Semex, a Canadian-based, farmer-owned cattle genetics company, and Recombinetics, a gene-editing company, have formed an alliance to bring hornless dairy cattle genetics forward through the use of TALENs technology. TALENs involves very precise gene editing that makes small adjustments to the genome of an animal to delete, repair, or replace individual elements of DNA. Because dairy cattle breeds… Read More
While consumer opinion is split on the health and safety of food and food ingredients derived from genetic modification (GMOs), the majority of Canadians support labeling foods that contain GMOs, according to a recent survey by Dalhousie University. Researchers at the university, led by Sylvain Charlebois, surveyed 1,046 Canadians in an effort to measure “attitudes… Read More
Are you willing to change your mind when you discuss agriculture and food issues with people who don’t agree with your point of view? On some level, most people in agriculture engage in conversations with family, friends, and colleagues on a range of issues – everything from conventional versus organic agriculture, to the right to… Read More
The inaugural BeefTech conference was held in Edmonton this week, where Agri-Trend founder and “outspoken advocate for agriculture” Robert Saik delivered the keynote address. Saik’s presentation focused largely on the metaphor of swimming in a river — we can either swim with the current of scientific evolution, or try to fight against it. In this… Read More
What will the identity preserved (IP) soybean market look like in 10 years? Sevita International’s new CEO Don Rees believes the market will double over the next decade and he feels that’s a conservative estimate. Grabbing a larger piece of that growing IP pie will be one of Rees’ goals as he takes the reins… Read More
Opportunities to watch Food Evolution, the new documentary focusing on scientists’ views of GMOs, have been few and far between. But that all changes today with the release of the film on iTunes and Amazon. RealAgriculture attended a premiere of the film in Guelph, Ont., in June, but since that time the film has struggled… Read More
What’s the value of public opinion? That’s a question I find myself asking more often these days. In a democracy, public opinion should matter and politicians and policy makers should have a strong understanding of the people’s will when making public policy. But should they give the people what they want? Today we have no… Read More