Andrew Porterfield
Roundup glyphosate weedkiller responsible for the decline in Monarch butterflies? Media and advocacy groups badly misreport study
News reporting at its best should be nuanced. There are rarely 'black hats' and 'white hats' when it comes to ...
Pesticide hypocrisy? EU edges toward banning glyphosate after finding it safe but clears organic copper sulfate after finding it a ‘public health and environment concern’
Of all the elements the EU considers in ag regulations, science gets the shortest shrift ...
Viewpoint: Glyphosate-tainted hummus? Environmental Working Group’s latest pesticide scare short on facts
In the wake of a highly publicized legal settlement between Bayer, owner of former glyphosate-maker Monsanto, and lawyers representing plaintiffs ...
Organic fungicide copper sulfate endangers humans, animals and insects
Organic farming is not chemical free. Copper sulfate is a popular one. How does it work and how does it ...
Viewpoint: Blame the coronavirus on ‘industrial agriculture’? We need more, not less of it to stave off the next viral pandemic
An internet meme is circulating worldwide in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic: “Every disaster starts with a scientist being ...
Assessing coronavirus media coverage: Too late, too alarmist, and too much censorship
Few Western media outlets are getting this one right ...
Gene drives could revolutionize how we deal with pests—if the technology avoids the controversial fate of GMOs
In addition to research and laboratory ethics, gene drive proponents need to focus on public perception ...
Will CRISPR’s promise force the organic industry to reconsider its opposition to gene-edited crops?
In addition to better nutrition, CRISPR can produce foods with fewer 'inputs' than conventional and organic foods ...
Do vaccines contain glyphosate? Anti-GMO claim requires ‘very unlikely scenario’
Many GMO critics believe that vaccines are contaminated with glyphosate. A look at how vaccines are made and how glyphosate ...
Oxitec’s GMO mosquitoes spread their genes in the wild? Separating science from hype after controversial new study
Did the mosquito experiment go wrong? ...
Viewpoint: Public supports CRISPR, gene drives to battle infectious disease, plant pests—despite activist opposition
Consumers are less wary of biotechnology when they know how it's being deployed ...
Education, politics, religion may have no impact on our acceptance of GMOs
A study examining the public's 2006 views on GMOs offers a glimpse into the evolution of the ongoing debate over ...
CRISPR breathing new life into wheat and other crops—can it avoid GMO controversy?
The food industry is hopeful the new gene-editing technology can help create new crop variants without running into the activist ...
Milkweed: Mother’s milk for monarch butterflies, but yield-robbing weed for farmers
Can we encourage a resurgence in butterfly-friendly milkweed populations without making farming even more challenging? ...
Quest to reduce greenhouse gases needs modern farming techniques, including use of GMOs, not organics, research shows
Modern farming has "uncoupled" itself from greenhouse gas output -- using new technologies, including genetic engineering, to boost crop yields ...
Monsanto and ‘Big Ag’ strangle American farming? Sanders, Warren likely to attack conventional agriculture, promote organics at Democratic debates
This week's opening round of debates threatens to fall shockingly short on science ...
Why GMOs aren’t responsible for a spike in food allergies
What's behind the rise in food allergies? There are a lot of possible answers to this, but it's probably not ...
Mad genius and genes: Are highly creative people more likely to suffer mental illness?
The idea of the "creative madman" (or woman) has persisted throughout history with Vincent Van Gogh as Exhibit A. Science ...
Why the ‘chemical free’ organic industry has a ‘pesticide problem’
The organic label is often touted as meaning "pesticide free" and has become a rallying cry for anti-GMO activists. But ...
Does Big Ag control farmers through seeds patents? Farmers don’t think so.
Farmers have a wide range of choices for seeds, including conventional and GMO. And most, for economic and performance rather ...
‘Regenerative’ is the new buzz word in agriculture. Does the sustainability hype match reality?
The goal should be sustainability, not trying to advance an ideology ...
Viewpoint: Politico veers again into pseudoscience and politics with another misleading glyphosate infographic
Once again, a website known for its political coverage proves itself unable to report on science-related issues ...
Pseudo-science alert: For $9,500, Politico provides disinformation about crop biotechnology, GMOs and pesticides
When Politico strays from politics into agricultural biotech, its naiveté and lack of science expertise shows through ...
Using genetic engineering to turn annual crops into perennials could bolster global food production
One of the ways we could increase yields--and improve sustainability--would be to convert key grain crops into perennials, allowing them ...
From a sustainability perspective, GMO AquaBounty salmon should be a ‘dream come true’. Why do environmentalists oppose it?
The flip-flop by Food and Water Watch and other advocacy groups rests not on environmental or science-based concerns but on ...
Why neonicotinoid pesticides don’t deserve a ‘deadly to bees’ label
While some activists blame the popular class of pesticides for bee deaths, research suggests there are many contributing factors. And ...
How much can we blame our genes for addictive behavior?
Of all the people who try alcohol or illegal drugs, only 10 to 20 percent get addicted. No single gene ...
Can genetic engineering deliver a natural microbial fertilizer for crops?
At the turn of the previous century, German scientists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch got all the credit for finding ...
