Environmental issues

Genetically modified foods are a major political issue, but what if scientists told you they could cure cancer? New research suggests that inserting specific genes known to fight cancer into plant material could be an effective tool to eradicate the disease in certain people.

The World’s environment editor Peter Thomson ticks off his top stories of 2014, featuring an ice-bound ship, holes in the tundra and Barack Obama.

Genetically modified crops are a big part of both our food supply and our debates about health and safety. But some scientists and observers argue those debates are getting the science of GMOs wrong, and grouping together crops that don’t belong in the same argument.

Genetically modified crops are controversial in the United States, and they’re no less contentious in other parts of the world. In places like India, companies like Monsanto say their GMO crops have boosted agriculture and can help solve nutrition problems, but critics say those claims are wrong.

The battle over labeling GMO foods has prompted food companies to pour $27 million into lobbying efforts — just in the last six months. With a lawsuit arguing that Vermont’s GMO labeling law is unconstitutional and fights to stop labeling initiatives in other states, the big food lobbying push is likely to keep growing.