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 […]

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 […]

At subcommittee hearing, farmers and experts highlight need for regenerative agriculture amid worsening climate crisis

In July, U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna, Chair of the Subcommittee on Environment, held a hearing to examine regenerative agriculture, the role it can play in preventing the worst of the climate crisis while protecting food supply, and the urgent need to reform federal policies that unjustly favor corporate agribusiness, often at the expense of family farmers. “Climate […]

Regenerative agriculture: Opportunity, or threat to organic?

By Jim Manson, Journalist For decades, the term “regenerative agriculture” existed largely in the margins of the sustainable food debate. But in the last few years it has been catapulted to the heart of that debate. Instrumental in the transition to sustainability The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) say it will be instrumental in the […]