In 1992, when coffee prices plummeted and pesticides robbed Geraldo Calderon of his health, he had to change his farming methods. But it would be another 5 years before he learned that he was on the cutting edge of the organic farming movement.
Coca-Cola has never shied away from trying new variations of its classic beverage. The company also is known for adding flavorful twists like lime and lemon to its drinks. But last week, both Coke and archrival Pepsi revealed that a more disturbing addition had made its way into their drinks: fungicide.
Last year, grocery sales were up a modest 1.8%, yet sales of organic items more than doubled that growth rate, up 4.4%. Clearly, we're shopping differently. But are we even sure what an "organic" or "all natural" label means? It's more complicated than you might think.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered Dole Food to pay $200,000 in attorney's fees for a Swedish documentary-film producer it had previously sued for defamation. The judge concluded the documentary, which chronicled Dole's treatment of its Nicaraguan workers, wasn't defamatory.
A fungus is quickly wiping out most of North America's bats. Bats eat vast quantities of bugs that would otherwise eat crops, so if researchers can't save them, U.S. agriculture will suffer.
A vast industry has sprouted up to fight infestation, from bug-sniffing dogs to portable fabric steamers to undercover exterminators. The front lines are jammed with all manner of measures, including pricey and high- and low-tech options.
