crops
New biotech crop-breeding technologies struggle for traction across much of Africa
"Multinational companies from the developed world don’t want any scientific progress going on in Africa," says Ugandan researcher ...
Ugandan researchers look to biotechnology to bolster food production in the face of climate change
As the impact of climate change continues to grow worldwide, farmers are likely to face new challenges in the form ...
Pentagon DARPA program targeting crop losses could turn insects into ‘easily weaponized’ biological army, critics claim
The Pentagon is studying whether insects can be enlisted to combat crop loss during agricultural emergencies. The bugs would carry ...
Opportunity lost: Has Uganda paid a price for not embracing GMOs, biotechnology?
It has been more than two decades since the commercial introduction of GMO crops. They have delivered a range of ...
USDA reveals plans to regulate GM plants based on traits, not breeding method
USDA's Sid Abel and Doug McKalip just briefed me on the new regulatory framework that is shaping up for the ...
Viewpoint: Nigeria must rely on science to find its way through the GMO debate
The global evolution in science has lead to the emergence and adoption of agricultural biotechnology in some parts of the ...
CRISPR-edited seeds ‘personalized’ for individual farms could boost worldwide food production
The seeds farmers plant in their fields can carry certain desirable traits, such as drought tolerance or pest resistance. Breeding ...
Uganda’s scientists strive to use biotechnology to solve agricultural, health and environmental challenges
It is morning time, we are in a hotel based at the center of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, ...
Agricultural biotechnologies that improved safety, yields, food security in developing nations
This is the third in a three-part series making the case that the development of the biotech traits for insect ...
Delving into the GMO traits that cut back pesticide impacts globally
This is the second in a three-part series making the case that the development of the biotech traits for insect ...
Let’s recognize Roundup Ready and Bt crops as major contributions to sustainable farming
This is the first in a three-part series making the case that the development of biotech traits for insect resistance ...
Viewpoint: Why the USDA decided not to over-regulate CRISPR crops—and what it means for agriculture’s future
On 28 March, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that “USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could ...
Viewpoint: Will the crop biotechnology revolution pass Nigeria by?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating a new era, fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds. Breakthroughs in different fields ...
How ‘open source’ seed producers from the US to India are changing global food production
Around the world, plant breeders are resisting what they see as corporate control of the food supply by making seeds ...
Why a global decline in genetic crop variety matters for the future of food
Preserving the genetic diversity of edible plants could help us develop new crop varieties, with useful traits such as drought ...
Myth busting: Do farmers ‘drench, douse or slather’ crops in pesticides?
One common belief about modern farming is that farmers use pesticides in excess on their crops. A plant scientist explains ...
Talking Biotech: Soil-worm resistant GMO crops in Africa hindered by politics, public fears
IITA scientists: GMOs could help fend off nematode crop pests in Africa, but educating policymakers and public about the benefits ...
Talking Biotech: TALEN gene editing to make more nutritious food crops
Calyxt's Dan Voytas: Using TALEN gene editing to create soybeans with healthier oil, high fiber wheat and canola with lower ...
Viewpoint: Should US be subsidizing organic farming when label seems increasingly meaningless?
Congress is considering tripling the budget for the USDA's organics program. Should we be asking for more answers from regulators ...
Creating ‘super wheat’: Genetic modification supercharges photosynthesis
A growing global food demand is challenged by the problem of limited crop-growing space. Could GMO-edited wheat meet this need ...
Viewpoint: ‘Blistering’ USDA organic report suggests ‘movement’ needs major reforms
The USDA report detailing poor oversight by the agency’s National Organic Program challenges the belief that consumers can trust organic ...
When genetic engineering is the environmentally friendly choice
The newest generation of genetically engineered crops, using CRISPR gene editing, can help farmers fight pests with only minimal changes ...
20-year GMO report card: Biotech shrinks ag’s ecological impact, increased farm income $167 billion
Genetic modification has had a dramatic impact on crop production, agricultural sustainability and the economics of farming, in the 26 ...
Farms are not like Eden: The case for aggressive human intervention in agriculture
Farming is controlling nature for our own purposes. There is no utopian state. We should stop trying to restore, recover, ...
Is the organic farming yield gap a sustainability gap too? New study argues for cooperation
Organic farming can't match conventional's yields. But if the acrimony could end, farmers now pitted against one another could crossbreed ...
Anti-GMO Mexican activists target biotech researchers with bomb attacks
A new Mexican pro-GMO organization was the target of bombing attacks, suggesting an escalating level of aggression from GMO opponents ...