Agriculture

"New report says food industry groups spend big and 'spin' the truth to turn U.S. consumers away from organic."

"The White House on Thursday directed the three U.S. agencies that oversee biotech crop products to improve and modernize their regulatory "framework" to boost public confidence in a system that critics call a failure."

"Use of the third most popular pesticide in the U.S. is predicted to grow dramatically in the next few years."

"A major field trial of GM wheat that is designed to repel aphids has found the crop is no better protected against the pests than conventional wheat."

"The EPA will begin analysing the impacts of Atrazine and Glyphosate, the two most-commonly used pesticides in the U.S., on 1,500 plant and animal species in the U.S. under the terms of a settlement reached today with the Center for Biological Diversity."

"North Korea says it is facing its worst drought in a century, with its main rice-growing provinces badly affected. What effect will this have on an already impoverished population?"

"For the first time in nearly 40 years, state regulators are telling more than 100 growers and irrigation districts with some of the oldest water rights in California that they have to stop drawing supplies from drought-starved rivers and streams in the Central Valley."

"A California appeals court ruled this week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has until the end of this month to decide whether or not to ban a widely used pesticide linked to a number of health problems."