Science for
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"If we tried to feed the global population today on the average agricultural yields of the 1960s, we would need to farm over 85 percent of global land, instead of the 35 percent we use currently."
Professor Robert Henry
University of Queensland
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“People got in their head, well, if it's man-made somehow it's potentially dangerous, but if it's natural, it isn't. That doesn't really fit with anything we know about toxicology. […]
"Of course, almost all the world is natural chemicals, so it really makes you rethink everything. A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They've identified a thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. But we only found 22 that have been tested in animal cancer tests out of this thousand. And of those, 17 are carcinogens. There are 10 milligrams of known carcinogens in a cup of coffee and that's more carcinogens than you're likely to get from pesticide residues for a year!"
Professor Bruce Ames
American Biochemist
Speaking in 1991
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must reads
Science for Sustainable Agriculture news
Is the EU ready to join the global gene editing revolution?
Dr Petra Jorasch
Regulatory authorities around world are moving rapidly to clarify their stance on new plant breeding technologies such as gene editing. Nearly all are determining that certain gene edited crops should be regulated in the same way as conventionally bred crops, rather than as GMOs. As the European Commission prepares to unveil its plans for the future regulation of these techniques, is the EU ready to join the global gene editing revolution, or will we remain locked in a political and regulatory time warp, asks Dr Petra Jorasch.
Antibiotics have no place in organic farming, but gene editing does
Lord Rooker
Highlighting the potentially serious food safety risks associated with antibiotic use in organic farming, former UK Food Standards Agency chair and food safety minister Lord Rooker urges the organic sector to keep an open mind on the opportunities for new precision breeding technologies to help reduce the need for antimicrobial treatments by delivering genetic resistance to major disease challenges in farmed livestock.
Biotech can help make our food healthier, safer and more sustainable
Professor Johnathan Napier
Continued growth of the global aquaculture sector, allied to concerns over the sustainability of marine fish stocks traditionally used as feed, are driving increased interest in health-giving Omega-3 enriched oilseed crops as a renewable feedstock. Recent food scares over ‘forever chemicals’ found in eggs, linked to the use of fishmeal as feed, suggest biotech crops may not only be more sustainable, but also safer, writes Professor Johnathan Napier.
Why the European Union needs to grow genetically-engineered crops
Steven E. Cerier
International economist Steven E. Cerier describes how global innovation in plant breeding is already paving the way for higher yielding, more nutritious crops that can limit disease, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers, and adapt to greater weather extremes. The EU cannot afford to stand on the sidelines and not participate in this revolution. It is already placing its farmers at a competitive disadvantage, limiting consumer choice, and prompting scientists to depart for countries that are embracing these new genetic engineering techniques, he warns.
Minding the gap: Where is the vision for UK food production?
Ian Munnery
With food price inflation outstripping other rising costs, the realities for UK farmers and agribusinesses in satisfying market demands are challenging. With no sign of transition or continuity planning for domestic crop production, we need to think more holistically if we are to sustain a competitive UK agriculture sector and address the ‘elephant in the room’ - food security - writes plant breeder Ian Munnery.
The great organic seed swindle
Matt Ridley, Martin Jenkins &
Daniel Pearsall
Despite a steady decline in the total UK organic area, ‘emergency’ authorisations for organic growers to use non-organic seed – produced using the same synthetic pesticides and fertilisers banned under organic rules – reached record levels in 2022. Something must be done to address the double standards at play here, and the gigantic swindle taking place not only at the expense of conventional farmers, but also of unwitting consumers paying a hefty premium for the supposed ‘integrity’ of organic food, argue Matt Ridley, Martin Jenkins and Daniel Pearsall.
Post-CAP farming policies for England "lack scientific rigour"
Minette Batters
NFU President Minette Batters highlights concerns at the lack of scientific rigour behind the Government’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) for England. Post-CAP farming policies must be grounded in sound science, not hope and wishful thinking, otherwise we may find ourselves sleepwalking from one food crisis to the next, she warns.
