Norm Benson

Let’s Get Vertical: Factory Farming

Agriculture has one hell of a footprint, occupying 37.6 percent of earth’s land area, or about 0.7 hectares (1.7 acres) per person to feed our world’s current population. “There is no activity that humankind engages in that has a bigger impact on the planet than agriculture,” Jack Bobo, Chief of Biotechnology and Textile Trade inContinue reading “Let’s Get Vertical: Factory Farming”

Let’s Get Vertical: Factory Farming

My Day at Monsanto R&D

If there is one thing we can all agree on it’s that food is a good thing. Food is what provides our bodies with the vitamins, nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins that fuel our daily lives. James Beard said,“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Former cook, food writer and snarkicist, Anthony Bourdain says thatContinue reading “My Day at Monsanto R&D”

At least eat their food

If there is one thing we can all agree on it’s that food is a good thing. Food is what provides our bodies with the vitamins, nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins that fuel our daily lives. James Beard said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Former cook, food writer and snarkicist, Anthony Bourdain saysContinue reading “At least eat their food”

Latest Organic Study: More confirmation bias. Less filling.

Recently, a group of researchers announced their findings ahead of their report on the nutrition of organically produced food to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The study is titled “Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses,” and,Continue reading “Latest Organic Study: More confirmation bias. Less filling.”

More Antioxidants. Less Filling.

Last Friday a group of researchers announced their findings ahead of their report on the nutrition of organically produced food to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The study is titled “Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses,”Continue reading “More Antioxidants. Less Filling.”

Just Label It

Just Label It Just stick an “Odd Priorities” label on the March 27 opinion piece printed in the Record-Bee, An Alternative Approach: Food labeling and GMO. You have to have a full belly to worry about labeling the technique used to make a food; especially a food that every science organization in the world agreesContinue reading “Just Label It”

Whack a bee – Neonics edition

It’s time once again for everyone’s favorite game show: Environmental Whack-a-Mole! What Black & White Green scare do we have for scientific experts to bat down with nuanced arguments today, Johnny? Johnny: “This time It’s Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that’s in the news once again. Many greens want to ban a particular class of syntheticContinue reading “Whack a bee – Neonics edition”

Can the poor eat now?

More noise from Michael Pollan found here (and I have written on here). He suggests that the poor could get a more varied diet and avoid the effects of a vitamin poor diet (such as vitamin A deficiency) by planting “greens in pots around their houses…” That way, we would not need to employ GoldenContinue reading “Can the poor eat now?”

Golden rice now, everything else is noise.

Please spare me the anti-biotech crowd’s Argumentum ad Monsantum (the “Appeal to Monsanto” argument) over Genetically Engineered (GE) foods. I’m speaking, of course, of the push back in the Lake County Record-Bee to my “Golden rice, golden opportunity” column. Golden Rice is a genetically engineered crop created by borrowing the carotene-making gene from corn andContinue reading “Golden rice now, everything else is noise.”