agricultural

Huge Dead Zone In Gulf Of Mexico Traced To Midwest Meat Industry

Cattle trounce around a huge pile of manure at the JBS feed lot west of Greeley in Kersey, Colo. (AP/Ed Andrieski)
NEW ORLEANS – Tyson Foods, the largest meat producer in the United States, is a major cause of an enormous dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico – expected to be the largest ever this summer – according to a new report from an environmental nonprofit.

State in India Goes 100% Organic, Protects 75,000 Hectares of Land from GMOs

As of the end of December, 2015, Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state in the country. Implementing organic farming practices on 75,000 hectares of land, the citizens of Sikkim will enjoy GMO-free, sustainable agriculture which will be certified organic.

“We have achieved fully-organic status in the end of December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally announce this at a sustainable agriculture conference in Gangtok on January 18,” said Sikkim Organic Mission’s executive director Dr. Anbalagan.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Meets with Monsanto to Discuss Agricultural ‘Advances’ for 2016

The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, recently met with high-ups at Monsanto and other companies to discuss agricultural ‘advances’ for 2016. But was this really a ‘forum,’ or a way for Vilsack to promote Monsanto? And why were Monsanto insiders ever appointed to protect the safety of our food?
Vilsack’s meeting sounds more like a master conflicts of interest group get-together for the biotech and industrial agricultural model, especially when you consider who was leading the discussion:

Bayer Busted for $5.6 Million Over Deadly Chemical Blast

Bayer CropScience is one of the Big Five agricultural companies responsible for pushing GMOs and their health-damaging chemicals on the world. The company has agreed to pay a $975,000 fine and spend $452,000 on a series of measures to improve chemical storage facilities across the United States over allegations of serious safety violations that helped cause a massive explosion.

Are Aquaponics and Hydroponics Better than Organic?

One of the most recent decisions made by US Department of Agriculture has been branded as controversial and led to numerous disputes and arguments. The USDA decided to give an organic label to produce that is grown in controlled, water-based environments. The decision to label aquaponics and hydroponics as organic has angered a lot of people.