agriculture news stories on Newser

Is War on Drugs Bad for Chocolate?

Matt Cantor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:06:21 CDT

To cut down on production of the coca plants behind cocaine, the US has pushed an alternative crop to Peruvian farmers: a high-yielding cocoa hybrid. And while CCN-51 has had commercial benefits, there's one problem, chocolate experts say—it just doesn't taste that good. Instead, these connoisseurs say, Peru should...

Environmentalists Fear New Biotech Corn

Matt Cantor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:33:05 CDT

Debate is raging over a new biotech corn engineered by Dow Chemical. The corn, called "Enlist," is intended to solve farmers' struggle against tough weeds; that's because it's resistant to a powerful herbicide, also made by Dow. But environmentalists fear that wind, heat, and humidity would carry the herbicide toward...

Sorry, Critics, Sustainable Farming Is Not a Myth

John Johnson — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:46:40 CDT

In a recent New York Times op-ed , James McWilliams dismissed the movement toward smaller-scale, sustainable farming as ultimately unworkable in terms of logistics, and nowhere near as good for the environment as proponents suggest. In doing so, he called out one of the movement's leaders, Joel Salatin of Virginia's Polyface...

Farmworkers Seize Land in Massive Honduras Protest

Rob Quinn — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:31:00 CDT

Honduras saw its own kind of Occupy protest erupt yesterday. Thousands of impoverished farmworkers in the Central American nation took over land belonging to major landowners in a coordinated series of protests around the country, reports the BBC . The farmworkers insisted that the land was public land that small farmers...

FDA to Require Prescriptions for Livestock Antibiotics

Rob Quinn — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:48:58 CDT

The Food and Drug Administration is trying to slow the rise of drug-resistant super bugs by reducing antibiotic use in livestock. The agency will now require farmers and ranchers to obtain a prescription from a veterinarian before they can give antibiotics to animals, reports the New York Times . Close to...

Ruling Might End Use of Antibiotics in Animal Feed

John Johnson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:16:37 CDT

A decision yesterday by a federal judge could mean that farmers have to stop mixing antibiotics into animal feed, reports the OnEarth blog. The judge ordered the FDA to warn drug-makers of the coming change and give them a chance to prove that the antibiotics are safe and won't raise...

Monsanto Tests Biotech Corn Resistant to Drought

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:15:21 CDT

Seed giant Monsanto plans large-scale tests this year of the first government-approved biotech crop developed to deal with drought. The new corn is being introduced as much of the US remains abnormally dry and areas in the South and Southwest still face severe drought. The company plans farm trials from...

Seed Shortage Buries Hopes for Record Corn Crop

Rob Quinn — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:02:00 CST

American farmers had been planning the biggest corn planting since World War II this spring, but they're being thwarted by a seed shortage. Drought conditions in the Midwest and Great Plains last year have caused what dealers in the corn belt say is the biggest shortage of top-quality seeds they've...

Economic Ewe-Turn: Recession Spurs Agro-Revival

Mark Russell — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 11:04:48 CDT

Sick of the noise and hassles caused by lawn mowers? Instead, in Oberlin, Ohio, you can rent sheep for just $1 each per day to nibble your grass short. As the United States' economic malaise continues, young people around the country are increasingly turning to small, agriculture-related ventures like that...