pronald | August 12, 2013Petition | Global scientific community condemns the recent destruction of field trials of Golden Rice in the Philippines | Change.org.
pronald | August 7, 2013Can GMO corn cause allergies? Don’t believe Elle’s scary story. - Slate Magazine.
pronald | May 22, 2013The Genetic literacy project continues to publish well-informed, science-based articles about plant genetics and farming. Here ist he latest: Navigating the agricultural biotech minefield: When an MIT study is not an MIT study | Genetic Literacy Project.
pronald | May 16, 2013
On Saturday, May 18, the second international "Fascination of Plants Day" will take place under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organization (EPSO). Join in to see for yourself how fascinating plant are. Show your support for plant science, which is critical for sustainable food production, biobased medicines, and energy. There are 54 countries participating in the Fascination of Plants Day, with over 650 institutions involved and 950 events planned!
Check out this interactive map that shows all of the participating countries.
Here at the University of California, Davis, the…
pronald | April 18, 2013My interview with Jordan at the Ruminant. Does the concept of "#GMO" advance sustainable agriculture? http://theruminant.ca/2013/04/17/ruminant-podcast-episode-19-pam-ronald-genetic-engineering-plant-breeding/
The Ruminant Podcast episode 19: Pam Ronald on Genetic Engineering in Plant Breeding | the ruminant...sharing good ideas for farming and gardening.
pronald | April 15, 2013It’s challenging to name a more influential food writer than The New York Times‘ Mark Bittman—nor one less informed and more damaging to the public weal on the issue of genetically modified crops and foods. Simply said, he is a scourge on science.
Those are strong words, and not written lightly. However, when a journalist carries the imprimatur of the world’s most influential newspaper, he/she has standards to uphold, not the least of which is to know the basic facts about what one writes about. Bittman freely and often engages the debate over GMOs in food, from lobbying for government-…
pronald | March 15, 2013"Whole Foods Market caused a stir last week when it announced that it would require all products sold in its stores in the United States and Canada to carry labels indicating whether they contain genetically modified ingredients by 2018."
Today the NYT published an editorial concisely summarizing the issues and pointing out that there is little reason to make labeling compulsory.
Read more here:
Why Label Genetically Engineered Food? - NYTimes.com.
pronald | March 8, 2013A Rebuttal : Collide-a-Scape.
Keith Kloor;: "When I drew attention to the piece via Twitter yesterday, there was near instantaneous shock and outrage to it from some scientists. Others also shook their heads in disbelief. "
Read on
pronald | February 25, 2013Mark Lynas » Golden promise: How ‘biofortification’ could soon be saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
pronald | February 22, 2013Finally, after a 12-year delay caused by opponents of genetically modified foods, so-called “golden rice” with vitamin A will be grown in the Philippines. Bu for 8 million kids, the wait was too long.
GM food: Golden rice will save millions of people from vitamin A deficiency. - Slate Magazine.
pronald | February 9, 2013Greg Jaffe, Center for Science in the Public Interest, addresses myths on GE crops. What You Need to Know About Genetically Engineered Food - Greg Jaffe - The Atlantic.
pronald | February 5, 2013Today @ Colorado State University - CSU rice researcher tapped for national policy board to help prevent bioterrorism.
pronald | February 3, 2013Respected writer Jared Diamond recently published an overall excellent opinion piece in the New York Times discussing how we often obsess about the wrong things, while failing to watch for real dangers.
Jared Diamond’s Guide to Reducing Life’s Risks - NYTimes.com.
Many of us in the Plant biology community were quite surprised at one phrase buried in an otherwise excellent article:
'It turns out that we exaggerate the risks of events that are beyond our control, that cause many deaths at once or that kill in spectacular ways — crazy gunmen, terrorists, plane crashes, nuclear radiation…