Learn

In a study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, UC Berkeley researchers have identified a connection between in-utero exposure to widely used organophosphate pesticides and subsequent development of attention problems.

A previous study, covered by TGL, found a correlation between exposure in children and ADHD.

Newswise — Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides before birth can increase susceptibility to attention disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new study is part of a growing body of research indicating that exposure to OP pesticides can adversely affect brain development.

Worried your child could have ADHD? His diet could be to blame.

Kids exposed to higher levels of a pesticide found in teeny amounts on commercially grown produce are much more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than kids who did not receive as much exposure, according to a nationwide study reported on CNN.

Over the last decade, American consumers fueled a fast-growing market for organic food and U.S. farmers flocked to genetically engineered (GE) varieties of several major U.S. crops. The potential for GE crop production to impose costs on organic production, via accidental pollination and other mechanisms, underscores the problem of coexistence between GE and organic crops.

When kids eat conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, what level of pesticide residues are they taking in -- and to what effect?

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has revoked the government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until regulators complete a more thorough review of how the scientifically engineered crops affect other food.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White Friday means sugar beet growers won't be able to use the modified seeds after harvesting the biotechnology beets already planted on more than 1 million acres spanning 10 states from Michigan to Oregon. All the seed comes from Oregon's Willamette Valley.

One of the primary concerns with transgenic (aka genetically modified) crops is the risk of genetic contamination, i.e. the transfer of engineered genes to wild versions of the same plant. The corporations involved in genetic engineering, such as Monsanto and Bayer CropScience, have time and again assured regulators and the public that this risk is minimal. Still, the government mandates "buffer zones" around such crops' plantings and the corporations who sell the seeds have created their own protocols to ensure this kind of thing never happens.

Q:  What does it mean if a seed is organic? How does this differ from treated, untreated, and genetically modified seeds?

In this interview, Gourmet Seed International General Manager Phil Winteregg explains what organic seed is, where you can go to find it, and what factors you should consider when deciding what type of organic seed to plant. 

Q: What does it mean if a seed is organic?