Agriculture

We’re All in the Same Lifeboat Now: Climate change comes for farmers — from Mozambique to Iowa

It felt ominous when I was in Iowa in March that both Iowa and Mozambique were underwater from cyclone-induced flooding widely attributed to climate change. I’d studied and written about both places in my recent book.

Mexico’s move toward food self-sufficiency confronts GMOs

Amidst various news cycles of absurd demands and hateful reactions in the U.S., I was recently struck by some hopeful news of civility and constructive engagement from Mexico.

Future of U.S. federal nanotechnology: ‘safe by design’ product commercialization

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) held a stakeholders’ workshop on August 1-2 about its future, which must be reauthorized by Congress every four years. The NNI is an interagency and interdisciplinary hub for a dozen U.S.

Climate change and a new agricultural system

This week, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a long-awaited report on land, climate change and agriculture.* The report’s findings confirm that the agriculture and food systems on which we now depend are no longer viable. 

USDA to biotech: Call your own compliance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants agribusiness to sell more genetically engineered (GE) seeds and food products all over the world, as soon as possible. This rule would go beyond already controversial genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to encompass hundreds of new products of new gene and genome editing techniques. The fastest way to do that?

Landmark New York climate policy sets high bar

The state of New York’s climate change policy signed into law in June sets ambitious mandates for carbon free electric