The Non-GMO Blog

Flame weeding: a sustainable, cost-effective approach for weed management in organic corn

Conventional corn and soy rotation farmers have relied on herbicides and GM seed varieties to kill weeds. Organic production uses soil tilling to achieve mastery over weeds—though that method hampers carbon sequestration. Is there an alternative to these practices? Sustainability has published a study introducing flame weeding as a suitable option. The report compared using […]

Gene editing proposal: Modify hens to kill male chicks before they hatch

Israeli scientists have presented a concept patent to use CRISP/Cas gene editing technology to produce modified chickens disallowing male offspring to hatch. The proposal is being touted as “more humane” because young male chicks from laying hens are currently slaughtered in the egg and chicken meat industries—being unsuitable for either industry. Dr. Michael Antoniou and […]

CDC finds toxic weedkiller glyphosate in 87% of children tested

About 87% of 650 children tested had detectable levels of the ubiquitous and toxic herbicide glyphosate in their urine, according to a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food is the main route of exposure to glyphosate for the children, aged 18 and under, according to CDC researchers. Glyphosate is the active […]

Federal court denies Bayer’s appeal, reviving cancer lawsuit

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Montgomery, Alabama has dealt another blow to chemical giant Bayer over its controversial Roundup herbicide. The federal appeals court rejected the argument that federal law shielded the company from state laws claims, such as the one from John Carson, diagnosed with malignant fibrous histiocytoma after using Roundup […]

Did Sri Lanka’s transition to organic farming cause political crisis?

With the Sri Lankan president forced to resign and the country in economic shambles, did a sudden ban on chemical fertilizers play a role? Although right-wing herbicide proponents claim it did, David LaBorde of the International Food Policy Research Institute sees it otherwise. He noted that while Rajapaksa’s abrupt ban on chemical fertilizers did jolt […]