The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Synthetic biology is changing what we eat. Here’s what you need to know.

Another innovation in food technology is giving scientists, consumers, and health advocates pause. Synthetic biology (synbio) is a form of genetic modification offering plant-based proteins to create foods and fibers that taste, look, and feel like meat products or natural fibers. Examples are “bleeding” veggie burgers and “spider silk” textiles. Concerns about the technology include: […]

Gene-editing technology to create virus-resistant cassava plant has opposite effect, researchers find

Scientists have found that using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to engineer cassava plants to fight off the mosaic virus, actually led to propagation of mutated viruses resistant to gene editing. Plant biologists at the University of Alberta, the University of Liège in Belgium, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology urged caution, saying it “creates a selection pressure on the […]

“Modified: A Food Lover’s Journey Into GMOs” receives James Beard documentary film award

Filmmaker Aube Giroux recently was honored with the James Beard Award (the “Oscars” of the food world) for her work exploring the labeling of genetically modified foods. A decade-long labor of love, “Modified: A Food Lover’s Journey Into GMOs” follows Aube and her mother Jali Giroux, whose shared love of food leads them into a […]

New report documents impacts of GMO contamination in Canada

Since genetically modified crops were introduced into Canadian agriculture almost 25 years ago, GMO contamination has had significant economic consequences, according to a recent report published by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) and the SaskOrganics’ Organic Agriculture Protection Fund (OAPF) Committee. The report calls for action to prevent future contamination incidents.  “GM Contamination in Canada: The failure to contain living modified organisms […]

Oregon legislature may let farmers sue for contamination from GMO crops

The Oregon legislature is considering a bill that would let farmers sue companies such as Bayer and Syngenta if those companies’ genetically engineered (GMO) seeds contaminate other crops. Such contamination hurts farmers of organic and non-GMO crops because they lose premium prices for their crops if they are tested and found to contain GMOs. GMO […]