USDA Approves 2 New Varieties of GMO Potatoes by Jason Best

Consumers seeking to satisfy their salty snack cravings sans genetically modified ingredients may soon have to get savvier about scouting out chips and other products made without the use of GMO potatoes.

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture formally approved two new types of genetically engineered potatoes, both of which were developed by Simplot, the Idaho-based spud giant. (A third GMO variety was previously approved by the department). Now, pending what amounts to a fairly cursory review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company expects all three GMO strains to be available to farmers for planting next spring.

Syngenta Warns of Delay in Takeover by ChemChina by Chad Bray

Syngenta said on Tuesday that its takeover by the state-owned China National Chemical Corporation could be delayed until early 2017, as European authorities take a deeper look at a wave of deals among the biggest producers of seeds and chemicals.

European Union antitrust regulators briefly suspended, in September, their review of a proposed deal between Dow Chemical and DuPont after the companies failed to supply requested information. Margrethe Vestager, the bloc's commissioner in charge of competition policy, has also vowed to closely review Bayer's $56 billion proposal to take over Monsanto.

Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops by Danny Hakim

LONDON - The controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat.

The promise of genetic modification was twofold: By making crops immune to the effects of weedkillers and inherently resistant to many pests, they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the world's growing population, while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides.

More Bad News for Honey as U.S. Seeks to Get Handle on Glyphosate Residues in Food by Carey Gillam

Testing for residues of an herbicide developed by Monsanto Co. that has been linked to cancer has turned up high levels in honey from the key farm state of Iowa, adding to concerns about contamination that have triggered at least two lawsuits.

Research by FDA chemist Narong Chamkasem and John Vargo, a chemist at the University of Iowa, shows that residues of glyphosate - the chief ingredient in Monsanto's branded Roundup herbicide - have been detected at 653 parts per billion, more than 10 times the limit of 50 ppb allowed in the European Union. Other samples tested detected glyphosate residues in honey samples at levels from the low 20s ppb to 123 parts per billion ppb.

Vapen Clear: Meet The World's First Cannabis Inhaler by Amanda Froelich

We are in the generation of social and medical cannabis evolution. Not only are the numbers of cannabis advocates increasing, but creative innovators around the globe are developing new ideas left and right.

There are now more ways than ever to get your medicinal or social intake of marijuana. If you thought you've seen it all, though, think again. The world's first-ever cannabis inhaler is starting to roll out and goes by the name of Vapen Clear, and there's nothing else like it out there!

Cut allergy symptoms and asthma attacks naturally by Dena Schmidt

Great news for all those that suffer with allergy symptoms and asthma. If you've ever wondered why foods like blueberries, kale and broccoli are considered super foods.

There is a particular potent, health supporting compound common that's common to all of them: quercetin - which can help you to feel better! Quercetin is found in numerous leafy, deeply colored vegetables and other healthy foods. It's a powerful antioxidant that's associated with fighting free radical damage, inflammation and the effects of aging.

Holy moley! No guacamole? CA sees avocado shortage by Natalie Brunell

A nationwide shortage of avocados has led to higher prices and less fresh eats in California and the Sacramento area.

The price of avocados is three times what it was two weeks ago. It's caused some Sacramento businesses like Taqueria Jalisco to stop serving the California staple. "It's just so expensive, and I don't think the consumers are willing to pay for it," Flores said. "As a small business owner, it doesn't make sense to carry it right now."

OMG! GMO! by Mary L. Gordon

The agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto and The Food and Drug Administration have repeatedly claimed, since 1996, that the Genetically Modified Organisms they introduced into the American food supply are perfectly safe for human consumption.

But new studies are showing some very different results. A recent article in the prestigious Nature magazine shows that the path of GMOs in the human body can have catastrophic effects on your health. According to the 2008 article entitled, "Characterization of microRNAs in serum: a novel class of biomarkers for diagnosis of cancer and other diseases", when we eat GMOs, they travel to the blood stream and eventually deposit on human organs such as the liver, pancreas, heart and lungs. These deposits are the cause of organ failure in humans, cancers, and other diseases.

Australia is in the grip of a potato shortage by Alyssa Braithwaite

Be prepared to pay more for your roast spuds, hot chips and potato salad. Australia is experiencing a potato shortage because of flood-affected potato crops in the southern states.

"The growers I've spoken to in Tasmania and Victoria in particular have had issues with the wet weather, meaning it's harder to get potatoes out of the ground," Lindhe tells SBS. The variety worst affected is the dirt-covered brushed potatoes, because of the way they are prepared for sale.

Using plants to clean contaminated soil by Brian Kaller

In the last couple of centuries humans have done a strange thing: we've dug the biggest pits, the deepest holes, and the longest tunnels the world has ever seen, all to find the most insidious and subtle poisons known to our mammalian bodies.

What we need is a device that can suck toxins out of the soil and either turn them into something harmless, or concentrate them in something lightweight and removable. No one has much money lying around to invent such a device, though, much less to manufacture millions of them and send them to sites around the world for free. Thus, these hypothetical devices would be even better if they already appeared around the world. It would be best, in fact, if these machines cost nothing to create, and once created could make more of themselves, at an exponential rate. While we're at it, it would also be nice if the devices also prevented soil erosion, fed bees and other pollinators, and provided shade, beauty, a home for wildlife, and possibly firewood.