Last week, Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Trump Administration for refusing to make public documents surrounding its decision on how to label genetically engineered (GE or GMO) foods. On May 3, 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released long-awaited proposed regulations for the first-ever U.S. mandatory disclosure of foods produced using genetic […]
In a win for public health, Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill banning the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to increased risk of learning disabilities, lower IQs, developmental delays, and behavior problems in children. “Hawaii is showing the Trump administration that the states will stand up for our kids, even […]
What have you done for me lately? The one-and-only Janet Jackson once asked that question of a bad boyfriend. But lately, we’ve been wondering the very same thing about a far less obvious offender—our front lawn. We water it and then water it some more. We give it a trim to keep it looking super […]
By Brian Barth If you’ve taken the plunge and are brooding baby chicks, the only thing that stands between you and a supply of fresh eggs is a permanent place for your hens to call home. By six weeks of age they need something more than a cardboard box to live in. Building a basic […]
By Marcia Delonge Recently, some fellow data geeks and I spent (quite a lot of) time ranking all 50 states on the health and sustainability of their food systems, from soil to spoon. We went through the trouble for a few reasons. First, as you may have heard in bits and pieces, the state of […]
Bayer, which recently wrapped up its takeover of Monsanto, now owns glyphosate and the liabilities surrounding it. Last Thursday, the same day the $63 billion acquisition closed, a beekeeping cooperative in northern France filed a legal complaint against the German chemical giant after the controversial weedkiller was detected in honey produced by one of its […]
Bayer plans to complete its $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto on Thursday after receiving all required approvals from regulatory authorities. The German pharmaceutical company will also retire the St. Louis-based corporation’s 117-year-old name. “Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names […]
Some farmers transition to organic production to earn premium prices paid for organic crops. Others switch to make their farms more sustainable. But for some farmers transitioning to organic is a necessity to save their health—and even their lives. Blaine Schmaltz, who farms in Rugby, North Dakota, is a good example. One day in September […]
By Nancy Castaldo Wheat, maize, rice … repeat. Those three starchy plants provide about half of all the calories we consume. What’s more, of the 12,000 plant species that can be used for human food, only about 150 are cultivated. And that heavy reliance on a limited number of crops poses a serious risk when […]