Two billion dollar judgment against Bayer-Monsanto in glyphosate cancer trial was “devastating rebuke” to company’s science
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For the third time in less than a year, a California jury has delivered a stinging blow to Bayer-Monsanto, finding that the company’s Roundup weedkiller caused cancer in a California couple and awarding them a staggering
$2.055 billion
in damages.
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A decade of pesticides, GMOs, and alternatives to chemical-intensive farming
Four noted experts discuss the threats posed by genetically modified crops and pesticides and how consumer awareness about them has grown, pushing agriculture and food production to change.
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Organic farmers describe challenges dealing with herbicide drift
Drift from herbicides such as glyphosate and dicamba damages organic farms, and much more needs to be done to compensate farmers for their losses. This was the key message of an educational session at the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Services (MOSES) Organic Farming Conference in February.
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U.S. organic sales break through $50 billion mark in 2018
The U.S. organic market in 2018 broke through the $50 billion mark for the first time, with sales hitting a record $52.5 billion, up 6.3 percent from the previous year, according to the 2019 Organic Industry Survey recently released by the Organic Trade Association.
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Organic farming drives sustainability in global agriculture
Organic farming is an important role model for changing the current agriculture and food system, argue eleven international experts in the renowned scientific journal
Nature Sustainability
. They call for coherent policies that support sustainable food systems, incentivize better farming practices, and raise the bar of what is acceptable in farming in the 21st century.
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UC Cooperative Extension hires first organic specialist
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For the first time, the University of California has hired a Cooperative Extension specialist dedicated to organic agriculture.
Joji Muramoto, a longtime research associate with the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), will coordinate a statewide program focused on the organic production of strawberries and vegetables.
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Rise of organic farming fueled by concerns about use of glyphosate, other chemicals
The number of organic farms in Alberta, Canada has grown significantly in recent years, driven by concerns about glyphosate herbicide and other agricultural chemicals.
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Defenders of organic integrity win victory for transparency and open government
The Federal District Court in San Francisco recently agreed with organic farmers, consumers, and animal welfare advocates that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cannot hide communications and documents that led up to the agency’s controversial decision to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule (OLPP), which would have required animal welfare standards on farms producing organic meat.
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Will suspension of Turkish organic certifier mean the end of suspicious corn and soybean imports from the Black Sea region?
Revocation of accreditation of the Control Union Certifications Turkey office marks progress to protect the integrity of U.S. organic grain markets, but organic grain imports will continue.
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National Organic Program takes no action on shipment of grain considered high-risk to organic fraud, then revokes accreditation of shipment’s organic certifier
In early May, the Organic Farmers Association (OFA) received a tip that a ship loaded in Turkey was destined for a North Carolina port with a high-risk shipment of bulk organic grain. Yet, the National Organic Program took no action to inspect the shipment.
Fifth farmer pleads guilty in connection with organic fraud scheme
A Missouri man who conspired with others to sell grain fraudulently marketed as organic pleaded guilty in May in federal court in Cedar Rapids. John Burton, age 52, from Clarksdale, Missouri, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He admitted that grain grown on non-organic fields was marketed and sold as organic.
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Uruguay swaps agrochemicals for wasps in non-GMO soy production
Uruguay is producing non-GMO soybeans for export to China where they are used to make soyfood products like tofu and soy sauce. Instead of spraying agrochemicals on the soybeans, Uruguayan researchers have adapted a machine known as “Mosquito” to release capsules containing wasp eggs, which on hatching will fight pests and reduce the need to use agrochemicals.
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Germany’s non-GMO food market increased 41 percent in 2018
The
German Association
of
Food
without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) recently announced that German consumers spent 9.8 billion euros ($11 billion) worth on goods certified non-GMO with the “Ohne Gentechnik” (made without genetic engineering) seal in Germany in 2018.
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Kerry launches non-GMO yeast as natural solution for acrylamide reduction
Acryleast™ is a new fully non-GMO solution for acrylamide reduction brought to market recently by Kerry, a leading taste and nutrition company, in partnership with Renaissance BioScience.
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PANVEGA presents the world’s first natural and non-GMO vitamin B12
PANVEGA AG
recently introduced the world’s first non-GMO and natural vitamin B12. PANVEGA has the exclusive distribution rights to the B12, and it is manufactured by a Swiss partner company.
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Farmers are excited about soil health. That’s good news for all of us.
Though it is hard to quantify,
surveys
suggest
that many U.S. farmers are already taking steps to build soil health and store carbon in their soils. Science has shown that practices such as no-till farming (in which soil isn’t disturbed by plowing), cover crops,
extended crop rotations
, perennial crops, and
integrating crops and livestock
deliver myriad benefits.
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Climate change being fueled by soil damage—report
Erosion, deforestation, and compaction are releasing carbon on the Earth, accelerating the pace of climate impacts.
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Glyphosate cancer lawsuits expand to Canada as farmer leads class action against Bayer-Monsanto
A farmer in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan who was diagnosed with cancer five years ago is leading a class action lawsuit against Bayer and Monsanto. The lawsuits alleges that the farmer’s exposure to Roundup herbicide contributed to his cancer and the cancer of other Canadians participating in the class action.
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Robotic weeders are racing to replace glyphosate and dicamba
Self-driving robot weeders can save labor costs, and are suitable for organic and small farmers.
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University of California, more U.S. cities ban Roundup/glyphosate
The growing trend of organizations and cities banning the use of glyphosate herbicide continues as the University of California, Watsonville, CA, Key West, FL, and Denton, TX are halting use of the weedkiller on campuses, public land, and city recreational areas.
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Israeli invents device that can test pesticide residues on food in real time
Inspecto can save on cost and turnaround time, providing a boon to manufacturers and retailers.
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EPA backs industry, defending carcinogenic herbicide glyphosate
Despite strong scientific evidence, agency sides with industry in reapproving toxic herbicide.
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Oregon legislature may let farmers sue for contamination from GMO crops
The Oregon legislature is considering a bill that would let farmers sue companies such as Bayer and Syngenta if those companies’ genetically engineered (GMO) seeds contaminate other crops.
New report documents impacts of GMO contamination in Canada
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Modified: A Food Lover's Journey Into GMOs” receives James Beard Award for best documentary film
Aube Giroux’s work is a passionate tribute to food with a penetrating look at the struggle to require labeling of GMOs.
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Gene-editing technology to create virus-resistant cassava plant has opposite effect, researchers find
Use of CRISPR-Cas9 on cassava plants led to propagation of mutated viruses, resistant to gene editing.
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Synthetic biology is changing what we eat. Here’s what you need to know.
Billions in funding is spearheading foods and fibers crafted from this technology—but assessment of long-range health, environmental, and socio-economic impacts is lacking.
USDA has approved more than 20 gene-edited crops
New research from Testbiotech found that over 20 plants engineered with genome editing techniques are registered with non-regulated status, not requiring any additional assessment.
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Nanoparticles in food found to affect gut microbiota
Experts call for better regulation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a common additive in foods and medicine, as research reveals it can impact the gut microbiota and could lead to inflammatory bowel diseases or colorectal cancer.
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Breaking the cycle of chemicals and debt: organic farming in Cambodia
Keo Nov is a farmer in the Kandal Province of Cambodia. Together with his wife, he farms approximately 1,200 square meters of land, nearly a third of an acre. They have been managing their farm organically for about 5 years, growing over 20 kinds of vegetables which they eat and sell. Their four children now all attend school.
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