Just Label It, News Roundup 2-16

This week in the news, a U.S. court rejected a Food and Drug Administration appeal on GMO salmon approval documents. A new study linked colony collapse disorder in honeybees to glyphosate. It is the first study to analyze both the short-term and long-term effects of the herbicide on honeybees, and the effects are quite damaging. Our nation’s colleges and universities are finally rising to meet student demand for a more sustainable future. Swiss chemical giant Syngenta bought favorable coverage in London’s Evening Standard, but readers were left in the dark on the arrangement. Oregon sued the agricultural chemical giant Monsanto on Thursday, alleging the company withheld information about the toxic effects of its products for decades, leading to widespread contamination across the state and health risks for humans, plants and animals.

US Court Rejects FDA Appeal on GMO Salmon Approval Documents

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the FDA’s latest attempt to hide thousands of pages of key government documents related to the agency’s first-ever approval of genetically engineered (GE) salmon for human consumption. The court’s decision is a big win for public transparency and a firm rejection of the Trump administration’s position that it can unilaterally decide whether to withhold government documents from public and court review.

Honey bees’ attraction to fungicide “unsettling” for food output – study

Honey bees are attracted to a fungicide used in agriculture with “unsettling implications” for global food production, a scientist said on Tuesday.Tests carried out by a team from the University of Illinois showed bees preferred to collect sugar syrup laced with the fungicide chlorothalonil over sugar syrup alone. The finding follows other studies linking fungicides to a worldwide plunge in honey bee and wild bee populations which are crucial for pollinating crops.

The Current State of Agricultural Education

Once wellsprings of chemical innovation, our nation’s colleges, and universities are finally rising to meet student demand for a more sustainable future.

Celebrities on a Food Mission

Actress Zooey Deschanel and others are getting involved in food, but are they helping to move the good food movement forward?

Rebuttal to “The Organic Food Hoax”

The discredited Henry Miller is at it again with his unsubstantiated and groundless attacks on organic. Mr. Miller’s latest misinformation is in a recent op-ed. Here are the facts behind Mr. Miller’s unfounded – and frankly tiresome allegations.

Study shows honeybees are starving because of Roundup

It should come as no surprise that the use of Roundup comes with many negative effects, not just on humans, but the environment. Things that live in our environment also cannot escape the consequences of Roundup. For example, a recent study published by The Journal of Experimental Biology found that Roundup actually causes honeybees to starve. It is the first study to analyze both the short-term and long-term effects of the herbicide on honeybees, and the effects are quite damaging.

How a GM giant ‘bought control’ of what millions of Londoners read

The Evening Standard’s lucrative deal with Swiss chemical giant Syngenta shows how commercial giants pay for news – with readers left in the dark. 

Household usage of organic foods climbs to 30% in seven years.

The number of consumers seeking out and purchasing organic foods or products with clean labels continues to rise, with the products seen as healthier, more nutritious and more environmentally friendly, says a new report. 

Oregon sues Monsanto, alleges company knowingly sold toxic PCBs for decades

Oregon sued the agricultural chemical giant Monsanto on Thursday, alleging the company withheld information about the toxic effects of its products for decades, leading to widespread contamination across the state and health risks for humans, plants and animals.