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.
Podcast: Scientists harness gene editing to engineer disease- and climate-resilient wheat
By 2030, Africa will account for 53 percent of the world’s population living in hunger, primarily due to climate change and ...
You are taking Ozempic or Wegovy and aren’t losing weight? 20% of patients are in the same boat. Here’s why
In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of ...
New Scientist viewpoint: We must use genetic technologies now to avert the coming food crisis
There are two monumental problems with the world’s food system. Firstly, hundreds of millions of people can’t afford to buy ...
Republicans wary about RFK’s pledge to ‘wage war against ‘industrial agriculture, industrial meat production, factory farming and chemical based agriculture’
Republican Senators on Capitol Hill ... share their hesitations about [Donald] Trump’s preferred candidate to lead the Department of Health ...
Food tech trends for 2025
Over the past few years, food technology has seen an upsurge in innovation. In areas like precision fermentation and cultivated meat, ...
Lab grown Japanese quail is the latest cell grown food in restaurants
Hongkongers can get their first taste of cultured meat, also known as lab-grown meat, after an Australian food-tech start-up became ...
What can the food sector expect in a Trump administration?
In his first term, Donald Trump rolled back over 100 climate policies and pulled the US out of the Paris ...
From genetics to the generation: What does the future hold for agrifood systems and food culture
Today we stand at the dawn of a new era. The challenges we face now – the climate crisis, biodiversity ...
Do ‘forever chemicals’ impact seafood? The FDA wants to know
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be investigating the presence of “forever chemicals” in seafood, [to understand] how such ...
Urban farming is getting a modern makeover
Urban farming is [getting] a modern makeover thanks to technology. From beautiful gardens on top of tall buildings to sleek ...
How genetics has revolutionized animal breeding
When geneticists talk about genetic information, [they generally refer] to the DNA that makes up our genes. These genes function ...
Health care policy uncertainty has lobbyists up in arms, hope Senate will reject RFK Jr. nomination
Lobbyists expecting a more conventional pick to lead the government’s $3 trillion health agency than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the brash ...
White House report details the state of U.S. biomanufacturing capacity and proposes action by policymakers
The global bioeconomy is projected to expand at a rapid pace in the coming decade due to advancements in key ...
‘Climate change is happening so fast that classical breeding approaches are not enough’ — The case for genetic engineering
“Scientists and engineers want to be ready when new crops are needed,” [Hiroshi] Maeda said. “Of course, we shouldn't push ...
30% more flavorful tomato: Gene editing improves one of the world’s most valuable crops
Rotten tomatoes no more: growing sweeter tomatoes is possible by editing just two of the fruit’s genes. Deleting the genes increased the ...
Viewpoint: Trump’s FDA has a chance to revamp U.S.’s outdated approach to food regulation
One of the lessons from our recent national election is that we are a nation of individuals, not demographics. We change over ...
Will there be an AI agricultural revolution?
The increasing sophistication of agriculture ... has supported an ever-burgeoning population. [T]he projected population collapse of the 20th century was ...
‘It is high time to move beyond baseless anxiety-provoking rhetoric criticizing crop biotechnology’ The European Union falls even further behind the rest of the world
'[T]he current EU regulatory context on GMO’s is a major handicap for European biotechnology innovation. Since 1989, the various European ...
What would the effect on US agriculture be on farm profits and climate change if glyphosate is banned?
What’s a future without glyphosate look like? How about a nearly $2.9 billion drop in net farm income, food inflation ...
How blockchain technology is transforming Indian agriculture in unexpected ways
India’s agricultural sector is grappling with several challenges that hinder efficiency and profitability for farmers. Traditional agricultural supply chains are ...
FAO chief: Gene editing key to protecting traditional foods
The “genetic revolution” in agriculture powered by gene editing can help preserve access to traditional foods in the future, protecting ...
HHS director nominee RFK Jr unlikely to be an strong advocate for American conventional farming
His potential influence over the USDA is unclear following Trump's announcement, but he does appear to have permission from Trump ...
Kenyan High Court rebuffs activist suit to block GMO food imports
The High Court [of Kenya] has dismissed petitions challenging the lifting of the ban on genetically modified (GMO) foods.... Justice ...
With AI, farmers can drastically shorten the timeline it takes to optimize their operations but is resistance to the practice holding them back?
Agriculture has always been a profession steeped in tradition, requiring years of experience to master the nuances of the land ...
As farming becomes more unpredictable, agricultural technology is stepping up to meet the challenge
Today’s farms and other agricultural operations work far differently than those of just a few decades ago, primarily thanks to ...
Citing the precautionary principle, South African high court rescinds approval of drought tolerant GMO corn
South Africa’s Supreme Court delivered a ground-breaking ruling that reversed the approval of [genetically] modified organisms (GMOs), specifically, a drought-resistant ...
99+% pesticide free: While activists claim chemicals soak our fruits and vegetables, USDA provides facts
[T]he U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual Pesticide Data Program report to little fanfare or attention. We’ve said repeatedly ...