Is England’s new gene editing law at risk of becoming an empty shell?
Nigel Moore
Plant breeder Nigel Moore warns that in considering the imposition of ‘GMO like’ regulatory measures for ‘nature like’ plants, the Food Standards Agency may well put paid to prospects for investment in precision breeding in England. That would effectively close off a real opportunity to deliver on the Agency’s stated aims to improve the safety, nutritional value, sustainability and affordability of our food, he suggests.
Time for a better debate about industry science, and so-called 'conflicts of interest'
Professor Tina Barsby OBE
A recent paper in Nature Food, entitled “An approach to conflicts of interest in UK food regulatory institutions” by Tim Lang and Erik Millstone, effectively calls for a ban on government scientific advisers in the food and agriculture sectors having any links to industry.
Without a hint of the irony at play, the paper was further amplified by Erik Millstone in a blog entitled “Can UK food safety regulators be trusted?” on the website of anti-pesticide lobby group PAN-UK. No conflict of interest there, then.
Farm to Fork: How the Ukraine war has exposed Europe's green farming plan as unsustainable
Steven E. Cerier
International economist Steven E. Cerier explores how war in Ukraine has derailed the European Union’s Farm to Fork initiative - and sparked a debate about what really constitutes sustainable agriculture. F2F was never a realistic policy, he suggests. It is aspirational but without the necessary detail to deliver the most sustainable approach. In practice it would reduce food production and farm incomes, and drive up food prices. The EU needs to rely on science to forge a more sustainable agricultural policy to reduce the carbon footprint of farming and lower the use of chemical inputs, he concludes.
We must use scientific evidence to drive best practice in sustainable agriculture
Dr Harriet Bartlett
The results of a study recently published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, by far the largest study of its kind, challenge the popular belief that higher-yielding, more intensive livestock farming always and inevitably means higher antimicrobial use – indeed several of the farms studied combined high yields and low antibiotic use. Lead author Dr Harriet Bartlett notes that the study highlights the importance of using scientific data and evidence to drive best practice in sustainable agriculture, rather than relying on unfounded claims or popular assumptions.
The unnatural nature of food (Part 4)
Matt Ridley
In the fourth and final part of his exploration of the concept of ‘naturalness’ in food and farming, science writer Matt Ridley concludes by warning that what those arguing in favour of more ‘natural’ ways of farming really mean is rejecting modern agricultural science and technology, and turning instead to old-fashioned, less productive and less efficient forms of food production. Ironically, in a world with more than 8 billion mouths to feed, this more ‘traditional’ approach to feeding people poses the most serious risks to nature and the planet, and at greater cost to humanity, he suggests.
European Court ruling on neonicotinoids further highlights ongoing EU regulatory inconsistency and dysfunction
Graham Brookes
The recent Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling that EU Member States can no longer grant derogations for the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments to control pests in arable crops like sugar beet and oilseed rape highlights the regulatory inconsistency and muddle that the European Union (EU) has created for itself. As its implications unravel, will the ruling extend to ‘emergency’ derogations permitting the routine and widespread use of ‘banned’ products in the EU organic sector, asks agricultural economist Graham Brookes.
Transitioning to ‘agroecology’ would make zoonotic pandemics more likely
Val Giddings
US agricultural science and policy expert L. Val Giddings notes that as COVID-19 spread around the globe, people turned to science for answers to develop new therapeutic drugs and vaccines - many produced with advanced genetic engineering. There were no moves to mass manufacture homeopathic and natural herbal remedies to protect ourselves from this all too natural epidemic. As a society, we understood that the solution lay in more innovation, not less; more progress, not retreat into romantic fantasies of a past in which plagues much worse than COVID were the common companion of near-universal malnutrition. The same is just as true for agriculture. Science and technology are the solution, not the problem. There is no greener way to feed and clothe humanity while reducing the risk of emergent pandemics.
