Cornucopia’s Take: Pesticide safety testing is performed only in one climatic environment before the pesticides are then allowed to be sold worldwide. Researchers studying an epidemic of kidney disease in Sri Lanka find the groundwater’s natural mineral content appears to be interacting in novel and dangerous ways with agricultural chemicals. These agricultural pesticides are not… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: France has banned pesticides for all uses other than in agriculture. The author of the French ban has now posed the same resolution for EU consideration. This is a major step, although 90% of pesticides are used in agriculture. France tables EU-wide non-agricultural pesticide ban Euractiv by Cécile Barbière Source: Jean Baptiste Roux… Read more »

The Des Moines Register by George Naylor Source: Aminul Islam Sajib I come from a long line of farmers and gardeners. On the farm I raise mainly corn and soybeans like almost every other Iowa farmer. But my gardening lets me indulge in many fruit and vegetable options that are beautifully displayed in the garden… Read more »

NPR by Luke Runyon Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Rob Fraley Source: USDA Monsanto, the world’s largest producer of seeds, is trying to swallow up a competitor in pesticide production. The move could lead to fewer choices for farmers and further consolidate the industry. Listen to the story here. Transcript: STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: We are also tracking… Read more »

PAN North America Paul Towers, Pesticide Action Network, [email protected], 916-216-1082 Paul Achitoff, Earthjustice, 808-599-2436 Abigail Seiler, Center for Food Safety, 202-547-9359 Lori Ann Burd, Center for Biological Diversity, 847-567-4052 Source: Lite-Trac EPA allows nine additional states to use toxic 2,4-D on GE corn and soy crops San Francisco, CA – A coalition of conservation, food… Read more »

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition USDA’s Risk Management Agency this week announced the removal, starting in 2014, of the five percent premium surcharge assessed against all organic farmers seeking federal crop insurance. This penalty against organic farming has been an issue NSAC has campaigned against for nearly a decade and we are delighted to finally report… Read more »

Iowa Farmer Today by Gene Lucht ODEBOLT — Roger Lansink has no illusions about organic agriculture saving the world. However, he knows the money he makes growing organic crops is no illusion. He also knows when he manned the Iowa Organic Association’s booth at the Iowa State Fair, he couldn’t keep enough brochures on the… Read more »

The Associated Press By Michael J. Crumb DES MOINES, Iowa — A judge’s ruling halting planting of genetically modified sugar beet seeds has left growers feeling uncertain as they wait for federal officials to decide the next step for a crop that provides half of the nation’s sugar supply. Duane Grant, chairman of the board… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: While the USDA claims glyphosate is harmless, and therefore hardly worth the expense of testing for, they did start limited testing for the herbicide last year. According to this article, a FOIA request gathered information about alarmingly high levels of glyphosate in honey and in oatmeal. Testing was to commence in earnest this… Read more »