Grist | Topics | 183 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 183
Page:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Slow Food vs. Monsanto Michael Pollan and Monanto's Hugh Grant square off at Google.org forum	Tom Philpott	22 Sep 2008	Gristmill
What do you get when industrial agriculture's most famous critic crosses swords with industrial agriculture's (arguably) most powerful executive? Michael Pollan and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant squared off at a forum put on recently by google.org (video below the fold.) The topic of the discussion: how to 'feed the world' as population expands over the next 20 years.What happens during the debate? Sparks fly, but neither deals a body blow. Deploying his his lilting Scottish ...
Topics: Big Ag, agriculture, industrial ag, Michael Pollan, video, GMOs (all these topics)

Gene Genie, Let Yourself Go FDA releases guidelines for developing genetically modified animals		18 Sep 2008	News
Posted at 6:42 AM on 18 Sep 2008 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will today announce guidelines for the development of genetically modified animals, a step on the road to their broad commercialization. The agency is expected to ask companies developing genetically modified animals to report a range of information about how they were engineered and how the alterations could affect the animals' b ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, news, United States (all these topics)

Monsanto: herbicide powerhouse The GMO seed giant expects Roundup to generate $1.8 billion in profits in 2008	Tom Philpott	16 Sep 2008	Gristmill
Monsanto positions itself as a green company. 'Using the tools of modern biology,' its website informs us, 'we help farmers grow more yield sustainably so they can produce more and conserve more.' Compare that twaddle to this bit from Monsanto's announcement on Tuesday: [Monsanto's Chief Financial Officer Terry] Crews will indicate that Monsanto's Roundup® and other glyphosate-based herbicides business is on track to be above $1.9 billion of gross profit for the 2 ...
Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Slow Food Nation interview: Andrew Kimbrell The GMO industry has been scraping by on bad science	Tom Philpott	15 Sep 2008	Gristmill
In 2002, a most unlikely book came out: an oversized, lushly produced, coffee-table tome on the ills of mass-scale, chemical-intensive agriculture. Grandly titled Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture, the book contained stark photos of highly mechanized, monocrop farming, along with pungent, probing essays by Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, and other seminal thinkers of the agrarian school. I got my hands on Fatal Harvest when I first started farmin ...
Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, events, GMOs, industrial ag, slow food, video (all these topics)

Bye-Bye, Miss American Pyro Eco-vandal pleads guilty to 1999 arson at Michigan State University		12 Sep 2008	News
Posted at 7:24 AM on 12 Sep 2008 Alleged Earth Liberation Front member Marie Mason pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated arson and conspiring to commit arson for her role in a New Year's Eve 1999 fire that destroyed part of Michigan State University's Agriculture Hall. Mason and her co-defendant (who has already pleaded guilty) were accused of pouring gasoline on and around records relating to the un ...
Topics: eco-terrorism, GMOs, news, United States (all these topics)

U.K. former chief scientist: Green activists 'impoverish Africa' Only GMOs and agrichemicals can 'feed the world,' don't you know?	Tom Philpott	08 Sep 2008	Gristmill
People involved in the sustainable food movement have been debating the best ways to promote what Wendell Berry recently called 'local adaptation' with regard to food and agriculture. The point is to shift away from a paradigm of relying on a fossil fuel-powered agriculture system to feed people living far away from the actual farms where the food is grown. On the other side of this conversation are powerful interests who, under the guise of the imperative to provide ...
Topics: GMOs, sustainable ag, industrial ag, agriculture (all these topics)

Genetically modified diplomat U.S. foreign policy: GMO all the way	Tom Philpott	25 Aug 2008	Gristmill
About a week ago, The New York Times ran a brief interview with Nina V. Federoff, official 'science and technology adviser' to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Not surprisingly, Condoleeza Rice's science czar has a special place in her heart for genetically modified organisms. In the Times interview, Federoff defends GMOs: There's almost no food that isn't genetically modified. Genetic modification is the basis of all evolut ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, Big Ag, GMOs, politics (all these topics)

A prince's dream: Far-fetched fairytale or a real future of food? Prince Charles sparked controversy when he expressed doubt in GM crops	Meredith Niles	15 Aug 2008	Gristmill
The British royal family is no stranger to controversy and media attention, but Prince Charles caused a new kind of worldwide media flurry on Tuesday when he sat down for an exclusive interview with the Telegraph (U.K.). This time around, though, it seems unlikely the media story will be covered by the British tabloids since the Prince of Wales didn't discuss his sons, his love life, or even his future reign as king. Instead, the Prince talked about genetically modifi ...
Topics: agriculture, celebrity, food, GMOs, industrial ag, United Kingdom (all these topics)

