Daily Food & Ag Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of agricultural and food issues, including the GMO debate, conventional and organic farming, regulations, new breeding technologies and sustainability. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
After centuries of failed attempts at breeding a blue rose, biotechnology does the trick
For centuries, gardeners have attempted to breed blue roses with no success. But now, thanks to modern biotechnology, the elusive ...
First ever gene-edited wheat that produces high fiber flour could hit the market by 2020
[The biotech firm Calyxt] has completed the inaugural harvest of its high-fiber wheat product, the world’s first gene-edited, consumer-focused wheat ...
Viewpoint: If Nigeria wants sustainable agriculture, leaders must embrace biotech crops
World over and in various countries around the world there are laws to checkmate whatever one may think of. There ...
Drought resistance gene could help corn, soy crops survive Argentina’s scorching temperatures
The fertile grasslands of Argentina produce food for hundreds of millions around the world, and they have the potential to ...
Viewpoint: Vodka is a known carcinogen. Who cares if Smirnoff makes it GMO-free?
Is there any marketing scheme more dishonest than the promotion of an alcoholic beverage as non-GMO? Smirnoff, which claims to ...
Billionaires and Bacteria are Racing to Save Us From Death by Fertilizer
It was January 15, 1881, and the U.S. envoy to Peru had to duck for cover .... Chile had invaded Peru ...
Synthetic, animal-free collagen could produce candy, shampoo and lotions of the future
Geltor, based in San Leandro, California, produces the protein collagen without animals. Collagen is found in a variety of foods, ...
Glyphosate-cancer case appeal: Judge inclined to set aside $250 million of damages, order new trial
Bayer AG won a tentative ruling slashing the lion’s share of a $289 million verdict in the first trial over claims ...
Viewpoint: Roundup is a ‘timid cousin’ of dangerous pesticides, and a blessing to agriculture
The public has found its witch to burn. Glyphosate — or, colloquially, Roundup — is shackled to the stake in ...
We could visit Mars within a decade—and grow food when we get there
A visit to Mars is almost guaranteed within the next decade or so .... And long-term occupation may not be ...
Biofortified wheat variety could help stem nutrient deficiency in Africa, Asia
Nutrient deficiency in one’s diet is a common problem around the world, where different populations may lack a sufficient source ...
UC Davis animal geneticist Alison Van Eenennaam: The science advocate anti-GMO groups love to hate
In the contentious arena of livestock breeding and biotechnology, Dr. Alison L. Van Eenennaam has emerged as a tireless advocate for getting ...
Beet production drops, plant diseases threaten comeback following EU’s neonicotinoid ban, farmers say
Two weeks after Acor started the new beet reception campaign at the milling plant in Olmedo (Valladolid), field inspections continue ...
Chipotle on defensive in suit claiming it falsely advertised its food is non-GMO
The fast-casual restaurant chain [Chipotle] that promises “food with integrity” was just informed its marketing campaign is without integrity. U.S ...
Why organic apple farmers spray their trees with insecticides 32 times on average during each growing season
A lot of people buy organic foods because they believe organic means free from chemicals and pesticides. But the truth ...
Viewpoint: Political ‘horse-trading’ at U.N. threatens sensible GMO, gene editing crop regulation
[T]he U.N.’s agencies, programs, commissions and international agreements have a dismal record of accomplishment, especially while acting as the world’s regulator-wannabe for ...
Ex-Reuters reporter Carey Gillam: Anti-Monsanto crusader or obsessed anti-GMO activist?
[Carey Gillam] the longtime reporter, who now works for a consumer advocacy group, is pegged by her detractors as an activist at ...
Environmental groups ‘hijack’ bee death narrative to push political agenda, citrus farmer says
As we enter the fall months, it is safe to say the 2017-18 California citrus crop year was a success ...
Controversy emerges over proposed bill blocking local preemption of federal pesticide regulations
In the past three years, Irvine went from treating its parks .... with more than .... 60 gallons of synthetic ...
Viewpoint: Demand for non-GMO food suggests consumers want ‘easy’ answers to nutrition and health
Have you been grocery shopping lately? If so, it probably won’t come as much of a surprise that so-called “free-from” ...
Mexico’s new science minister fiercely skeptical of GMO crops and new breeding techniques
In early June, evolutionary developmental biologist Elena Álvarez-Buylla received an out-of-the-blue phone call from the campaign of Andrés Manuel López ...
Pentagon DARPA program targeting crop losses could turn insects into ‘easily weaponized’ biological army, critics claim
The Pentagon is studying whether insects can be enlisted to combat crop loss during agricultural emergencies. The bugs would carry ...
Organic trade group suit challenging Trump’s withdrawal of animal guidelines will go forward
A ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia will allow a lawsuit by the Organic Trade ...
Video: Meet the gene-edited cows that could revolutionize beef production
On July 14, 2018 Genzelle, an Angus calf genetically engineered to withstand Brazil's high summer temperatures, was born. Cows like ...
Why are all Roundup-cancer lawsuits filed in the US?
The unique conditions present in the U.S. led to the filing of more than 8,000 court claims alleging the use ...
Nigeria green lights field trials of disease-resistant GMO staple crops
The Federal Government has granted permits for confined field trials on genetically modified maize, rice, cassava, sorghum and cowpea to ...
Viewpoint: Experts must ‘shut down’ junk science on social media before it causes real damage
[A] new study by the Pew Research Center found over two out of three Americans (68 percent) now get at least some ...
