The Soil is Alive – Updates from University of Kentucky Integrated Plant and Soil Science
The Soil Is Alive! Did you know that a teaspoon of productive soil contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria? That adds up to equal the weight of two
Opinion, Politics, & Science
The Genetic Engineering Impact
It should come as no surprise that the utilization of GMOs is among the most polarized topics in American politics today. This heated debate is absolutely justified as, “Estimates suggest that as much as 80% of U.S. processed food may contain an ingredient from a GE crop, such as corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, soy flour, soy lecithin, or cottonseed oil.” (UC Biotech). The fact is, some of the largest food, farm and biotechnology companies in the US are making efforts to influence regulations set forth by the EPA, FDA, and other governmental bodies regarding genetically engineered ingredients.
Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture – Papaya in Hawaii?
In February 2016, a study was published by Purdue University following an analysis of genetically modified crops (GMOs) in the global agriculture industry. They found that, “18 million farmers in 28 countries planted about 181 million hectares of GMO crops in 2014, with about 40 percent of that in the United States.” (Wallheimer). In 2015, for the first time since commercially grown GMOs entered the food chain, the global acreage decreased by a mere 2 million hectares. While this certainly does not represent a peak for the GMO industry, it may be the start of a plateau.