In 2022 and 2023, two papers analyzing the intersection of genetic engineering and disinformation were published. Neither were in very high-impact journals and neither made a huge impact on social media. But for people watching the evolution of GMO regulation and acceptance, it was time to bring out the popcorn.

Ten years ago the biotech world froze and horrific images of three tumor-ridden rats penetrated the media. Social media erupted with messages of fear, and anti-biotech activists celebrated the scientific publication that conclusively linked biotech crops and an associated herbicide to cancer and early death.

Consumers in the United States are generally favorable to the use of gene editing in agriculture, a new survey by the Alliance for Science and Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research finds.

Scientific innovator Maci Mueller is using gene editing to revolutionize the way that ranchers and dairy farmers perpetuate their herds.

rowing genetically modified (GM) corn has virtually no impact on the abundance or ecological function of beneficial insects, according to an extensive review of existing research. And it is far less harmful to non-target organisms than growing corn through conventional methods, where insecticides are used to fight off pests that can destroy the crop, the … Read more

frica must update its regulations to accommodate the gene-edited crops needed to sustainably intensify agriculture to feed the continent’s growing population, a new study says. “Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa is essential for accomplishing food and nutritional security and addressing the rising concerns of climate change,” write the authors of a review article published [May … Read more

xitec Ltd. will soon begin field tests of its genetically modified self-limiting mosquitoes in Mesoamerica and the Horn of Africa in an effort to slow the spread of malaria. The research is supported by $18 million in new funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which also funds the Alliance for Science. The field trials are … Read more

MOs have been unfairly stigmatized, haven’t they?” Thus spoke a man in his 30s, a sympathetic expression on his face, as he took a bite of genetically modified papaya and listened to our story about how they saved Hawaii’s smallholder farmers from the devastation of the ringspot virus. Variations on his comment were echoed by … Read more

Although nearly three decades have passed since genetically modified crops (so-called ‘GMOs’) were widely commercialized, vociferous debate remains about the use of biotechnology in agriculture, despite a worldwide scientific consensus on their safety and utility. This study analyzes the volume and tenor of the GMO conversation as it played out on social and traditional media … Read more

s the only state that produces coffee, including the iconic Kona variety, Hawaii growers and agricultural officials were alarmed when coffee leaf rust began spreading rapidly through the Islands. The devastating plant fungus, which reduces yields and harms coffee trees by attacking the plant’s leaves, was first detected on the islands of Maui and Hawaii in … Read more