Denver Law Professors File Second Legal Challenge to ‘Ag-Gag’ Laws

Food Safety News by Dan Flynn Credit: Tiom A pair of constitutional law professors from the University of Denver has given themselves two shots at overturning so-called state “ag-gag” laws. Among the common features of “ag-gag” laws is a prohibition against taking pictures or making videos without permission, sanctions for not being truthful in a… Read more »

How Can Organic Farming Feed the World?

Soil Association Organic and other agro-ecological farming systems can help the world feed itself, but as well as changing our farming systems, we need to eat differently, feed our livestock differently, and waste less food. There is already enough food produced today for everyone to have the nourishment they need, and yet nearly 1 billion… Read more »

Voracious Worm Evolves to Eat Biotech Corn Engineered to Kill It

Wired by Brandon Keim Credit: Tom Hlavaty One of agricultural biotechnology’s great success stories may become a cautionary tale of how short-sighted mismanagement can squander the benefits of genetic modification. After years of predicting it would happen — and after years of having their suggestions largely ignored by companies, farmers and regulators — scientists have… Read more »

Roundup Weedkiller Linked To Global Epidemic of Fatal Kidney Disease

GreenMedInfo by Sayer Ji The mystery of what is causing thousands to die each year from a fatal kidney disease may now be solved, with evidence pointing to the world’s most heavily used herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) as the primary culprit. A new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthproposes a link… Read more »

France Bans Monsanto GM Maize Ahead of Sowing Season

Reuters Credit: Hanno Böck (Reuters) – France’s agriculture ministry on Saturday banned the sale, use and cultivation of Monsanto’s MON 810 genetically modified maize, the only variety currently authorised in the European Union. The French government, which maintains that GM crops present environmental risks, has been trying to institute a new ban on GM maize… Read more »

Hundreds of Foods in U.S. Contain ‘ADA’ Plastics Chemical: Report

Reuters by Carey Gillam Credit: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos (Reuters) – Nearly 500 foods found on grocery store shelves in the United States, including many foods labeled as “healthy,” contain a potentially hazardous industrial plastics chemical, according to a report issued Thursday by a health research and advocacy group. Azodicarbonamide, also known as ADA, was found as an… Read more »

Low Doses of A Controversial Insecticide May Harm Friendly Insects

Chemical & Engineering News by Puneet Kollipara For at least one member of a controversial class of insecticides, low doses may cause as much harm to nontarget insects as high doses do, according to a new study. The number of offspring that fruit flies produce drops significantly when the insects are chronically exposed to nanomolar concentrations of… Read more »

Wendell Berry: A Strong Voice For Local Farming and the Land

Wendell Berry stands before his solar panels on his Kentucky farm Image credit: Guy Mendes Yale Environment 360 by Roger Cohn For six decades, writer Wendell Berry has spoken out in defense of local agriculture, rural communities, and the importance of caring for the land. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about… Read more »

Warning Signs: How Pesticides Harm the Young Brain

The Nation by Susan Freinkel The pathbreaking CHAMACOS study has detected developmental problems in children born to mothers who toiled in California’s treated fields—but will anything change? This story was produced by the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent nonprofit news organization. Driving along Highway 101 through California’s Salinas Valley, it’s hard to miss the… Read more »

Spring 2014 NOSB: Two Meetings in One

Usually the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meets twice a year.  Last year, though, the fall meeting was canceled due to the partial government shutdown in October.  This year, the spring meeting includes many agenda items from the fall meeting, plus several new items.  There are three areas that Cornucopia is particularly concerned about: first,… Read more »