Even Monsanto rejects synthetic bovine growth hormones! Evidently, the GMO giant has better things to do than to harass dairies over labels	Tom Philpott	09 Aug 2008	Gristmill
After years of battling in court to prevent dairies from labeling their milk rBGH-free, Monsanto is apparently udderly fed up. Facing a growing backlash against its genetically engineered Recombinant bovine growth hormone (hence rBGH) that once conquered the U.S. dairy industry, the Gene Giant is selling rights to produce Posilac, its name for the the product. Posilac had become increasingly marginal to Monsanto's profit growth, which derives mainly from its dominance ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Not a sweet proposition As GMO sugar beets sneak into the food supply, citizens fight back	Lisa J. Bunin	08 Aug 2008	Gristmill
'Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' -- Anthropologist Margaret Mead Even if you've heard the above quote many times before, the sentiment expressed is so powerful that I think it's worth repeating. All around the world, small groups of people are organizing public support for improved food safety and successfully challenging large corporations to change their behavior. That's ...
Topics: agriculture, business, food, GMOs, grassroots activism (all these topics)

Barren Spring Author Claire Hope Cummings dishes the dirt on genetically modified food	Bonnie Azab Powell	01 Aug 2008	Grist Feature
One of the most encouraging things about the sustainable-food movement is how effortlessly it crosses traditional political-party, religious, ethnic, and other lines. The right to good, clean, and fair food, to borrow Slow Food's shorthand, seems to unite people who'd never otherwise find themselves chatting at the same party: Home schoolers and dreadlocked hippies, libertaria ...
Topics: agriculture, books, food, GMOs, interview (all these topics)

Sustainable biotech crops -- solution or oxymoron? Industry report touts potential for biotech crops to combat climate change	Meredith Niles	30 Jul 2008	Gristmill
I am always a sucker for a catchy sounding report -- like the one the World Business Council for Sustainable Development released last week: 'Agricultural Ecosystems: Facts and Trends.' It had it all: the noble sounding 'Council,' the association between agriculture and ecosystems, and the appeal to my inner science-geek with words like 'facts' and 'trends.' I printed it out enthusiastically and got out my highlighter, ready to read all of the fascinating new insig ...
Topics: agriculture, climate, Department of Agriculture, GMOs, greenhouse-gas emissions, sustainable ag (all these topics)

Monsanto: still reading blogs PR firm Edleman launches charm offensive for the GMO giant	Tom Philpott	13 Jun 2008	Gristmill
Not so long ago, I was an utterly obscure farmer-blogger dashing off indictments of industrial agriculture for some 30 loyal readers (many of them house-mates and relatives). And then, evidently by the miracle of the Google search, a functionary from Monsanto's legal office discovered my blog and fired off a cease-and-desist letter. I published it, added a tart response, and alerted a few editors to the exchange. Within days, my site meter showed thousands of reade ...
Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, business, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Old MacDonald had a farm bill The good, bad, and ugly in our national five-year agricultural plan	Guest author	04 Jun 2008	Gristmill
This is a guest post from Debra Eschmeyer, marketing and media manager of the National Farm to School Network and the Center for Food & Justice. She works from a fifth-generation family farm in Ohio, where she continues her passion for organic farming by raising heirloom fruits, vegetables, and chickens. ----- We've all noticed higher grocery bills, but did you know Congress passed a $307 billion farm bill in late May that has a much bigger impact on what you ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, Department of Agriculture, food, GMOs, sustainable ag (all these topics)

The Onion on GM tomatoes	Tom Philpott	22 May 2008	Gristmill
From The Onion: PASADENA, CA--Geneticists at the California Institute of Technology announced Monday that they have developed a tomato with a 31 percent larger price tag than a typical specimen of the vine-ripened fruit. 'By utilizing an exciting new breakthrough in gene-splicing technology, we've been able to manipulate this new tomato with recombinant DNA in such a manner as to make it nearly as pricey as a similarly sized tangelo,' said Dr. Lee Nolan, who headed u ...
Topics: agriculture, food, funnies, GMOs (all these topics)

Hard to Stomach Federal food-aid package promotes GMOs		19 May 2008	News
Posted at 8:09 AM on 19 May 2008 A $770 million food-aid package proposed by the Bush administration may also aid U.S. agribiz, as the feds have slipped in language promoting the use of genetically modified crops in developing countries. Proponents of bioengineering say that GM crops are hardier in harsh climates and can produce higher yields; opponents say that just ain't the case. The food-aid package must be approved by Congress, and eve ...
Topics: Africa, agriculture, Big Ag, food, GMOs, legislation, news, politics (all these topics)

Jolly gene giant A review of Claire Hope Cummings' Uncertain Peril	Guest author	02 May 2008	Gristmill
This is a guest book review by Hope Shand, research director of ETC Group, a civil-society organization that tracks new technologies, monitors corporate concentration, and supports food sovereignty. ----- In October 1996, a spokesman for Monsanto told Farm Journal why his company was buying up seed companies left and right: 'What you're seeing is not just a consolidation of seed companies, it's really a consolidation of the entire food chain.' Today, Monsanto ...
Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, books, GMOs (all these topics)

