An April 19, 2014 blog post by NPR correspondent Dan Charles discusses Wal-Mart’s plans to develop a substantial new line of organic food products that will be sold at a 25% lower price than other organic brands. The story quotes individuals who question whether Wal-Mart will be able to deliver on the idea without hurting farmers […]
17 species cover crop blend. Photo: A. McGuire. In a recent post, I argued that we should cast aside the ideas of "balance of nature" and "nature knows best" in designing farming systems. If nature…
Behind many efforts to make agriculture more sustainable is the idea that our farming systems need to be more like nature. According to agroecologist Miguel Altieri, “By designing farming systems that mimic nature, optimal use…
In its December 20, 2013 issue, the journal Science identified cancer immunotherapy as the science breakthrough of the year. An editorial by the journal’s Editor-in-Chief Marcia McNutt explains the basis for the selection. She notes that the war on cancer started 40 years ago and has had great success in treating some cancers, while others […]
Farm bills over the last forty years have shaped today’s agriculture systems and technology. They have done so by setting the “rules of the road” and defining or shaping research and investment priorities. The new farm bill provides farmers, agribusiness, rural communities, and the food industry a more stable policy framework in which to make […]
Several people have inquired about the position of WSU, the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources on I-522, the initiative focused on GMO labeling…
Full disclosure: I come from a livestock-producing family tradition and I eat meat. And I like it. A lot. In his latest provocative post, my colleague Andy McGuire reflects on a new paper that assesses the potential to feed a growing global population by shifting from meat consumption to a vegetarian diet. The paper presents […]
Wow! Somehow a year has gone by since we first acted on the idea of a Center-wide CSANR blog, Perspectives on Sustainability. Thanks for sticking with us! Have a look back at director Chad Kruger’s initial post and let us know how we are doing. We always welcome your feedback and topic suggestions, so don’t hesitate to get in […]
I know that many residents of Washington were extremely concerned to learn about the discovery of glyphosate-tolerant wheat in an Oregon farm field this spring. WSU’s Agricultural Research Center released a news update today indicating that the glyphosate-tolerant gene was NOT discovered in any of the WSU breeding lines (commercialized or in development) nor in other […]
A growing number of Americans are learning that doctors don’t have miracle cures for all that ails us. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington has just released chilling data on the burden of disease in America, the driving forces behind disease and ill health, and modifiable risk factors […]