SLAPP Win: Court Awards Legal Fees to Filmmaker in Dole Case

December 15, 2010–The makers of "Bananas!," which claimed that Dole's use of pesticides had caused harm to farm workers in Nicaragua, were awarded $200,000 in court costs and attorney fees.

Report: Nitrogen and Phosphorous Pollution Remains Serious Threat

September 29, 2010–The USGS study used data from thousands of locations to analyze trends from 1992 to 2004. You can probably find many local and regional stories as these pollutants contribute to various environmental and human health problems.

Court: BLM Must Release Names of Grazing Permit Holders

September 22, 2010–The decision could eventually force disclosure for holders of some 18,000 permits across 160 million acres in the West.

Reporters' Resources: Farm & Food — A Local Story

July 21, 2010–Journalism about farm and food is often a key part of the environment beat. To help reporters quickly find sources and resources that can help them cover farm and food, SEJ has compiled on its website a list of some of the best.

Urban Agriculture: Down, But Not out, on the Farm

July 21, 2010–This growing trend can yield a crop of homegrown food stories with strong environmental angles. Here's a roundup of recent and upcoming urban agriculture issues, as well as some background and resources, to whet your appetite.

Taxpayer-Funded Feedlots Refuse To Disclose Polluting Emissions

May 5, 2010–Beef and pork factory farms are exempt from federal requirements to report their greenhouse gas emissions but are okay with accepting federal subsidies to capture their methane emissions and turn them into energy.

Several More States and Provinces Hit by Fatal Bat Disease

April 28, 2010–Bat losses can have major impacts on ecosystems, as they routinely consume large quantities of insects and themselves provide food and nutrients for other plants and animals. There also are economic impacts as caves close to recreational use, in an effort to combat the spread of the disease.

Supreme Court Case Could Affect Many GE Foods

April 14, 2010–The case, Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms, focuses on genetically engineered alfalfa. One of the concerns is that GE alfalfa can cross-contaminate, rendering organic alfalfa noncompliant with federal standards, and precluding export.

1 in 7 Wildlife Refuges Has Genetically Engineered Crops

March 17, 2010–Three organizations file a lawsuit against the USFWS, a new study finds three strains of GE maize likely damaged organs of rats that ate the foods for just three months, pesticide use associated with GE crops may actually be greater than for traditional crops, and GE seed prices skyrocket.

Detailed Organic Farm and Ranch Data Available

February 17, 2010–USDA's first major national survey of U.S. organic farms includes 14,540 farms and ranches that cover 4.1 million acres in 50 states.