Gene editing: Is Labour really a
pro-science party?
Professor Johnathan Napier
As the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill completes its passage through the House of Lords, plant scientist Professor Johnathan Napier welcomes a significant milestone towards more enabling and science-based regulation of crop improvement techniques such as gene editing. But secondary implementing provisions could take another two years to pass through Parliament, meaning the new rules may not come into force before the next General Election. After supposedly ‘pro-science and pro-innovation’ Labour MPs and Peers characterised gene editing techniques as risky, imprecise and warranting additional safeguards, could a risk-averse future Labour Government stifle the Bill’s objectives to enable innovation and encourage investment in these technologies, he asks.
“We must get out more” – Gene editing debate highlights the need for livestock scientists and specifically breeders to talk more openly
Dr Craig Lewis
The Genetic Technology Bill currently before Parliament could unlock the potentially paradigm shifting impacts of gene editing for farmed animals, and would give livestock agriculture the potential to address major challenges of animal health and welfare, reduce antibiotic use, ease management, and improve sustainability, says livestock breeder Dr Craig Lewis. But as Peers prepare to debate proposed changes to the Bill, he warns that outdated and inaccurate perceptions of modern livestock breeding and production could lead to unwarranted regulatory barriers to these advances. In response, he says livestock farmers, scientists and breeders must redouble their efforts to connect, communicate, and explain the positive contribution of genetic innovation to animal health, welfare and the environment.
Precision Breeding Bill: Peers’ GM 2.0 style plans could put genome editing out of reach for smaller breeders
Robin Wood, Elsoms Seeds
Elsoms Seeds is an independent, family-owned UK plant breeding company which recently celebrated its 175th anniversary. Deputy Chairman Robin Wood notes that Brexit dividends have so far been ‘thin on the ground’ for Britain’s plant breeders, and that leaving the EU has meant increased costs, delays, bureaucracy and business uncertainty for the seeds sector while operating in a much smaller market-place. Against this background, he describes the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill as a ‘beacon of hope’ with the potential to boost prospects for UK-based breeding investment and innovation. But as Peers prepare to debate the Bill at Report Stage, he warns that amendments seeking to add GM 2.0 style requirements to the face of the Bill, without scientific justification, could put these promising new technologies out of reach for independent SME breeding companies like his.
Feeding 8 billion people has never been easier
Bill Wirtz
Brussels-based policy analyst Bill Wirtz argues that technological progress and innovation can help us create a world of more abundant food, and that agricultural efficiency will continue to improve insofar as we allow scientists, plant breeders and farmers to fully deploy their knowledge and skill in a way that benefits consumers and the environment alike.
Land sparing policies can deliver biodiversity and climate targets at less cost to food production and at half the cost to taxpayers
Andrew Balmford and Lydia Collas
A study recently published in the journal People and Nature by researchers at the Universities of Cambridge, Leeds and Glasgow is the first of its kind to compare the taxpayer costs of different farm policy approaches to meeting future biodiversity and climate objectives. It concludes that a land sparing approach of focusing some land entirely on food production to allow more space for nature on unfarmed land would be far more cost-effective than prolonging the current land sharing approach of paying farmers to adopt lower-yielding production systems. To achieve the same overall outcomes, sharing will cost twice as much and see loss of 27% more food production, while potentially also increasing environmental damage in food-exporting countries and reducing the space available for wild species that cannot live on farmed land. The study's findings should inform a rethink of the funding and direction of England’s Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMs), argue two of the study’s authors, conservation scientists Andrew Balmford and Lydia Collas.
