Emma Kovak
Activist claims that U.S. crop yields are in decline are mostly propaganda
For years, climate activists have pointed to the threat of declining crop yields as a reason to pass the most ...
Viewpoint: The U.S. Congress needs to dramatically and quickly overhaul its regulation of agricultural biotechnology
Since the 1986 release of the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology almost 40 years ago, there have been two ...
Chestnuts, rats, and rhinos: Can biotechnology become a key tool in conservation?
What do the American Chestnut tree, the black rat, and the northern white rhinoceros have in common? They are all ...
Outdated agricultural biotechnology regulations are slowing innovation. Trump could change that for the better
In late 2024, the result of a decades-long process to update U.S. biotechnology regulation was undone when a judge ordered ...
Breakthrough Institute report: ‘Why genetically engineered microbes need a pathway to market’
Genetically engineered microbes need a pathway to market. Fertilizer runoff and nitrous oxide emissions remain massive issues for agricultural climate ...
Genetically-modified poplar and chestnut trees: Contrasting organizations navigate regulatory maze in search of government and popular acceptance
When you think of GMOs, controversial products like Monsanto’s herbicide-tolerant RoundupReady corn might spring to mind. However, the world of ...
Viewpoint: The EPA’s current regulatory regime restricts farmers’ ability to fight pests and climate change
Plant pests and disease have a massive global impact, causing the loss of 20–40% of crop production and costing over USD 220 ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why the EPA needs to relax regulations that make it harder for farmers to access pest-resistant biotech crops
Plant pests and disease have a massive global impact, causing the loss of 20–40% of crop production and costing over USD 220 billion ...
Viewpoint: US regulators are not keeping up with lightning-fast advances in biotechnology. How can that gap be closed?
Improved crop genetics can help protect crops from pests and disease, reduce food waste, increase yields, limit deforestation, and decrease agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Improvements in ...
Analysis: Climate activists issue scare-warnings of impending starvation, but they ignore technology’s future role in scaling productivity
In 1968, the American scientists Paul and Anne Ehrlich published The Population Bomb. In it, The Ehrlichs foresaw widespread death and ...
Only 7 African countries commercially grow genetically engineered crops. Here’s a blueprint to unlock the continent’s enormous farm and food potential
The African continent has been home to genetically modified (GM) crops for more than 26 years, beginning in 1996 when ...
Viewpoint: What would the sustainability impact be if Europe approves gene-edited crops?
The European Union is currently in the process of reconsidering how to regulate gene-edited crops in agriculture. This month, the European ...
Soaring seed prices: What role do patents and regulation play?
Agricultural seed prices have soared over the last 20 years. Conventional seed prices have risen 200%, while genetically modified ones ...
Viewpoint: The UK could be CRISPR crop pioneers — but only if ‘overly restrictive and outdated’ gene-edited crop ban falls
In May, the United Kingdom introduced a bill that would allow the commercial cultivation and sale of gene-edited crops, which are functionally banned under ...
Viewpoint: ‘Underrated and underfunded’: It’s time for Congress to increase support for biotechnology tools in next farm bill
Biotechnology and breeding are important ways to improve agriculture: they make the plants we grow and animals we raise for ...
Sustainable GM farming innovation: How Argentina’s drought-tolerant genetically-engineered wheat reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases yields
In October 2020, Argentina approved the world’s first genetically engineered wheat for cultivation and consumption. Production expanded dramatically in 2021, and will continue to ...
Viewpoint: What are the barriers limiting Africa from adopting genetically engineered and hybrid-improved seeds?
Over the last 15 years, development organizations including USAID, the UK’s DFID, and most prominently the Gates Foundation, have invested millions ...
Farming sustainability study: What climate benefits could widespread adoption of genetically modified crops bring to Europe?
Genetically modified (GM) crops can help reduce agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition to possible decreases in production emissions, GM yield ...
How CRISPR and other forms of genetic engineering are revolutionizing farming and addressing climate change
One of the biggest challenges facing agriculture in the U.S. and around the world is how to make farming more ...
Breakthrough technologies reduce the carbon footprint of US beef production
In 2019, the United States produced approximately $111 billion worth of beef, exporting about 3 billion pounds and employing hundreds ...
Viewpoint: By blocking CRISPR gene editing, Europe is rejecting a proven tool to address climate change and food insecurity
CRISPR technology is not the same as GMO technology; it does not introduce DNA from other species into plants. Yet ...
Genetically engineered trees offer dual sustainability benefits: Carbon sequestration boosts and the ability to grow more trees on less land
The startup Living Carbon claims their fast-growing genetically engineered (GE) trees could increase forest carbon capture by 1.4-2 gigatons per year, ...
Viewpoint: Carbon-preserving regenerative agriculture inextricably linked to CRISPR and gene edited crops
As governments and industries work toward a net-zero future, the food system remains a stubborn source of one-third of total global emissions ...
Sierra Club endorsement of disease-resistant chestnut tree divides the anti-GMO movement
Across the eastern seaboard, the majestic American Chestnut tree once dominated forests. A main source of timber for cabins, shipbuilding, and ...
Viewpoint: FDA’s burdensome animal gene-editing rules hinder innovation. USDA takeover could spur progress
Over the last two months, USDA made two revolutionary moves regarding the regulation of genetically engineered (GE) animals: to take ...
USDA relaxed its GMO, gene-edited crop rules—but not enough to foster biotech innovation
USDA's SECURE rule fails to move beyond process-based regulation ...