We cover today a new estimate of the increase in carbon emissions per year from renewable-fuels-driven land conversion over a five year period (2008-2012) in this “In the News” item. This latest study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will surely not settle the ongoing debate over whether corn ethanol and soy biodiesel increase or decrease […]
Read More, References, Comment »
The expansion of ethanol and other biofuel production from 2008-2012 has triggered the conversion of an estimated 7 millions of acres of mostly grasslands, and a smaller number of wetland, shrub, and forest acres, to predominantly corn and soybean production. In the course of doing so over just five years, renewable fuels-driven land conversion released […]
Read More, References, Comment »
Note — On October 11, 2017, Carey Gillam gave an invited address before the joint committee of the European Parliament’s Joint Session on Glyphosate held in Brussels, Belgium. Her presentation was filmed and posted on the European Parliament’s website. Hygeia Analytics has augmented Ms. Gillam’s presentation, drawing on her slides and our timeline of the […]
Read More, References, Comment »
While Bayer’s $57 billion deal to acquire Monsanto has received regulatory approvals in most of the world, it has not in the European Union. EU competition law is, in general, stricter than U.S. law. There are also huge differences, especially now, in willingness to enforce existing competition laws in Europe versus the U.S. An active […]
Read More, References, Comment »
Biotech, seed, and ag chemical industry news over the last 18 months has been dominated by the process and impacts of three big mergers — Bayer buying Monsanto, Dow and DuPont merging and then splitting off a combined ag business, and ChemChina’s purchase of Syngenta. It was inevitable that in this process of consolidation within […]
Read More, References, Comment »
Out west in Washington State, Stemilt is rapidly expanding the acreage producing organic apples. Its supply of organic apples will be up 55% in 2017, compared to the 2016 crop. Honeycrisp volume will rise 250%, and fuji volume will be up 90%. Today, about 30% of Stemilt’s extensive apple acreage is managed organically. Virtually all […]
Read More, References, Comment »
Timothy Wise has written a chilling account of the genesis of Malawi’s new seed policy in an Op-Ed entitled “Did Monsanto Write Malawi’s Seed Policy?”. The piece appears on the Foodtank website . In short, the answer is basically yes. Dr. Wise directs the Land and Food Rights Program at the Small Planet Institute, and is […]
Read More, References, Comment »
A distinguished team of scientists working for, affiliated with, or funding the CGIAR system of international agricultural research centers has issued a call for a new Global Crop Improvement Network (GCIN). The statement is entitled “Improving global integration of crop research” (Reynolds et al) and appears in the July 28, 2017 issue of Science Magazine. […]
Read More, References, Comment »
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance is one of the well-funded, influential organizations seeking to educate the public about all-things-agricultural (albeit, mostly conventional ag). They address food and farming-related economic, trade, federal policy, conservation, food safety, biotech, and research issues. Their CEO, Randy Krotz published an opinion piece July 6, 2017 in AgriPulse, a widely […]
Read More, References, Comment »
In a recent opinion piece in the Capital Press, Jerry Erstrom, the chairman of the Weed Board in Malheur County in southeastern Oregon, spoke out in support of holding ag businesses accountable for the damage caused by cross-pollination from GE crops. Malheur County is in the heart of ranch country and right next door to the […]
Read More, References, Comment »