What are GMOs good for, again? Study: transgenic soy brings lower yields than conventional	Tom Philpott	23 Apr 2008	Gristmill
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) came to dominate U.S. grain agriculture over the last 12 with very little real public debate. Sure, people like me have complained loudly, and groups like Center for Food Safety have mounted forceful lobbying and public education efforts. But U.S. policymakers have ignored these criticisms and chosen to wave these epoch-making technologies from the lab to the field to the plate with minimal oversight. That's at least partially be ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, Big Ag, food, GMOs (all these topics)

Please, sir, I want some GMOs Worldwide resistance to GMOs dwindle as food bills rise	Tom Philpott	22 Apr 2008	Gristmill
For a while now, I've been cautioning people that surging prices for industrial food don't necessarily 'level the playing field' for sustainably produced fare. In fact, the few giant companies that dominate the global food system are fattening themselves on higher prices, consolidating their grip over the world's palate. Last week, new Gristmill blogger Anna Lappe showed that Cargill -- a major producer of everything from fertilizer to biofuel to meat -- recently re ...
Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, biofuels, economy, energy, food, GMOs (all these topics)

GMO, Oh, Mexico ... Mexico to allow planting of genetically modified crops		20 Mar 2008	News
Posted at 11:58 AM on 20 Mar 2008 Mexico has taken the last step toward finalizing rules that will allow genetically modified crops to be planted in the country. That has many farmers in the so-called birthplace of corn worried that GM varieties could contaminate their fields. Under the rules, GM corn wouldn't technically be allowed in certain areas of Mexico considered "centers of origin" for unique corn plant ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, Mexico, news (all these topics)

GMO: genetically modified organics? Farmers and processors organize against genetic contamination	Tom Philpott	13 Mar 2008	Gristmill
Here in the United States, upwards of 70 percent of corn and 90 percent of soy are genetically modified. Given that corn and soy end up in just about everything -- livestock rations (and thus meat, milk, and eggs), nearly all processed foods, and even our gas tanks, avoiding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is tricky. One way is to shun all processed food and animal products, and simply eat fruit, non-soy veggies, and non-corn grains. (I assume U.S. fruits and v ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, organic food (all these topics)

Se7en Times Two Pollution is on Vatican's updated list of mortal sins		10 Mar 2008	News
Posted at 12:50 PM on 10 Mar 2008 The Vatican has put a modern twist on the seven deadly sins, announcing a list of "social sins" -- including pollution and genetic manipulation. (And just when we had successfully rid ourselves of lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, anger, envy, and pride.) The nature of sin itself has changed, says Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, head of the Vatican body in charge of matters of conscience ...
Topics: air pollution, GMOs, news, religion and spirituality, Vatican City, water pollution (all these topics)

Genetically modified fruits and veggies in U.S.? Forbes says that Frankenfruits are already here	Tom Philpott	01 Mar 2008	Gristmill
In the mid-'90s, amid much fuss, a biotech firm called Calgene introduced the Flav'r Saver tomato. Genetically engineered to last longer on the shelf, the Flav'r Saver didn't turn out to have much 'flav'r' to save. To make a long story short, consumers generally steered clear of it; farmers had trouble growing it; Calgene burned hundreds of millions developing and marketing it; and eventually ended up tossing it on history's compost pile. In the end, Monsanto ended u ...
Topics: food, agriculture, GMOs (all these topics)

Garbage in, garbage out Survey of 'experts' on genetic food tampering leaves out farmers	JMG	25 Feb 2008	Gristmill
This is sad. Billed as a survey of what 'farmers' think of genetic tampering with food crops, the survey left out one important group: farmers. Restricting itself to large-scale commodity growers, the survey is garbage in, garbage out. I doubt that such notables as Gene Logsdon, Wendell Berry, and Joel Salatin would qualify as 'experts' to these folk.
Topics: GMOs, food, agriculture (all these topics)

Monsanto U. Public-university researchers get cash for studying GMOs -- and the shaft for studying organic ag	Guest author	20 Feb 2008	Gristmill
The following is a guest essay by Nancy Scola, a Brooklyn-based writer. Her essay, which first appeared on Alternet, is a lucid, detailed look at what has become of public-university agriculture research in an age of budget austerity. ----- I've startled a bug scientist. 'Yeah, now I'm nervous,' said Mike Hoffmann, a Cornell University entomologist and crop specialist who spends his days with cucumber beetles and small wasps. But he's also in charge of keeping the ...
Topics: education, scientific research, food, agriculture, industrial ag, GMOs, organic food (all these topics)

Page:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8		Results 1 – 25 of 183

Stories About: GMOs