New York Times by Andrew Pollack WAIMEA, Hawaii — The balmy tropical isles here seem worlds apart from the expansive cornfields of the Midwest, but Hawaii has become the latest battleground in the fight over genetically modified crops. The state has become a hub for the development of genetically engineered corn and other crops that… Read more »
Search Results for: GMO
Big Ag to Co-opt the Microbiome?
Cornucopia’s Take: While Cornucopia appreciates this potential move away from chemistry to biology, the industry remains committed to its mechanized viewpoints while ignoring the interconnected nature of life – both in the soil and above-ground. Big Ag insists that we need more food, yet ignores the vast waste in the food distribution system (no sales… Read more »
Report Finds Toxins/Carcinogens in Popular Brands of Toothpaste
Scorecard Identifies the “Dirtiest” and Safest, Even Organic, Alternatives The latest report by The Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog, uncovers serious problems in cosmetics industry regulations. Regulatory weaknesses and loopholes allow for the use of questionable, even harmful ingredients in personal care products, such as toothpastes, that could negatively impact the health of the… Read more »
Is Quinoa California Farmers’ New Kale?
Los Angeles Times by Geoffrey Mohan Source: LID, by Jonas Ingold Bryce Lundberg is elated, which is saying a lot for a California farmer these days. “Hop on in,” he says, wading into eight acres of ragged stalks, their seed tassels turning russet in the desert sun. Lundberg, 54, soon is chest-high in quinoa, a… Read more »
How Americans Gardened 260 Years Ago
Rodale’s Organic Life by Therese Ciesinski Source: Sarah Elliott Colonial Williamsburg shows us that when it comes to technique, not much has changed. The wooden yoke around my neck doesn’t hurt at first. I winch up two brimming wooden buckets from the well and attach them to the yoke. Now carrying 40 extra pounds of… Read more »
Grass-fed Beef Bearing the U.S. Flag Likely Comes from Australia or South America
Cornucopia’s Take: When Obama’s USDA jettisoned the country of origin labeling law (COOL), under industry pressure, they opened the door for deceptive labeling. Foreign beef processed in the U.S. can legally be labeled “product of the U.S.A.” Shoppers are being lied to, and domestic grass-fed beef producers have almost been shut out of their own… Read more »
Major U.S. Food Stores Sell Shrimp Peeled By Slaves: Report
The World Post Burmese migrant workers in a Thai shrimp peeling plant. Source: ILO in Asia & the Pacific An AP investigation has found shrimp peeled by modern-day slaves in Thailand is reaching the U.S., Europe and Asia. SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand (AP) — Every morning at 2 a.m., they heard a kick on the door and… Read more »
Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood?
The New York Times Magazine by Peter Andrey Smith Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory The rich array of microbiota in our intestines can tell us more than you might think. Eighteen vials were rocking back and forth on a squeaky mechanical device the shape of a butcher scale, and Mark Lyte was beside himself with… Read more »
Death on the Farm
Newsweek by Max Kutner Credit: NRCS On January 21, 2010, a cold, clear day, Dean Pierson woke up early, as usual. The 59-year-old put on a pair of blue jeans and a hooded coat before the sun was up, then went to his barn, turned on the lights, closed all the doors and windows, powered… Read more »
Monsanto and EPA (Allegedly) Collude About Glyphosate Safety
Cornucopia’s Take: The article below gives the history of glyphosate toxicity testing and the uncomfortably cozy relationship between EPA management and Monsanto. Monsanto has apparently simply refused to participate in any truly independent research on glyphosate safety, and the EPA has repeatedly capitulated to their noncompliance since 1973. How Monsanto Captured the EPA (And Twisted… Read more »
