Millions of animals are suffering unnecessarily at the hands of meat traders by enduring cruel, drawn-out journeys across the world to be slaughtered on arrival.

Some might say that Monsanto is more of a threat than al-Qaida, but I won’t say that. I remember the track record of Monsanto when it comes to seeking revenge against anyone who is critical of Monsanto’s corporate policies. I won’t say that I feel compassion for those who have been injured by Monsanto. I won’t say that cows suffer painful mastitis because of injections of Monsanto’s BGH.

I look at the empty countryside around our farm and can’t help but wish it were as thick with people as when my grandparents made a living here. Until recently, though, the kindest name the rest of the world had for this wish was “nostalgia.”

While many worry about the potential consequences of atmospheric warming, a few experts are trying to call attention to another global crisis quietly taking place under our feet.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Opponents of biotech crops said on Wednesday they were filing a lawsuit to challenge the USDA’s deregulation of Monsanto Co’s genetically engineered sugar beet because of fears of “biological contamination” and other harm to the environment.

A few years ago, an obesity researcher at the University of Washington named Adam Drewnowski ventured into the supermarket to solve a mystery. He wanted to figure out why it is that the most reliable predictor of obesity in America today is a person’s wealth. For most of history, after all, the poor have typically suffered from a shortage of calories, not a surfeit. So how is it that today the people with the least amount of money to spend on food are the ones most likely to be overweight?