A federal court overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of dicamba Wednesday, meaning the controversial herbicide can no longer be sprayed in the U.S. The product, originally designed by Monsanto, is opposed by some farmers and environmental groups because it can drift when sprayed, damaging wildlife and other crops. “Today’s decision is a […]
When Dr. Paul Winchester, a pediatrician, moved to Indiana from Colorado in 2002, he noticed something disturbing—a high number of birth defects. “I was used to the number of birth defects I should see in a community hospital, and I saw many more in Indiana,” said Winchester, who is medical director of the Neonatal and […]
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 […]
German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner announced Tuesday she is drafting regulation to stop use of glyphosate in the country’s home gardens, parks and sports facilities, Reuters reported. The minister also plans to set “massive restrictions” for its use in agriculture, with exemptions for areas that are prone to erosion and cannot be worked with heavy […]
Herbicide drift has been a major problem last year damaging millions of acres of crops in the U.S. An organic farmer in Missouri has seen firsthand how destructive herbicide drift can be as it destroys his crops and threatens his livelihood and farm. Mike Brabo and his wife Carol own Vesterbrook Farm in Clarksville, Missouri, […]
The Canadian government is banning plastic microbeads in toiletries. Although designed to clean us, they’re polluting the environment, putting the health of fish, wildlife and people at risk. Manufacturers and consumers ushered plastic microbeads into the marketplace, but when we learned of their dangers, we moved to phase them out. Why, then, is it taking […]
The majority of European Union governments voted against a proposal to authorize two new strains of genetically modified (GMO) maize today. The two varieties of maize, DuPont Pioneer’s 1507 and Syngenta’s Bt11, kill insects by producing its own pesticide and is also resistant Bayer’s glufosinate herbicide. If approved, the varieties would be the first new […]
Farmers across 10 states are suing Monsanto, alleging that the agrochemical company sold dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean crops knowing that illegal spraying of the highly volatile and drift-prone herbicide would be inevitable. Steven W. Landers, et al v. Monsanto Company was filed on Jan. 26 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District […]
Wineries in Texas are worried that federal approval of two highly volatile and drift-prone herbicides used on neighboring genetically modified (GMO) cotton fields will cause widespread damage to their vineyards, The Texas Tribune details. Dicamba damage on a grape leaves. Uky.edu The herbicides in question are Monsanto’s dicamba-based XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, which was approved […]