Grist | Topics | 29 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 29
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
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)

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)

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: agriculture, food, GMOs (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: agriculture, education, food, GMOs, industrial ag, organic food, scientific research (all these topics)

Attack of the superweeds While global GMO acreage surges, herbicide-resistent weeds thrive	Tom Philpott	14 Feb 2008	Gristmill
Global acreage of genetically modified crops jumped 12 percent in 2007 -- 'the second highest increase in global biotech crop area in the last five years,' gushes a report from the pro-GMO International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). Farmers planted an additional 30 million acres of GM crops in 2007, an area nearly equal to the land mass of Iowa (a huge swath of which itself is planted in GM crops). Overall, GM crops cover 282.4 mil ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, industrial ag, toxics (all these topics)

Biofuels: good for agrochemical/GMO biz GMO giant Monsanto wows Wall Street, consolidates its grip on South America	Tom Philpott	13 Feb 2008	Gristmill
While debate rages on Gristmill and elsewhere about whether biofuels are worth a damn ecologically, investors in agribusiness firms are quietly counting their cash.As corn and soy prices approach all-time highs, driven up by government biofuel mandates, farmers are scrambling to plant as much as they can -- and lashing the earth with chemicals to maximize yields. At a Wall Street meeting on Tuesday, genetically modified seed/herbicide giant Monsanto promised investors ...
Topics: agriculture, Argentina, Big Ag, biofuels, Brazil, business, energy, food, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Edible media: Hole in the middle New NYT pundit bravely defends GMOs, cloning	Tom Philpott	06 Feb 2008	Gristmill
Edible Media takes an occasional look at interesting or deplorable food journalism on the web. The New York Times op-ed page appears to be grooming James E. McWilliams, a professor of history at Texas State University, as a rising pundit on food-politics issues. In August, The Times ran a McWilliams piece worrying that growing consumer desire for local food might be harming the environment. And yesterday, they had McWilliams wringing his hands about whether clone ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs (all these topics)

GMOs as environmental pollution Schmeiser to play David to Monsanto's Goliath again	Kurt Michael Friese	28 Jan 2008	Gristmill
Most of you will recall the high-profile battle fought by Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser when he was sued for growing their GM seed without tithing to the corporation for the privilege. Schmeiser insisted that Monsanto's patented DNA blew onto his land, but he lost an acrimonious fight in Canada's Supreme Court anyway. Now Percy's back for more. Schmeiser has filed suit against the agribusiness giant in his Bruno, Saskatchewan, small claims court ...
Topics: agriculture, business, food, GMOs, industrial ag, litigation (all these topics)

Eco-Farm: Seeds of ignorance Investigative journalist reveals serious safety concerns about GM food	Tom Philpott	25 Jan 2008	Gristmill
Note: For the next few days I'll be reporting from Eco-Farm, the annual conference held by the Ecological Farming Association of California. At Eco-Farm, some 1,400-1,500 organic farmers, Big Organic marketers, and sundry sustainable-ag enthusiasts pack into a rustic, beautiful seaside conference hall an hour-and-a-half south of San Francisco to talk farming amid the dunes. I've been writing about genetically modified food since I first took up food-politics writing ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, health, industrial ag (all these topics)

Genetically engineered 'supercarrot' New superfood is higher in press-release fluff and poor journalism than your average carrot	Matthew Dillon	24 Jan 2008	Gristmill
The best way to read this post is to begin with a recent press release from Texas A&M on their new Supercarrot. Second, read Wired magazine journalist Alexis Madrigal's coverage of the story. Alexis praises the next generation of biotech crops. He writes that, 'A carrot that increases what's known as the bioavailability of calcium could have a major impact in the marketplace.' Really? You are correct, Alexis: it could have a major impact on a totally ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, health (all these topics)

