Just Label It, News Roundup 9-28

Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy all across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as “probably” being carcinogenic. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has defended its work on glyphosate against criticism by arguing that the same critics praise its work on neonicotinoid insecticides. After more than 20 years of genetic engineering in farming, consumers still remain skeptical and even say they are “grossed out” by genetically modified food, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis. A commonly used weed killer could be wiping out bee populations around the world, scientists have warned. US synbio firm Intrexon, which owns GMO mosquitos, salmon and apples, is being investigated by lawyers for securities fraud. AquaBounty CEO tells investors Canadian buyer is using engineered salmon for ‘high-end sashimi line’. The maker claims they have sold 4.5 tonnes in Canada this year but won’t say to whom? A new study has detected neonicotinoid insecticides in raw and treated drinking water in water from the lower Great Lakes in southern Ontario, Canada, an area dominated by intensive agriculture. An urban farming project in West Sacramento, California, aims to fill the area’s food deserts with fresh produce and create new farmers in the process.

Glyphosate under fire from San Francisco to Sri Lanka

Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy all across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as “probably” being carcinogenic.

Study: Many consumers say they are ‘grossed out’ by GMOs

After more than 20 years of genetic engineering in farming, consumers still remain skeptical and even say they are “grossed out” by genetically modified food, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis. Sydney Scott, assistant professor and lead author of the paper “An Overview of Attitudes Toward Genetically Engineered Foods,” said people tend to view naturalness as sacred, and genetically engineered food is a violation of that naturalness.

EFSA ignored independent studies on glyphosate but not on neonics

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has defended its work on glyphosate against criticism by arguing that the same critics praise its work on neonicotinoid insecticides. An EFSA opinion states that the use of neonicotinoids endangers bees – an opinion that led to a ban. But regarding the herbicide active ingredient glyphosate, EFSA stated that the chemical does not pose a risk to human or animal health – an opinion that led to its remaining on the market. This is in spite of the view of the cancer agency IARC that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen.

Under the USDA’s Definition, 90 Percent of Iowa’s Farms Are “Family Farms”

When you think of “family farms,” a nice bucolic image probably comes to mind: something small, maybe lower-budget or lower-tech, run by a family.

BEE DEATH: SCIENTISTS WARN COMMON WEED KILLER GLYPHOSATE IS KILLING HONEY BEES

A commonly used weed killer could be wiping out bee populations around the world, scientists have warned. Glyphosate appears to destroy the so-called good bacteria in honeybees’ guts, leaving the insects more prone to infection and even death, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

US synbio firm Intrexon investigated for securities fraud

US synbio firm Intrexon, which owns GMO mosquitos, salmon and apples, is being investigated by lawyers for securities fraud. The law firm Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Intrexon Corporation. The investigation concerns whether Intrexon and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

Maker of GMO salmon says it sold 4.5 tonnes in Canada this year but won’t say to whom

AquaBounty CEO tells investors Canadian buyer is using engineered salmon for ‘high-end sashimi line’

What Sparked An E. Coli Outbreak In Lettuce? Scientists Trace A Surprising Source

The illnesses started appearing in late March. Here and there, across the country, people were checking themselves in to hospitals, sick from toxic E. coli bacteria. At least 200 people got sick. Five of them died. Investigators quickly identified romaine lettuce as the source of the outbreak, but have had trouble pinpointing the cause for months. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has a theory for how E. coliended up on that lettuce. According to the FDA, it probably came from a large cattle feedlot at one end of a valley near Yuma, Ariz., which is one of the country’s biggest lettuce-growing areas.

An L.A. couple left urban life to start ‘The Biggest Little Farm’ and then made a movie about it

In 2011, purchased 130-acres of land in Moorpark, 50 miles north of Los Angeles. Their journey is the subject of a new documentary directed by John, “The Biggest Little Farm,” which debuts at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend and screens next week at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, which is seeking theatrical distribution, isn’t entirely a grass-is-greener story. It depicts the immense struggles the Chesters faced in trying to create an organic, biodynamic business, which they named Apricot Lane Farms.

Neonicotinoids detected in Ontario drinking water

A new study has detected neonicotinoid insecticides in raw and treated drinking water in water from the lower Great Lakes in southern Ontario, Canada, an area dominated by intensive agriculture. Researchers sampled raw and treated drinking water at six water treatment facilities. Neonicotinoid insecticides were detected in raw and treated water but with much lower frequency in the treated drinking water. The neonicotinoid, thiamethoxam, was detected in one raw drinking water sample at levels above the guidelines for drinking water recommendations. “Further work is required to determine whether contamination of sources of drinking water with this class of insecticides is a global problem in agricultural regions,” the researchers wrote.

Farming Formerly Vacant Lots, Urban Ag Program Grows New Farmers and Fresh Produce for Food Deserts

An urban farming project in West Sacramento, California, aims to fill the area’s food deserts with fresh produce and create new farmers in the process.