Western corn rootworm can devastate corn fields, and genetically modified corn varieties with rootworm resistance are failing as the insects develop resistance to them. A new study by University of Illinois researchers has uncovered the genetic basis of resistance to western corn rootworm, paving the way for development of non-GMO corn hybrids that can withstand the worm.
Pipeline Foods LLC, the first U.S.-based supply chain solutions company focused exclusively on non-GMO and organic food and feed, recently announced it is building a new state-of-the-art grain terminal in Bowbells, North Dakota. Construction is underway in preparation for a late summer opening in 2018.
Francis Thicke, an organic farmer and former member of the National Organic Standards Board, warns that the integrity of the organic standards is in jeopardy with organic Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, certified organic hydroponically produced vegetables, and pressure from big business.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently ruled that livestock, including chickens, cows, and pigs, raised using organic agricultural practices do not have to be treated more humanely than animals raised in conventional farming. For years, the USDA had been developing organic requirements guaranteeing animals minimums of space, light and access to the outside. The requirements had wide support in the organic community and among consumers. The Organic Trade Association has vowed to fight the USDA’s decision.
In its 2017 Organic & Non-GMO Acreage Report market data firm Mercaris reports that US acreage for organic grains—corn, wheat, oats, and soy—increased by more than 30 percent over 2016 estimates.
