Organic tree fruit growers face a dilemma. The disease fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, can infect apple and pear trees primarily through their blossoms during the flowering period when the bacteria are present and the weather conditions are right. It is a disease native to North America that has spread to other […]
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy paper entitled “Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages” on October 22, 2012. It is slated for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics. This new review comes on the heels of a September, 2012 meta-analysis by a team of physicians at Stanford […]
I have worked for many years on pesticide use, risks, and regulation, as well as the design, implementation, and benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. Given that all of the commercially significant, first-generation traits in genetically engineered (GE) crops are related to pest management, the real-world impacts of GE crops on pesticide use has […]
A comprehensive paper on the nutritional quality and safety of conventional versus organic food was published in the September 4, 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine (Smith-Spangler et al., Vol. 157, Number 5: pages 349–369). The Stanford University Medical School team concluded that: “The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are […]
I am extremely excited to announce that Dr. Chuck Benbrook will be joining WSU CSANR as a research faculty member in August of 2012. Chuck is well-known in organic food and farming circles nationally and internationally and brings a tremendous amount of capacity to the Center and to WSU’s overall organic and sustainable agriculture efforts. […]