Precision Breeding Bill could supercharge investment in UK crop innovation
Professor Mario Caccamo
Legislation to be debated by Peers in the House of Lords over the coming weeks could help unlock the UK’s global leadership in plant genetic science, and encourage additional investment in research to help address the most pressing agricultural challenges of today. According to Professor Mario Caccamo, CEO of UK crop science organisation NIAB, precision breeding techniques such as gene editing will help accelerate the development of crops that are higher yielding, more nutritious, more resilient to climate change and less reliant on pesticides or fertilisers. But he warns that attempts to add more layers of scientifically unjustified precaution to the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill could blunt Britain’s gene editing revolution.
UK plant breeders support transparency on precision breeding techniques
Nigel Moore
As members of the House of Lords prepare to debate amendments tabled in advance of the Grand Committee stage of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, there will be calls on Government to enforce statutory labelling of food and feed produced from precision bred organisms. But such a requirement would not only contradict the underlying rationale for the Bill that precision-bred products could equally have occurred naturally or through conventional breeding, it would also drive up costs to consumers and would, in practice, be unenforceable through testing, writes plant breeder Nigel Moore.
In farmed animals, gene editing could be a game-changer for disease control, animal welfare and the environment
Lord Trees
Veterinarian Professor the Lord Trees explains his support for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill and its potential to deliver positive outcomes for disease control, animal welfare and environmental impact. And he points out that existing laws governing animal welfare, both in research and in agriculture, if properly enforced, should reassure those who have welfare concerns.
Wringing your hands or getting the ball rolling? Two approaches to decarbonising agriculture
Dr Julian Little
Science communicator Dr Julian Little examines two contrasting approaches taken by leading food businesses to promote more sustainable agriculture and food production – the apparently “unscalable” regenerative agriculture, and sustainable intensification. Which approach is most likely to deliver the necessary increases in global food production while at the same time reducing agriculture’s footprint, delivering net zero and leaving room for nature? And are they in conflict?
GM food: The best way for sustainable food production?
Fred Schwaller, DW, May 2023
GM food: The best way for sustainable food production? – DW – 05/26/2023
Weeds in the science
Terence Corcoran, Financial Post, May 2023
Junk Science Week: Weeds in the science | Financial Post
Gene-edited calf may reduce reliance on antimicrobials against cattle disease
My Vet Candy, May 2023
Gene-edited calf may reduce reliance on antimicrobials against cattle disease (myvetcandy.com)
Researchers genetically alter hens to produce allergy-free eggs
Medical News Today, May 2023
Egg allergy: Genetically altered hens lay allergen-free eggs (medicalnewstoday.com)
Ag biotech helps with climate change
Stuart Smyth, Western Producer, May 2023
Ag biotech helps with climate change | The Western Producer
Are you hungry for change?
Alexandra Brand, Euractiv, May 2023
Are you hungry for change? – EURACTIV.com
Outdated gene editing laws hobble NZ research
Farmers Weekly NZ, May 2023
Outdated gene editing laws hobble NZ research (farmersweekly.co.nz)
Looking at the good and bad of glyphosate
Laura Rance, Winnipeg Free Press, May 2023
Looking at the good and bad of glyphosate – Winnipeg Free Press
Environmental NGOs In The Global South: Saviors Of Humanity Or Predatory Special Interests?
Tilak Doshi, Forbes, May 2023
Environmental NGOs Hurt The Poor The Most (forbes.com)
Unmixed blessing
Erik Stokstad, Science, May 2023
‘Game changer.’ Scientists are genetically engineering crops to clone themselves | Science | AAAS
Eco-Progressive Pro-Science NGOs
David Zaruk, European Seed, May 2023
Eco-Progressive Pro-Science NGOs - European Seed (european-seed.com)
Can ‘enhanced rock weathering’ help combat climate change?
BBC News, May 2023
Can ‘enhanced rock weathering’ help combat climate change? - BBC News
Neonicotinoids and honeybees: Are agricultural chemicals harming honeybees?
Diego Macall, SAIFood, May 2023
Neonicotinoids And Honeybees: Are Agricultural Chemicals Harming Honeybees? - SAIFood
Gene editing promises an ethical, efficient solution to end male chick culling. Why are we afraid to execute?
