The Politics of Risk
Safe foods and technologies no longer reaching some markets Risk is an odd thing in modern societies. Most of us prefer to avoid risk, yet we all do risky things every day. We drive, we smoke, we drink, we buy…
Stuart Smyth
Experts are Hopeful for More Nutritious Foods
Numerous other consumer benefits expected Over the past three years, my research team has been surveying an international panel of experts about genome editing. This panel of experts consists of over 700 experts from around the world which include plant…
Mobilizing Genome Resources to Feed the Future
Establishing DivSeek to drive innovation collaborations Problems with the provision of food are an annual occurrence, at multiple locations across the globe. On any given day, it’s estimated that 800 million individuals are food insecure. Fortunately, many scientists have been…
Competitive Ag and Science Regulations
Genomic editting is being regulated worldwide, so how will Canada create policies for this innovative technology? Canada's Ag. wants to see regulation make it this science competitive for numerous reasons....
How Long is Something Novel?
Exploring when regulatory oversight is no longer required In Canada, new plant varieties are regulated based on the final product, not the process used to create the variety. For example, a herbicide-tolerant canola variety is regulated based on the traits…
Holy Healthy Houseplant Batman!
Being indoors doesn't mean you're safe from air pollution. Canadian's spending 90% of their time indoor, which means indoor air quality should be a growing concern for us Canadian. Being indoors so much exposes ourselves to volatile organic carcinogens (VOCs) like chloroform and benzene, which can have negative effects on our health. Research has recently genetically modified an ivy plant to help reduce such VOC exposure, yet its a long way from being your future houseplant.
The Pace of Science Goes Supersonic!
For 4 years SAIFood has been sharing & communicating about sustainable agriculture, innovation & food has been building awareness about agriculture. So, as SAIFood enters into its 5th year of sharing and communicating here’s the top 5 things I’ve noticed in the change sof agriculture.
Small Acre GM Crop Production can have Big Benefits
Last year on SAIFood we discussed the benefits of the four major genetically modified (GM) crops, canola, corn, cotton and soybeans, yet less attention has been given to smaller acre GM crop production. It isn’t surprising why most of the…
What Does 2019 Hold for Food and Ag?
When it came to making future predictions, Carnac the Magnificent was on top of his game. Too bad for us, it’s tougher predicting what the coming year may hold for food and agriculture. Unlike me, Johnny Carson had the benefit…
Real Human Lab Rats
Poison Squad set to determine acceptable limits for toxins in food If you’ve ever had the misfortune of eating something that results in food poisoning, then you know the agony that results. Curled up and shivering on the bathroom floor…