Monthly Archives: March 2011

Penn State Ag Budget Hits the Chopping Block; Is that Bad or Just Necessary? A Perspective by an Undergraduate Student

By Will Nichols

In the spirit of promoting undergraduate education that is different and “outside the classroom”, I am posting this article that was written by Will Nichols, a senior at Penn State (his short bio is at the bottom of the blog).  Will’s blog was first posted on Pearl Snaps’ Ponderings blogsite.  Enjoy reading the blog. Continue reading Penn State Ag Budget Hits the Chopping Block; Is that Bad or Just Necessary? A Perspective by an Undergraduate Student

Here a “Natural” Food there a “Natural”Food…Have you had any “Natural” Food Lately?

Terry D. Etherton

Is your preference to shop for and purchase “natural” foods?  Based on some of my observations in a few trips recently to the West Coast and Texas, there are some segments of the restaurant and grocery store industries where the usage of this phrase has gotten completely out-of-hand.  Every time I hear “natural foods”, I always wonder what isn’t “natural”?  Of course, that isn’t the point of marketing, which should be to communicate succinctly…no, in the food industry one seems to need phrases that are poetic and differentiate some foods as a whole lot better, safer and healthier even when they are not! Continue reading Here a “Natural” Food there a “Natural”Food…Have you had any “Natural” Food Lately?

Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010

Terry D. Etherton

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has released their annual report Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010.  The report presents interesting and compelling information about the rapid global adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops.

2010 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the commercialization of biotech crops. As a result of the consistent and substantial economic, environmental and welfare benefits offered by biotech crops, millions of large, small and resource-poor farmers around the world continued to plant significantly more acres of biotech crops in 2010. Continue reading Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010