed astronauts on journeys that could last years ...