Agfunder News, May 2023
eggXYt CEO: Gene editing is key to ending male chick culling (agfundernews.com)
Cracks appear in Europe’s opposition to CRISPR gene editing and other New Breeding Technologies
Steven Cerier, Genetic Literacy Project, May 2023
There is more to land management than producing food
Sir Charles Godfray, Farmers Weekly, May 2023
Opinion: There is more to land management than producing food - Farmers Weekly (fwi.co.uk)
Investment in Agriculture R&D Delivers Results that Matter
Guillermo Breton, Global Farmer Network, May 2023
Investment in Agriculture R&D Delivers Results that Matter | AgWeb
Nearly a quarter billion people are hungry. Can biotech help?
Bio News, May 2023
Food insecurity is growing. Can biotech help? - Bio.News
Start-ups see sustainable future in seaweed farming
Financial Times, May 2023
Start-ups see sustainable future in seaweed farming | Financial Times (ft.com)
Tweaking Vegetables’ Genes Could Make Them Tastier—And You’ll Get to Try Them Soon
Megan Bartels, Scientific American, May 2023
Green activists claim we can feed the world with organic-grown crops. Here’s a reality check
Marcel Bruins, Genetic Literacy Project, May 2023
New precision-breeding law unlocks gene editing in England
Mario Caccamo, Nature Biotechnology, May 2023
New precision-breeding law unlocks gene editing in England | Nature Biotechnology
When It Comes To Sustainable Cotton, Fashion’s Focused On 1% at the Expense Of The Other 99. Why?
Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes, May 2023
Consumers don’t know much about gene editing – but they should
Sylvain Charlebois, Toronto Sun, May 2023
CHARLEBOIS: Consumers don’t know much about gene editing – but should | Toronto Sun
Organic farming and gene editing: Is coexistence possible?
Euractiv, 8 May 2023
Organic farming and gene editing: Is coexistence possible? – EURACTIV.com
Is the Dutch government going to say it’s sorry?
Dan Flynn, Food Safety News, May 2023
Letter From The Editor: Is the Dutch government going to say it's sorry? | Food Safety News
How technology is helping farmers grow more food with less chemicals
Chemical & Engineering News, May 2023
How technology is helping farmers grow more food with less chemicals (acs.org)
Policy Experts Applaud Gene Editing Decision
Alberta Seed Guide, May 2023
Policy Experts Applaud Gene Editing Decision (seed.ab.ca)
We Can’t Manage Cattle Methane Without Better Measurements
The Breakthrough Institute, May 2023
We Can’t Manage Cattle Methane Without… | The Breakthrough Institute
Energy costs create headwinds for vertical farms
Financial Times, May 2023
Energy costs create headwinds for vertical farms | Financial Times (ft.com)
GMO Indecision of the Chinese Superpower
SAIFood, May 2023
GMO Indecision Of The Chinese Superpower - SAIFood
GM tomatoes are coming back, but this time they’re purple, and packed with new health benefits
Elaine Watson, AgFunder News, May 2023
GM tomatoes are back… but now they come with health benefits (agfundernews.com)
Address the growing urgency of fungal disease in crops
Eva Stukenbrock & Sarah Gurr, Nature, May 2023
Address the growing urgency of fungal disease in crops (nature.com)
The UK’s new Genetic Technology Bill will unlock innovation that could climate-proof food security
Giles Oldroyd, European Scientist, May 2023
Technology and an Optimal Climate Are Feeding the World
Vijay Jayaraj, Townhall, May 2023
Technology and an Optimal Climate Are Feeding the World (townhall.com)
Opinion: Fear of biotechnology will fade away
Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, The Western Producer, May 2023
Opinion: Fear of biotechnology will fade away | The Western Producer
Preparing For The Next Big Leap In Agricultural Innovation
Shely Aronov, Forbes, April 2023
Preparing For The Next Big Leap In Agricultural Innovation (forbes.com)
AI Weed-Killing Drones Are Coming for the Mega Farms
