The delay in proposed renewable fuel minimums by the Environmental Protection Agency may have hindered the future of advanced biofuels, the kind of cellulosic ethanol formulas made from tall grasses and stalks. Although researchers tout advanced biofuels' environmental benefits, the uncertain policy
Industry experts expect corn ethanol production to stay strong despite a proposal to reduce federal renewable fuel requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed to reduce renewable fuel mandates for 2014 through 2016, lessening what it initially slated in 2005.
San Jose and Spokane have filed lawsuits seeking damages associated from chemical pollution allegedly caused decades ago by a former version of the agribusiness giant Monsanto. The two public nuisance lawsuits claim the seed company should be on the hook for water contamination costs related to dang
As news of a possible Monsanto-Syngenta merger keeps rolling out, multiple media outlets are reporting that two noteworthy figures have gotten involved with the process. Billionaire investor John Paulson of Paulson & Co. has took on a large number of shares in the Swiss chemical company Syngenta, ac
Monsanto is still gunning to acquire Syngenta even though the Swiss chemical company rejected the most recent $45 billion takeover offer. St. Louis-based Monsanto has been considering proposals to buy Syngenta since 2011. Officials from Syngenta feel the proposals undervalue their company’s worth.
Monsanto is predominately in the seed business, but the St. Louis-based company has dabbled in the data business, as well. Its Climate Corporation allows farmers to use cell phones and laptops to analyze hyper-local weather data and monitor weather trends. Farmers say the improved data service has h
Climate change will likely cause billions of dollars in damages to the agriculture industry, according to government reports. Yet, while agriculture is a climate change victim, it is also a culprit. Agriculture production sends large amount of nitrous oxide and methane into the atmosphere, two poten
Two decades ago, less than 10 percent of corn and soybean acres were planted with genetically engineered seeds. Last year, nearly every single acre of corn and soybean was planted with GMOs. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows St. Louis-based seed company Monsanto has propelled that rapid incr
Highlights from the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting's package on GMOs and climate change. In the last 20 years, U.S. farmers have widely turned to genetically engineered seeds to help counter more prevalent pests and other climate change consequences. U.S. Department of Agriculture data o
Swiss chemical company Syngenta received a second offer from St. Louis-based agribusiness Monsanto over the weekend. The value of the offer was roughly equal to when Monsanto tried to buy Syngenta in April. At the time, the seed giant offered Syngenta a reported $45 billion, a figure that Syngenta p
Today, even in areas where farming is a major industry, many are unfamiliar with farming. In Illinois, with less than 2 percent of Champaign's population involved in production agriculture, the Champaign County Farm Bureau has made it part of its mission to educate the community about the work being
Powerful agribusiness companies that regularly net billions in profits are major recipients of state and federal tax breaks, subsidies, grants and loans. Just seven of those companies have pocketed billions since 2000, according to government subsidy data from Good Jobs First. Tax experts say the co
