Agriculture

"Highly toxic pesticides are being applied to GMO test fields on Kaua‘i at a much higher rate than on most US farms, an analysis of new data reveals"

"Four national organizations whose members would be affected by Vermont's new labeling law for genetically engineered foods filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court challenging the measure's constitutionality."

"America's favorite cola sweetener – corn syrup – is at risk due to weather and water threats.
But soft drink sales are languishing as a health-conscious public spurns soda.
And dietary shifts could prove a bigger factor than climate change in cutting the sweetener from our lives."

"Pesticide use is surging among U.S. corn farmers who are worried that some insects have become resistant to genetically modified versions of the crop."

"There was a celebration on the Statehouse steps in May when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill into law that made Vermont the first state to require labeling of genetically modified foods."

"Bacon prices could be on their way up with news that a farm in Indiana has confirmed a second outbreak of a pig disease that has already killed off seven million swine in just over a year."

"Venom from one of the world's most poisonous spiders may help save the world's honeybees, providing a biopesticide that kills pests but spares the precious pollinators."

"The federal government is taking a new approach to conservation with a $1.2 billion program in the Farm Bill that will include competitive grants for soil and water improvements in eight regions, including the longleaf pine forests of North Carolina and other Southern states, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday.

'This is a new day,' Vilsack said in an interview.