The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Non-GMO and organic seed trial data now online

The US Testing Network (USTN) announced that its non-GMO and organic seed yield trial data is now available online. USTN was launched in 2009 when a few cutting-edge seed corn retailers and breeders decided it was time to build something they couldn’t find—a yield trial testing network for their non-GMO and organic hybrids. Sarah Carlson […]

New zinc-enriched non-GMO corn set to improve nutrition in Colombia

The first zinc-enriched corn variety developed for South America was released in Colombia this past February in an effort to combat malnutrition in the country. Developed using traditional non-GMO breeding techniques, this biofortified corn variety has naturally higher concentrations of zinc, an essential mineral that plays an important role in human development. It is estimated that […]

Ensuring non-GMO and organic flour for bakers

Consumers want their baked goods to be as honest and nutritious as their dairy, fruits, and vegetables—so they look for logos such as Certified Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified. “The largest issue is meeting the requirements for those niche ingredients,” said Keith Smith of Cargill. Testing and verifying flour is essential, along with documentation from […]

Hawaii may ban neurotoxic pesticide that EPA kept on the market

In May, the Hawaii legislature made a momentous decision to pass a bill that would ban the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. The bill, SB 3095,  includes several other protections from and disclosures around pesticides that can harm children, including buffer zones around schools. The bill now heads to Hawaii Governor David Ige — who can sign […]

EU approves total ban on insecticides harming bees

Neonicotinoid insecticides are implicated in dramatic losses of bee pollinator colonies, and the European Union has voted to ban the three primary ones effective the end of 2018. Eighteen member states, including France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, voted in favor. “Authorizing neonicotinoids a quarter of a century ago was a mistake and led to […]