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.
Activists claim WHO glyphosate reassessment “nail in coffin’ to glyphosate and GMOs
Could it be that the World Health Organisation's classification of glyphosate as a 'probable carcinogen' (Glyphosate 'Probably Carcinogenic to Humans' ...
280 global science organizations affirm consensus for GMO food and crop safety
Currently there is a social and political controversy about the safety of of foods produced from genetically modified (GM) crops, ...
Why Illinois’ proposed GMO-labeling law ‘has no teeth’
In her May 31 guest commentary ("Do you know what's in your food?"), St. Xavier University assistant professor Tatiana C ...
France bans glyphosate sales at garden centers
France has announced a ban on over the counter sales of a brand of weedkiller from garden centres after the ...
Should we phase out bee-killing pesticides in our food system?
We love our bees. They make honey and pollinate our flowers and crops. But bees are dying at an alarming ...
Cheese playing increasingly ‘divisive role’ in GMO labeling debate
Today, it is estimated that 80—90 percent of cheese in the U.S. and UK is made using Fermentation-Produced Chymosin (FPC). The GMO-derived enzyme has ...
Farmers need to regain control of seeds, public plant breeding research
During last year’s Farm Bill debate, Sen. Jon Tester introduced an amendment to clarify a proposal from the previous Farm ...
Vani Hari and Kavin Senapathy debate which is better—Organic or GMOs?
Are genetically modified foods necessary to feed the world's growing population and organic foods just too expensive and gimmicky? Or ...
Better question than GMO debate: Are global crops genetically diverse enough?
The highly polarized GM debate too often devolves into good vs. evil, or corporate vs. small and organic farmers. The ...
CRISPR gene editing used to genetically modify trees to protect their health
Researchers at the University of Georgia have used a gene editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas9 to modify the genome of ...
Ontario to phase out neonics use to improve bee health
Ontario is moving to take the sting out of pesticides that are killing bees. On July 1, the province will ...
Organic farming nets higher income than conventional farming, despite lower yields
According to a study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), organic agriculture earns farmers ...
Genome editing preemptively fights disease in African cattle
Animal diseases cost cash-strapped African farmers about $300 billion a year in lost income and veterinary bills. Now scientists are ...
African indigenous vegetables are genetic treasure trove of nutrition, hardiness
In Nairobi, indigenous vegetables were once sold almost exclusively at hard-to-find specialized markets; and although these plants have been favoured ...
Genetically modified rice could help address China’s smog problems
Chinese scientists have found a way to change the genetic make-up of a popular species of rice, a move they ...
Synbio technology’s potential benefits for food, medicine come with safety implications
Irene Mendoza and David Gillum from ASU’s Environmental Health and Safety Office were featured speakers at the June 3-6 Asociación ...
GM crops: One divisive issue that stands in way of US-EU free trade deal
Food safety is a major stumbling block in EU-U.S. talks aimed at creating the world's biggest free trade zone. The ...
Anti-GMO ecology activists reject BBC’s Panorama portraying them as ‘fear mongers’
The pro-GM bias of the BBC was plain to see during Monday's (8th June) Panorama programme 'GM Food - Cultivating ...
How GM labeling could bankrupt small Vermont dairy farm
As a farmer in Vermont, I'm worried that a senseless food label will ultimately put our family farm out of ...
Tanzania removes GM research obstacles for scientists
The Tanzanian government has removed the strict liability clause in the Environmental Management (Biosafety) Regulations of 2009 to enable researchers conduct ...
Breeding barley for antioxidants could make healthier, longer lasting pita bread
Healthier and longer lasting pita bread may be the outcome of barley research underway at the University of Adelaide's Waite ...
Bee breeders select genetic qualities that help colonies stave off varroa mites
The plight of the threatened honeybee was made a national priority last month when President Obama announced the first National ...
Floating farms: New take on old tech to feed world?
The global population looks likely to hit 9.6 billion by 2050. To meet the hungry demands of so many, food ...
Monsanto suggests new UK headquarters, new name to lure Syngenta to accept merger deal
Monsanto, the U.S. seed and agrochemicals group known for its genetically modified crops, wants to switch its headquarters from the ...
How science of GMOs can refine our environmental values
Many humans care deeply for the environment, and I really appreciate that sentiment. In order for us to have the ...
GMO ban in Oregon county in effect, but officials say they aren’t enforcing it
Saturday is the first day people in Jackson County, Oregon, can alert county officials about violations of the ban on ...
Why we need a ‘dispassionate’ look at GMOs
Despite myriad assurances from scientists that foods containing genetically modified ingredients are safe to eat, consumers are likely to see ...