Coco Liu, Bloomberg, April 2023
AI Drone Cuts Chemical Use in Big Farm Weeding - Bloomberg
Mexico - Let’s Stop the Uncertainty and Embrace Technology
Georgina Gutierrez, Global Farmer Network, April 2023
Mexico – Let’s Stop the Uncertainty and Embrace Technology – Global Farmer Network
The American chestnut: A new frontier in gene editing
Samantha Surber, ASBMB, April 2023
The American chestnut: A new frontier in gene editing (asbmb.org)
Research Finds Gene Editing Can Aid Fight Against Potato Blight
Seed World, April 2023
Research Finds Gene Editing Can Aid Fight Against Potato Blight - Seed World
Fact: Genetically modified crops safe for the environment, farmers and the consumers
Robert Wager, Alliance for Science, April 2023
FAO: Governments Creating 'Gene Editing' Regulations Are In Defiance Of Science
Hank Campbell, Science 2.0, April 2023
Charles III Might Be King, but He’s Still the Dunce of Wales to Me
Henry I. Miller. ACSH, April 2023
Fertiliser manufacturers strive to curb greenhouse gas emissions
Clive Cookson, Financial Times, April 2023
Fertiliser manufacturers strive to curb greenhouse gas emissions | Financial Times (ft.com)
The Difference Between Academics And Activists
Stuart Smyth, SAI Food, April 2023
The Difference Between Academics And Activists - SAIFood
Germany is the major obstacle to the adoption of gene editing and other crop biotechnology innovations in the EU. When might that change?
Steven Cerier, Genetic Literacy Project, April 2023
Earth Day Has Become Polluted By Ignorance And Political Correctness
Henry I. Miller & Jeff Stier, ACSH, April 2023
Genetics and AI: The tech that goes into growing strawberries in Singapore
Channel News Asia, 14 April 2023
How gene-editing is about to deliver the promise of genuine superfoods
Emma Beckett, BBC Science Focus, April 2023
How gene-editing is about to deliver the promise of genuine superfoods | BBC Science Focus Magazine
Fighting Climate Change With Genetically Modified Trees
Science Friday, April 2023
Fighting Climate Change With Genetically Modified Trees (sciencefriday.com)
Your next salad mix could be made using CRISPR – and that’s a good thing
Juergen Eckhardt, Fast Company, April 2023
Your next salad mix could be made using CRISPR—and that's a good thing (fastcompany.com)
“No Bees, No Food.” How Insects Help Farmers With Their Harvest
Louise Gray, Literary Hub, April 2023
“No Bees, No Food.” How Insects Help Farmers With Their Harvest ‹ Literary Hub (lithub.com)
Early crop plants were more easily ‘tamed’
Talia Ogliore, Washington University in St Louis, April 2023
Every Farmer, Every Tool Important for Food Security
Jason Jenkins, Progressive Farmer, April 2023
Every Farmer, Every Tool Important for Food Security (dtnpf.com)
Climate Change Contributions from Seed and Crop Technologies
Stuart Smith, SAI Food, April 2023
Climate Change Contributions From Seed And Crop Technologies - SAIFood
NGO Science: Inside the Mind of a Cult Eco-Warrior
The Risk-Monger, April 2023
NGO Science: Inside the Mind of a Cult Eco-Warrior – The Risk-Monger
The farmers challenging the EU's green agenda
Financial Times, April 2023
The farmers challenging the EU's green agenda | Financial Times (ft.com)
Plant microbiomes: Humans are not the only organisms that need healthy biomes. Here is how to make safer and more nutritious food and feed
Steve Savage, Genetic Literacy Project, April 2023
Plant science has a natural role to play in achieving the UN SDGs
Pierre Petelle, CropLife Canada, April 2023
Plant science has a natural role to play in achieving the UN SDGs | CropLife Canada
The green war on sheep
Myfanwy Alexander, Spiked, April 2023
The green war on sheep - spiked (spiked-online.com)
Fear… Fades Away in the Rearview Mirror
Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, Global Farmer Network, April 2023
Fear… Fades Away in the Rearview Mirror | AgWeb
How can gene-edited crops reduce food waste?
