The Non-GMO Blog

Bees boost crops and could steady food prices

Supporting and enhancing pollinators could help stabilize the production of important crops like oilseeds and fruit, reducing the sort of uncertainty that causes food price spikes, new research has shown. Scientists at the University of Reading analyzed years of data on the poorly understood effect of pollinators on crop yield stability. They found there was […]

Being near pollinator habitat boosts soybean size

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that soybean crops planted near pollinator habitat produce larger soybeans than soybean crops that are not planted near pollinator habitat. “Even though soybeans are not thought of as being dependent on pollinators, we found that soybean plants are still attractive to bees,” says Hannah Levenson, a postdoctoral […]

Did Sri Lanka’s transition to organic farming cause political crisis?

With the Sri Lankan president forced to resign and the country in economic shambles, did a sudden ban on chemical fertilizers play a role? Although right-wing herbicide proponents claim it did, David LaBorde of the International Food Policy Research Institute sees it otherwise. He noted that while Rajapaksa’s abrupt ban on chemical fertilizers did jolt […]

Regenerative agriculture: Opportunity, or threat to organic?

By Jim Manson, Journalist For decades, the term “regenerative agriculture” existed largely in the margins of the sustainable food debate. But in the last few years it has been catapulted to the heart of that debate. Instrumental in the transition to sustainability The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) say it will be instrumental in the […]

Cutting back on chemical fertilizer results in high yields, ecosystem protection

Relatively simple sustainable farming practices can increase crop yields and allow significant cutback of chemical fertilizer use, a new study finds. Rothamsted Research in the UK analyzed 30 EU and African farms and concluded that adding manure and compost to soils, growing nitrogen-fixing plants, and expanding crop diversity will boost harvests while improving natural ecosystems […]