Andrew Porterfield
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 ...
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 ...
Let’s say we can force the mosquito into extinction — should we do it?
Not many people like mosquitoes. So why not eliminate them? Newer techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing may make this possible ...
Are GMO critics more open to gene editing that targets plant and human diseases?
The early generations of transgenic plants focused primarily on increasing productivity, either by reducing pest damage or increasing yields by ...
Using gene editing to control forest fires? It could be a reality if anti-biotechnology activists don’t block it
The American west has experienced devastating wildfires in recent years; while the number of fires has decreased a little over ...
After successful demonization campaign against herbicide glyphosate, anti-GMO activists and environmental groups take aim at atrazine
In July, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued an extensive report that reviewed decades of science and declared that a ...
Costs and benefits need to be assessed in weighing bans on glyphosate and neonicotinoids
The continuing debates over whether the herbicide glyphosate or the insecticide class of neonicotinoids (neonics) could—or should—remain available for farmers ...
Sustainability advantage: ‘High-yield’ intensive agriculture outpaces organic farming, large study shows
Opposition to “high-yield” agriculture has taken many forms: Accusations of corporate takeover of the idealized family farm; preference for organic ...
GMO wine: Are we ready for it?
Genetic modification of grapes could help wine growers deal with a range of challenges -- if they can be convinced ...
Viewpoint: No, wild bees haven’t been decimated by neonicotinoids, glyphosate
Bees and pesticides (and not just insecticides) have been the focus of activists and scientists alike, particularly since a 2006-2008 ...
Predictability: Why there’s no reason to be looking for ‘unexpected surprises’ in GMO breeding
There's a big difference between "unintended" and "unexpected" effects from genetics and breeding, and regulators are looking for the wrong ...
How genetics could help agroecology—the science, not the political movement
Agroecology isn’t rocket science So wrote Daniel Moss, head of the AgroEcology Fund, and Mark Bittman, former food columnist, in ...
Can CRISPR help us stop wasting so much food?
CRISPR. It’s not what’s for dinner. Not yet, at least. But the hot genetic editing technology could be instrumental in ...
Celiac disease: What’s behind the surge in diagnoses?
A few years ago, the book “Wheat Belly” became a hit, as it pointed to new “scientifically engineered” strains of ...
