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.
Spain cuts pesticide use, saves millions of euros by adopting GM corn
The adoption of genetically modified Bt corn in Spain--one of the few European Union countries to embrace GM technology--has allowed ...
Hawai’i island mayor signs anti-GMO Bill 113
Mayor Billy Kenoi of Hawaii’s Big Island has signed Bill 113, a law designed to severely restrict the future planting ...
Farmed salmon company links with environmental activists to push for GM salmon label
In response to the possible approval of a genetically modified salmon, an environmental group and a seafood company are asking ...
China rejects another GM corn shipment from US; possible move to boost domestic prices
China has rejected five more shipments of not-yet approved GM corn from the US, a move that could “discourage imports ...
Survey shows Floridians support genetic modification to save citrus industry
Floridians support the use of genetic modification to save the state’s citrus industry, according to recent research by the Center ...
Maui in crosshairs as anti-GMO activists propose pesticide, GM crop disclosure bill
Maui Councilwoman Ellie Cochran has proposed a bill similar to Kauai’s Bill 2491 that calls for mandatory disclosure of pesticide ...
Small scale African farmers reap benefits of genetically modified cotton
Cotton yields in Burkina Faso, one of the few African countries that allow the cultivation of genetically modified crops, have ...
Agricultural companies on Kaua’i begin voluntary pesticide-use disclosure program
For the last two weeks, agricultural companies on Kauai have been rolling out the new Good Neighbor Program, a voluntary ...
New rice strain could ‘dramatically’ increase yields
Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute have bred a strain of rice that could dramatically increase yields. The long-grain ...
For the first time, developing countries producing more GM crops than developed world
This year, for the first time in the 20 years that genetically modified crops have been available, farmers in developing ...
Kenyan scientists call on government to lift ban on GMOs after retraction of Séralini study
In response to the retraction of a study allegedly showing that consuming genetically modified corn causes tumor growth in rats, ...
Marion Nestle: Food and Chemical Toxicology bungled Séralini paper retraction
The editors of the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology are at fault in the controversy involving the retraction of Gilles-Éric Séralini's ...
Agricultural industry willing to compromise in GMO labeling battle
To avoid future costly state battles, agricultural corporations have said that they are open to a national labeling standard for ...
Improved soybean yields a result of genetic advances
Since 1924, soybean yields in the US have increased annually 0.34 bushels per acre nationally, according to a study by ...
Anti-GMO activists stuck in the ‘Dark Ages’ when considering biotechnology
“Technology is changing the way we do just about everything, and by all accounts we can’t get enough of it…until ...
Rejection of GMOs ‘a major failing’ of environmental activism
“It took me 10 years to really understand that the science wasn’t supporting what we activists were saying [about genetically ...
Local farmers must do their part to stand up to anti-GMO activists
It’s up to local farmers—the silent majority—to stand up to anti-GMO activists in Hawaii, writes Joni Kamiya, author of the ...
View from New Zealand: How the Séralini GMO rat study made suckers of so many people
When a study by French scientist Gilles-Éric Séralini came out last year allegedly showing that rats that ate genetically modified ...
Hawaii County’s anti-GMO bill 113 passed too quickly, without consideration of unintended consequences
Hawaii Island’s anti-GMO bill 113 was pushed through Hawaii County Council too quickly, writes farmer Richard Ha. It shouldn't be ...
Rejection of shipment of American GM corn in China an ‘isolated incident’
China recently rejected a 60,000 ton shipment of genetically modified corn from the US because the particular strain was not ...
Anti-GMO industry launches demonization tour
In response to the impending approval of the genetically modified Arctic Apple, an anti-GMO group-sponsored speaking tour began its 32-city ...
Fruit growers warn GM Arctic Apple could damage fruit’s image, hurt sales
When he started work on the genetically modified Arctic Apple fifteen years ago, President and Founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, ...
Monsanto confronts devilish public image problem with public outreach efforts
Monsanto and other large agricultural companies are attempting to turn their public image around with greater transparency and increased dialogue ...
LA Times editorial: Local ban on GMOs would not be productive, useful
A local ban on genetically modified crops and seeds in the city of Los Angeles doesn't make sense, writes the LA Times editorial ...
Analysis of Séralini data shows why the botched GMO rat study was retracted
According to PZ Myers,associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota Morris, the GMO rat study published more than ...
Food and Chemical Toxicology’s bungled handling of Séralini publication fiasco permanently damaged biotech movement
The apology from Food and Chemical Toxicology over its handling of French scientist Gilles-Éric Séralini’s now retracted paper purportedly showing ...
Despite controversial claims, RNA in genetically modified food does not affect human genes
Can RNA from a strain of genetically modified wheat silence human DNA? This recent question on GMO Answers, an industry-run ...
