Smithsonian by Divya Abhat Source: Justin Goring Tossing an apple is like pouring 25 gallons of water down the drain, and the average American does that 17 times a year Food waste is a staggering problem. In 2010, close to 133 billion pounds, or a little over $160 billion worth of food, wound up in… Read more »
Pesticide May be Reason Butterfly Numbers are Falling in UK, Says Study
The Guardian by Patrick Barkham Wall Butterfly Source: Tony Morris Dramatic decline in population associated with increased use of controversial neonicotinoid chemicals on farms Neonicotinoids may be contributing towards the disappearance of butterflies from the countryside, according to the first scientific study to examine the effect of the controversial agricultural pesticides on British butterflies. Researchers found… Read more »
Busted: EPA Discovers Dow Weedkiller Claim, Wants It Off The Market
NPR – The Salt by Dan Charles Source: Karrierebibel.de Ever been caught telling different stories to different people? It’s awkward. Dow AgroSciences, which sells seeds and pesticides to farmers, made contradictory claims to different parts of the U.S. government about its latest herbicide. The Environmental Protection Agency just found out, and now wants to cancel… Read more »
Pesticides Stop Bumblebees from Pollinating Apple Trees, Research Shows
The Guardian by Damian Carrington Source: Deedavee Easyflow New findings on neonicotinoids have important implications as many food crops and wildflowers rely on bee pollination to reproduce The world’s most widely used insecticides harm the ability of bumblebees to pollinate apple trees, scientists have discovered. The finding has important implications for agriculture and the natural… Read more »
What Is a ‘Natural’ Food? FDA Seeks Public Input for Definition
Journal Sentinel by Rick Barrett Federal regulators are seeking public opinion on the use of the word natural on food labels, a move that could change the way hundreds of products are advertised. Phrases such as “made with natural ingredients” are commonly used in the food industry, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does… Read more »
Advocates, Consumers Slam GMO Salmon Approval
YouTube by Associated Press Critics call it “frankenfish,” but the Food and Drug Administration granted approval Thursday of the first genetically modified animal cleared for human consumption in the US. The engineered salmon could be available within a couple of years. (Nov. 19)
Putting the Chicken Before the Egg
[NOTE: Click here to view the New York Times slideshow of images from the article below.] The New York Times by Stephanie Strom Source: Martin de Witte CRESCENT CITY, Calif. — A decade ago, a couple running a dairy business in Northern California visited a Mennonite farm where the owner had used a flock of… Read more »
Owner of Vermont Organic Dairy Farm and Harvard Biology Graduate Educates the NOSB on the Meaning of “Organic”
Greg Jackmauh holds a Harvard degree in biology and owns a Vermont organic dairy farm. He’s a longtime member of The Cornucopia Institute. Greg Jackmauh My name is Gregory Jackmauh. I am a resident of Barnet, Vermont and live on an Organic pasture-based, intensive rotational grazing dairy farm that has been certified since 2003. I… Read more »
A Fisherman’s Plan to Feed the World and Reduce Climate Change
Marketplace Source: Farrukh One of the most prestigious prizes in sustainability, the Fuller Challenge, has been awarded to a commercial fisherman turned entrepreneur who once worked on factory trawlers pillaging the seas of fish. Following hurricanes Irene and Sandy, Bren Smith, founder of the ocean farming non-profit GreenWave, said he had a change of heart and… Read more »
Why the United States Leaves Deadly Chemicals on the Market
Independent Science News by Valerie Brown and Elizabeth Grossman Source: Kate Ter Haar Scientists are trained to express themselves rationally. They avoid personal attacks when they disagree. But some scientific arguments become so polarized that tempers fray. There may even be shouting. Such is the current state of affairs between two camps of scientists: health effects… Read more »