Sarah Marshall, BioNews, April 2023
Gene-Edited Crops and Waste Prevention Week (bio.news)
Will the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) Achieve What We Need?
Hester van der Woude, Charles River Laboratories, April 2023
Will the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) Achieve What We Need? | Eureka blog (criver.com)
Norman Borlaug, 'Father Of The Green Revolution,' Was Remarkable In Many Ways
Henry I. Miller, ACSH, April 2023
Opinion: Let’s protect and optimize our harvests for years to come
Val Dolcini, Agri-Pulse, April 2023
Opinion: Let’s protect and optimize our harvests for years to come | Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
GMO food labelling: what works (and what doesn’t) for consumers?
SunAh Kim, BusinessThink, April 2023
GMO food labelling: what works (and what doesn’t) for consumers? - UNSW BusinessThink
Why the European Union needs to grow genetically-engineered crops
Steven Cerier, Genetic Literacy Project, April 2023
Why the European Union needs to grow genetically-engineered crops - Genetic Literacy Project
Innovation in agriculture can actually drive climate protection
Bill Wirtz, The Hill, March 2023
Innovation in agriculture can actually drive climate protection | The Hill
Celebrating Norman Borlaug: He Was Always Ahead Of His Time
Henry I. Miller, ACSH, March 2023
How will we feed Earth’s rising population? Ask the Dutch.
Kenny Torrella, Vox, March 2023
How will we feed 10 billion people by 2050? Ask the Netherlands. - Vox
Researchers turn to epigenome editing to protect cash crop cassava from blight
AgFunder News, March 2023
Researchers turn to epigenome editing to protect cassava from blight (agfundernews.com)
England Allows Gene-Edited Crops
Steven Novella, Neurologica, March 2023
England Allows Gene-Edited Crops - NeuroLogica Blog (theness.com)
To Proudly G(M)O Where No Tomato Has Gone Before With Norfolk Healthy Produce
John Cumbers, Forbes, March 2023
To Proudly G(M)O Where No Tomato Has Gone Before With Norfolk Healthy Produce (forbes.com)
Boosting food production with smart farming techniques
Victor Ayeni, Punch, March 2023
Boosting food production with smart farming techniques (punchng.com)
Should regenerative agriculture follow organic’s path?
GreenBiz, March 2023
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/should-regenerative-agriculture-follow-organics-path
Better days ahead for wheat
Arvin Conley, World Grain, March 2023
From the editor: Better days ahead for wheat | World Grain (world-grain.com)
Microbes on the farm: a solution for climate change?
Financial Times, March 2023
Microbes on the farm: a solution for climate change? | Financial Times (ft.com)
Is the world approaching 'peak fertilizer'?
