Dan Charles appears in the following:
As a GMO Pillar Wobbles, Biotech Companies Promise New Insect-Killing Genes
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Scientists have discovered a soil microbe with a gene that kills the corn rootworm, an insect that farmers spend $1 billion each year trying to control.
EPA Weighs In On Glyphosate, Says It Doesn't Cause Cancer
Saturday, September 17, 2016
The Environmental Protection Agency says that the country's most widely used weedkiller, glyphosate, does not cause cancer. The chemical has been under intense international scrutiny.
Farmers Lament Bayer's Acquisition Of Monsanto For $66 Billion
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
The world's largest seed company, Monsanto, is being bought by Germany-based chemical company, Bayer. Farmers at a farm show in Canada are wondering if this will reduce competition.
Bayer To Buy Monsanto For $66B, Part Of A Trend Of Consolidation In Big Ag
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Bayer, the maker of Aspirin and other pharmaceuticals and chemicals, is buying Monsanto in a deal valued at $66 billion. If approved, it would make one of the world's biggest agri-chemical companies.
STEM To Steam: How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education
Thursday, September 08, 2016
Coffee can teach us many things, including engineering. At the University of California, Davis, it's now the focus of the most popular elective class on campus and of an ambitious new research center.
How GMOs Cut The Use Of Pesticides — And Perhaps Boosted It Again
Thursday, September 01, 2016
There's new and detailed data on the impact of genetically modified crops on pesticide use. Those crops replaced insecticides, and, at first, some herbicides. But herbicide use has rebounded.
Minnesota Cracks Down On Neonic Pesticides, Promising Aid To Bees
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Minnesota's governor has ordered new restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been blamed for killing bees. Many details of the plan, however, remain to be worked out.
America's Real Mountain Of Cheese Is On Our Plates
Friday, August 26, 2016
To help dairy farmers hurt by a glut, the USDA said this week it'll buy $20 million worth of cheese and give it to food banks. But we eat so much of the stuff, that's hardly a drop in the bucket.
Berkeley's Soda Tax Appears To Cut Consumption Of Sugary Drinks
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
According to a new study, the nation's first soda tax succeeded in cutting consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. But there's uncertainty about whether the effect will be permanent.
Soda Tax Drives Down Sales In Berkeley, Calif.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
According to interviews conducted before and after Berkeley imposed a tax on sugary drinks, the tax is having the desired effect. People reported drinking 20 percent fewer sugar-sweetened drinks after the tax went into effect.
Why Do Milk Prices Spike And Crash? Because It's Like Oil
Friday, August 05, 2016
Milk is like oil - it's refined into products that are traded globally. So global events can mean profits or losses for dairy farmers. This year, they're seeing losses, and asking Congress for help.
Organic Food Fights Back Against 'Non-GMO' Rival
Wednesday, August 03, 2016
Sales of food labeled "non-GMO" are booming, and it's starting to annoy organic food companies. They see the non-GMO label as cut-rate competition that doesn't deliver what shoppers imagine.
Monsanto Sold Soybean Farmers A Weed-Beating Tool They Couldn't Legally Use
Tuesday, August 02, 2016
There's tension brewing among U.S. soybean farmers after Monsanto started selling a new herbicide-resistant seed — without EPA approval.
How Monsanto And Scofflaw Farmers Hurt Soybeans In Arkansas
Monday, August 01, 2016
A new type of genetically engineered crop is tempting farmers to use a weedkiller illegally. The illicit chemical use has damaged nearby crops and provoked conflict among neighbors.
Cookie Dough Blues: How E. Coli Is Sneaking Into Our Forbidden Snack
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Most people know not to eat raw cookie dough. But now it's serious: 46 people have now been sickened with E. coli-tainted flour. Here's how contamination might be occurring.
Inside The Lives Of Farmworkers: Top 5 Lessons I Learned On The Ground
Friday, July 15, 2016
Most of us don't usually get to meet the people who pick our apples, oranges or other seasonal favorites. What are their lives and work like? Dan Charles has spent the past year finding out.
Congress Just Passed A GMO Labeling Bill. Nobody's Super Happy About It
Thursday, July 14, 2016
The proposal will require food companies to disclose their GMO ingredients, but that information doesn't have to be on the packaging. It's a compromise, and neither side is all that enthused.
For Pickers, Blueberries Mean Easier Labor But More Upheaval
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Many farm workers call blueberries their favorite crop to pick. It pays well and the work is comfortable. But there's a catch: It's a short season, and workers and their families have to keep moving.
As Bagged Salad Kits Boom, Americans Eat More Greens
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Americans buy twice as many packages of bagged salad greens as heads of lettuce these days. Is the bagged stuff just as good? If it gets you to eat more leafy greens, yes.
Senate Passes A GMO Labeling Bill That The Food Industry Likes
Friday, July 08, 2016
The bill requires food companies to reveal whether their products contain GMOs. But those companies are pleased, because they won't have to print "GMO" on food packages.
