The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Pesticides cause decline in a quarter of known bee species since 1990

An alarming report from Argentina has found that the number of observed bee species has dramatically dropped since the 1990s. Heavy use of pesticides is one of the likely causes of the decline. Eduardo Zattara and Marcelo Aizen at the National University of Comahue found a quarter fewer species reported between 2006 and 2015, compared […]

Glyphosate levels rising in blood of Florida manatees, threatening survival

Exposure to glyphosate, the world’s most popular herbicide, is increasing concentration of the chemical in the plasma of Florida manatees, noted a recent study in Environment International. Glyphosate was discovered in the plasma of 55% of the sampled animals; levels have increased in the last decade. The weedkiller is sprayed on sugarcane fields and on […]

New pesticides will modify insect genes: what could go wrong?

If the Environmental Protection Agency approves commercialization of a new GM pesticide, the result will be an open-air genetic experiment—that could “silence” essential survival genes for insects on contact or through ingesting sprayed crops. In addition, risks to farmworkers and rural communities would be triggered. “Once gene-silencing agents are released into the environment, there’s no […]

Pesticide residues discovered in organically managed soils

A recent study in Environmental Science & Technology has found pesticides in all of the screened organic fields, 40 in total. An analytical method containing 46 pesticides (16 herbicides, 8 herbicide transformation products, 17 fungicides, seven insecticides) was used on 100 total fields, 60 of them under conventional management and 40 under organic. The number […]

China inches toward commercial planting of GM crops

The Chinese government has never allowed domestic planting of GM corn and soybean varieties, but it is nearing approval of two modified crops. The push reflects a desire for greater food security—China currently is a very large importer of corn and soybeans. The glufosate and glufosinate-resistant soybean DBN9004 has already received approval in Argentina; the […]