A new study published online in the European Journal of Agronomy shows that when farmers employ no-till farming, meaning they do not disrupt the soil structure with cultivation equipment, and when they allow old plant matter to remain in the field after harvest, soil quality and crop yields are…

Stanford University Professor Mark Z. Jacobson recently published a new paper in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, "Review of solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security." According to Stanford News Writer Louis Bergeron, Jacobson has conducted the first…

Know anyone who is this close to the next big breakthrough in biofuels? Ending dependence on oil is one of the great challenges of 21st century, and there are heroes in our midst working towards alternative fuels. If you know someone who has contributed significantly to this goal, nominate them…

Well, it’s finally happened. The FDA announced today that it will make the final guidance available for governing genetically engineered animals. And if I strain carefully, I can already hear them -- the naysayers. For example, back in November, the Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of…

We’ve all heard it, “Pork, the other white meat.” It’s an ad campaign as ubiquitous as, well, pork. According to the National Pork Producers Council, pork at 42.6 percent, is the world’s most widely eaten meat. And while pork is popular, hog farms can sometimes cause environmental problems. …

I was pleased to read AP reporter Deborah Jian Lee’s story on Jan. 12, saying that the food and fuel debate has “receded to a murmur, and even the Grocers Manufacturers Association, one of the most vocal biofuel critics, seems to be backing off a bit.” Biofuel producers will likely remember that…

Since 2002, BIO's IP Counsels' Committee Conference was a private event where BIO members learned about the hottest topics in the industry: newly-introduced legislation on Patent Reform, draft BIO comments to the Patent & Trademark Office, experiences from fellow member companies and…

Yesterday I was sitting around wondering what I was going to write about today, searching for inspiration, when it hit me -- I'll ask my twitter friends!  So I posted, "looking for the latest, greatest, hottest, info/news on biofuels." And that's where the ideas came from for today's post --…

Welcome to Farmer Gene's blog. He's been kind enough to allow us to use this space to talk to you about modern agriculture. The postings on this site will help explain where your food comes from, the science involved in helping it get to your table, and how today's farmer is growing more and…

The European Parliament on Dec. 17 adopted amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Directive, raising targets for production of biofuels but at the same time setting strict sustainability standards to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of road transport fuels. The…