Section » GMOs
Supreme court ruling not techically a victory for Monsanto after all
Hype haymaker: "The sustainable agriculture world is abuzz today with news of the Supreme Court's ruling regarding an earlier lawsuit, brought by alfalfa farmers, that sought to stop any planting of Monsanto's genetically engineered Roundup Ready alfalfa seed. While the press coverage heralds the ruling as a decisive victory for Monsanto, a close reading
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GMO wheat could be the next big thing—or maybe not
Sheave ho! Of the top three grains produced in the U.S., only No. 3 wheat (after corn and soybeans) is not overwhelmingly dominated by genetically modified varieties. In fact, you won’t find GM wheat in the United States at all. Henry Miller
Genetically modified corn growers not obeying rules designed to maintain pest resistance
Stop bugging me: As many as 25% of the American farmers growing genetically engineered corn are no longer complying with federal rules intended to maintain the resistance of the crops to damage from insects, according to a Center for Science in the Public Interest report released Thursday based on EPA
Indian farmer suicides continue over debt and poor rainfall
Caveat emptor, Africa: Nearly every day, Indian newspapers report more farmer suicides in Andhra Pradesh, an Indian state of 80 million people where 70% of the population depends on agriculture and where small farmers are increasingly in debt. "More than 17,500 farmers a year killed themselves between
Non-GMO Project gets rolling
Organic a 'dirty room' in need of cleaning: An organic and natural-foods industry group has begun a campaign to test products and label those "Non-GMO" that are largely free of biotech ingredients, reports William Neumann in the Times' Business section. Neumann focuses solely on the competitive business
Scientific American editors decry research restrictions on GMOs
Free the seeds. The editors of Scientific American — no group of Luddites — say that it is time for producers of genetically modified (GM) seeds to allow independent research on their products. Currently, the purchase of GM seeds, requires agreement to a contract with the producer that stipulates,
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If biotechnology won’t feed the world, what will? Knowledge, says GE expert Doug Gurian-Sherman
Earlier this week, I asked plant pathologist and molecular biologist Doug Gurian-Sherman to explain some of the science behind genetically engineered crops and their potential — or lack thereof — to feed a more populous, climate-changing
Can biotechnology ‘feed the world’? Not likely, says genetic engineering expert Doug Gurian-Sherman
With food shortages provoking riots in recent years, and the world’s population increasing exponentially, Congress will soon be debating the next big U.S. aid package for developing countries. America currently
GMOs on their way out, high-tech-assisted conventional breeding is in
Mother Nature's little helpers vs. Wannabe Gods: This story weaves an interesting story around a thread we've seen elsewhere, that companies like Monsanto and Syngenta are shifting away from transgenic seeds (those in which genes from one species of organism are inserted into another) and into using
Court blocks Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa
But what about Buckwheat, you rascals?: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an injunction barring Monsanto from selling its Roundup Ready alfalfa seed until the government completes an environmental impact study on how the genetically modified product could affect neighboring crops. "This is
Monsanto needs new argument for opposing GMO labeling
Monsanto is so un-COOL: Rob Smart, aka @jambutter, recently had a Twitter debate with Monsanto representatives about whether labeling products containing geneitcally modified food would do any harm, and, if so, to whom. "Again and again, Monsanto stresses that mandatory labeling for foods continaing
What Monsanto and “Food, Inc” have in common
Close, but don't light those cigars yet, fellas: The blog Monsanto According to Monsanto writes that "Food, Inc.," like all movies, represents the intellectual property of the people who spent their time, effort, and money into the production of the film. Monsanto's patented seeds are the equivalent
“The Failure of Science”: New paper makes a damning case against genetically modified food crops
"Doom and gloomers." That's what my father used to call people who talked about global warming not as a chance to work on their tans, but as something that ought to be keeping humankind up at night. He'd
Gates Foundation announces grants, including for pharma tomatoes
Blithe tomato: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced its second round of grants for global health research. Among the 81 projects is a $100,000 grant for creating a tomato to deliver antiviral drugs. (Because really, why wouldn't you want to develop something like that in a food crop?)
Digest – News: Gates Foundation exec picked for USDA research post, Roundup Ready losing potency
Get Shah-ty: The Obama administration has nominated Rajiv J. Shah to serve as Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics of the USDA. (NYT Diner’s Journal Blog) Shah is the director
