November/December

Positive outlook seen for organic agriculture in 2022

By Henry Wilson, economist, Mercaris Organic agriculture continues to grow year after year, becoming a larger part of the food and agriculture industry. This did not slow down in 2021, as the amount of organic acres in the U.S. is expected to grow at a steady rate. The continued growth of total operations and harvested […]

Organic and conventional farmers see the promise of perennial grain, form co-op to scale it

Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative formed to increase production of Kernza® as a way to build soil health, preserve water sources, mitigate climate change, and revive rural communities Organic and conventional farmers may not agree on farming practices but in Minnesota they are finding common ground on the value of Kernza perennial intermediate wheatgrass. Twenty-five organic […]

Demand for organic and non-GMO certification continues to grow

More farmers seek organic certification as organic acres increase; Non-GMO certification sees steady growth and more inquiries as confusion surrounds new GMO labeling law Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, more U.S. farmers are getting their land certified while food brands are still seeking Non-GMO Project verification, especially as the new GMO labeling law […]

Mexico’s highest court rejects appeal of GM corn ban

By Timothy Wise Bayer/Monsanto suffered another in a long string of setbacks in its battle to grow genetically modified (GM) corn in Mexico when the country’s highest court on October 13 refused to overturn a precautionary injunction restricting the cultivation of GM corn. In its unanimous decision, the court agreed with the citizen petitioners who […]

Calling the latest gene technologies ‘natural’ is a semantic distraction—they must still be regulated

By Jack Heineman, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Canterbury, Brigitta Kurenbach, University of Canterbury, Deborah Paull, University of Canterbury, Sophie Walker, Guest Lecturer, University of Canterbury Legislators around the world are being asked to reconsider how to regulate the latest developments in gene technology, genome editing and gene silencing. Both the European Court […]