Seeds of wisdom Seed-savers and greens unite to challenge Monsanto's latest cash cow	Tom Philpott	23 Jan 2008	Gristmill
For years, candy makers and other industrial food manufacturers refused to use genetically modified sugar, fearing a consumer backlash. Photo: iStockphoto As a result, Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beet -- designed to withstand heavy application of Roundup, Monsanto's herbicide -- has been dead in the water. (Sugar beets, grown in the Midwest and Northwest, account for half of U.S. sugar production; cane, grown mainly in Florida, provides the rest.) B ...
Topics: agriculture, business, food, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Franken-broccoli? The GM seed giants lumber into the veggie patch	Tom Philpott	19 Dec 2007	Gristmill
In 2005, Monsanto bought Seminis, the world's largest vegetable-seed company. At the time, Monsanto -- which enjoys a dominant position in the global market for GM soy, corn, and cotton traits -- claimed it had no imminent plans to subject veggies to genetic modification. Now I learn from the excellent new blog SeedStory, by Matthew Dillon of the Organic Seed Alliance, that Monsanto is working on RoundUp Ready lettuce. And the few other transnational giants that domi ...
Topics: food, agriculture, business, industrial ag, GMOs (all these topics)

The Beet Generation Genetically modified sugar beets expected to be in widespread use in U.S. soon		28 Nov 2007	News
Posted at 8:06 AM on 28 Nov 2007 The U.S. sweetener industry may soon have a new sugar daddy as it gears up for the widespread rollout of genetically modified sugar beets. GM sugar beets have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2005, but resistance from end-users such as chocolatiers Hershey's and Mars had disrupted their widespread use. But now with that resistance largely o ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, news, United States (all these topics)

Attack of the Helpful Tomatoes Radiation breeding of plants is way better than it sounds		28 Aug 2007	News
Posted at 3:47 PM on 28 Aug 2007 Think two wrongs don't make a right? Meet radiation breeding, a method of modifying crops by zapping them with gamma rays. While "radiation" and "modify" are unpleasant words to many, "I'm not doing anything different from what nature does. I'm not using anything that was not in the genetic material itself," says plant breeder Pierre Lagoda. The ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, news (all these topics)

Edible Media: Gene blues Why we may one day bitterly regret GM crops	Tom Philpott	03 Jul 2007	Gristmill
Edible Media takes an occasional look at interesting or deplorable food journalism on the web. I spent the weekend in Atlanta at the first-ever U.S. Social Forum -- an extremely interesting event, but not the place to go for someone needing to catch up on rest. Now I'm laid up with a sore throat, which gave me a chance to do today something I never get to do anymore -- curl up with the print version of the Sunday New York Times. I especially like to dig into the b ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Moscow on the Cud Sign Russian capital introduces label for GM-free food		25 Jun 2007	Daily Grist
Moscow on the Cud Sign Russian capital introduces label for GM-free food Now you can have your GM-free borscht and read it, too: next week, the city of Moscow will debut a groundbreaking label for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients. Under the leadership of Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, the city has devised a voluntary system of testing and labeling that will allow products to carry a GM-free label for a y ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs, news, Russia (all these topics)

Monsanto tastes defeat Twice in one week!	Tom Philpott	08 May 2007	Gristmill
Monsanto has barreled its way toward dominance over the global seed market with strong-arm tactics and friends in high places. As evidence of the former, the roguish company once threatened to sue me -- then a neophyte blogger with 30 readers -- on the most trivial grounds possible. As for the latter, software monopolist Bill Gates, evidently impressed with the way Monsanto tosses around its market girth, has tapped a former Monsanto exec to help lead his foundation' ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, Department of Agriculture, food, GMOs, industrial ag (all these topics)

Genetic tampering explodes in our face The sorcerer's apprentice running amok in ag?	JMG	10 Apr 2007	Gristmill
Gene tampering (called "genetic modification" by the same people who call gambling "gaming" and sewer sludge "biosolids") is a terrible idea, said the "extreme environmentalists" who warned that, nature being what it is, it wouldn't be long before we would see invasive weed species adopting whatever characteristics we created. Those same 'alarmists' warned that gene tampering had nothing to do with helping feed the world, but instead ha ...
Topics: agriculture, food, GMOs (all these topics)

Also amusing	David Roberts	29 Mar 2007	Gristmill
The Daily Show on cloned meat:
Topics: agriculture, food, funnies, GMOs (all these topics)

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Stories About: agriculture AND food AND GMOs