On December 7, 2012 the President’s Council on Science and Technology released a report on the health of the nation’s agricultural research enterprise. It is a remarkable document that deserves close attention and a central place in the ongoing debate over where and how to deploy science and technology in advancing progress in the food […]
When discussing climate change, the scientific and policy communities generally differentiate between mitigation (reducing) of carbon/greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change. While there is certainly a causal linkage between these topics, this differentiation makes general sense in that taking action along either of these courses can take place independent of action along the […]
I’ve made it to the fifth and final question. I’ve been delving into the five most frequently asked questions I receive about climate change and agriculture over the past several months, and I personally think…
Integrating Pacific Northwest Research, Extension and Teaching Initiatives on Climate Change and Agriculture: Achieving More than the Sum of the Parts? Over the past decade, more than 50 million dollars in competitive grant funding for climate change research has been invested in Pacific Northwest agricultural science institutions making the Pacific Northwest a global leader in […]
Managing Change Northwest recently brought Allan Savory of the Savory Institute to the Pacific Northwest to speak to the Washington Cattleman’s Association, the Tilth Producers of Washington, and a special workshop and keynote in Seattle…
I recently saw an infographic that stated, “There are no life forms in the soil, which is sterilized…” What was it talking about? Soils on the moon? A toxic chemical spill? Soils around Chernobyl? Nope,…
Three studies on the relationship between agriculture and global carbon dynamics were released in the past couple of weeks that are relevant to Pacific Northwest agricultural systems. Two are studies published in a special issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation from CSANR’s Climate Friendly Farming Project (Brown and Huggins; Stöckle et al.) […]
I had the opportunity to attend the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting for a day last week. The day was devoted to the Crops Subcommittee which is charged with looking at all the production inputs to be allowed or prohibited in organic agriculture. This is a daunting job, and board members (who are volunteers) […]
While I am not generally inclined toward self-promotion, I can say without hesitation that WSU truly is World Class when it comes to sustainable and organic agriculture. We know this because of the amazing run of success WSU scientists have had in recent years in various competitive science programs like USDA’s Organic Research and Extension […]
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 […]