Hannah Ritchie, Sustainability by Numbers, March 2023
Is the world approaching 'peak fertilizer'? (substack.com)
Climate-Driven Technology Forces Out Europe’s Farmers
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes, March 2023
Climate-Driven Technology Forces Out Europe’s Farmers (forbes.com)
To Stay Resilient, Seed Needs to Innovate
Seed World, March 2023
To Stay Resilient, Seed Needs to Innovate - Seed World
Gene-edited pigs another tool in PRRS fight
Kevin Schultz, Farm Progress, March 2023
Gene-edited pigs another tool in PRRS fight (farmprogress.com)
The Luddites' Veto
Ronald Bailey, Reason, March 2023
Don't Emulate Europe's 'Responsible Research and Innovation' Approach (reason.com)
Vertical farms offer solution to fruit and veg shortages
Farmers Weekly, March 2023
Vertical farms offer solution to fruit and veg shortages - Farmers Weekly (fwi.co.uk)
With Over 8 Billion Mouths to Feed, It’s Time to Innovate
Alex Martin, Seed World, March 2023
With Over 8 Billion Mouths to Feed, It’s Time to Innovate - Seed World
Americans’ Quest For ‘Authenticity’ Is Often Ill-Informed (Part 2)
Henry I. Miller, American Council for Science & Health, March 2023
Tomato shortage in Britain a taste of what’s to come
Lara Williams, The Royal Gazette, March 2023
Tomato shortage in Britain a taste of what’s to come – The Royal Gazette
Targeted modifications of living organisms: Time has come to change the European regulation
Catherine Regnault Roger, European Scientist, March 2023
Fact or Fiction: Is GMO a Misleading Term?
Marcel Bruins, Seed World, March 2023
Fact or Fiction: Is GMO a Misleading Term? - Seed World
A food tech revolution is set to radically change what’s on the menu, if you’re game
Graham Phillips, Sydney Morning Herald, March 2023
Food tech revolution could bring the extinct back to life (smh.com.au)
It’s time for a second Green Revolution
Bjorn Lomborg, National Post, February 2023
Bjorn Lomborg’s Do-able Dozen: It’s time for a second Green Revolution | National Post
Gene-editing is a useful, important, cost-effective tool
Hannah Senior, Farmers Guardian, February 2023
5 ways CRISPR gene editing is shaping the future of food and health
World Economic Forum, February 2023
5 ways CRISPR gene editing is positively impacting the world | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Scientists unlock key to drought-resistant wheat plants with longer roots
Eurekalert!, February 2023
Scientists unlock key to drought-resistant wh | EurekAlert!
Study: Organic farming saves billions but yields not up to par
Euractiv, February 2023
Study: Organic farming saves billions but yields not up to par – EURACTIV.com
Vegans trying to kill off the burger just cannot get past this obstacle
Andrew Orlowski, The Telegraph, February 2023
Vegans trying to kill off the burger just cannot get past this obstacle (telegraph.co.uk)
Breeding Crops to be Less Allergenic
European Seed, February 2023
Breeding Crops to be Less Allergenic (european-seed.com)
Reproductive technologies for sustainable livestock production
Curtys R. Youngs, Open Access Government, February 2023
Reproductive technologies for sustainable livestock production (openaccessgovernment.org)
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal
Kristin Houser, Freethink, February 2023
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal (freethink.com)
Cotton pesticide risk cut by 70 per cent, new research confirms
FarmOnline, February 2023
Cotton pesticide risk cut by 70 per cent, new research confirms | Farm Online | ACT
Allow farmers to embrace the power of gene editing
Rachael Hamilton MSP, The Times, February 2023
Allow farmers to embrace the power of gene editing | Scotland | The Times
The start-ups betting on ‘peecycling’
Financial Times, February 2023
The start-ups betting on ‘peecycling’ | Financial Times (ft.com)
How biotechnology over-regulation harms farmers, boosts food costs and fuels inflation
Henry I. Miller, Genetic Literacy Project, February 2023
African Farmers Need Access to Synthetic Fertilizer Now
The Breakthrough Institute, February 2023
African Farmers Need Access to Synthetic… | The Breakthrough Institute
Food Security Supports our National Security
Kip Tom, Hoosier Ag Today. February 2023
Commentary by Kip Tom: Food Security Supports our National Security - Hoosier Ag Today
The farmers fighting back against the irrational elites
Brendan O’Neil, Spiked, February 2023
https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/02/10/the-farmers-fighting-back-against-the-irrational-elites/
COP-27: A great opportunity to address the double crisis of food security and climate change–and for the EU to re-align its farm to fork strategy
Philipp Aerni, Frontiers in Environmental Economics, February 2023