The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

Gene editing hamsters induced the opposite effect from predictions—creating enraged “bullies”

Gene editing can turn your beloved hamster from a Dr. Jekyll to a Mr./Mrs. Hyde. That alone shows the potency of the genetic manipulation tool—but even scarier is that the researchers who used it on hamsters had strongly expected the opposite result. University of Georgia scientists used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool to remove a […]

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 […]

Cutting back on chemical fertilizer results in high yields, ecosystem protection

Relatively simple sustainable farming practices can increase crop yields and allow significant cutback of chemical fertilizer use, a new study finds. Rothamsted Research in the UK analyzed 30 EU and African farms and concluded that adding manure and compost to soils, growing nitrogen-fixing plants, and expanding crop diversity will boost harvests while improving natural ecosystems […]

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 […]

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 […]