Journalist, author, campaigner, former editor of the Ecologist, Slow Food Person of the Year 2024. Focus on environment, food, health and technology.
London, UK
Joined April 2010
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Ecoreflections retweeted
We agree with this excellent analysis. The approval of the Tropic banana, ahead of any actual fruit to sell, was based on theoretical evidence when actual evidence was available. So what were they trying to hide?
New #GMO (gene-edited) banana may not be “precision bred” after all. Developer did not look properly for unintended changes and Prof Michael Antoniou says there are indications it may contain unintended changes that pose risks to health & the environment. gmwatch.org/en/latest-news/2…
Ecoreflections retweeted
We are back in court on November 12 to hear how what remedy will be ordered after our judicial review found that the Genetic Technology Regulations were unlawful. We’d like to see the regulations quashed and will keep pushing for that. There’s more to come from us so please use this link to donate to our legal fund and help us keep going crowdjustice.com/case/stop-h…
Ecoreflections retweeted
MI5's DG warns that AI could raise the stakes on existing or even new biological weapons. His warning brings renewed urgency to big #engineeringbiology questions: how openly are we discussing what gets engineered and who gets to shape its purpose?abiggerconversation.org/armo…
My latest piece for AGtivist Agency exposing how cheap chicken traps birds, farmers and businesses in a no-win, race-to-the-bottom system. Worked with such a great team of data analysis, graphics and EU reporters tracking the ‘chicken trap’ across the EU. stories.agtivistagency.com/t…
Some of us have lived through this one or six times before. Food strategy after food strategy has been kicked down the road and eventually handed to corporates or supermarkets to preserve the failing status quo. Good reporting by @TheGrocer. thegrocer.co.uk/news/food-st…
These will keep coming because governments in the EU and UK made significant regulatory decisions based on the hype and the myth-making of a handful of biotech developers, rather than looking at the totality of impacts on bigger and more important sectors.
Another legal challenge to the new EU deregulation of gene edited organisms. It’s led by the German small farmers association, AbL,with 11 co-claimants from across the farming and food sector, who claim the new rules create a unique and existential threat to their businesses. We hear that! Our successful judicial review highlighted the same existential threats. saveourseeds.org/de/news/bre…
All the scientists who allowed themselves to be quoted in this article should write to @Telegraph to complain. Otherwise, they are 100% complicit in the enshittification of science and science communication.
@RubyClinee Were you drunk when you wrote this story for @Telegraph??!
1) a “marketing notice” only confirms that the plant is precision bred - it does not permit sale
2) the tomatoes have not been approved for sale & have not been proven to increase vitamin D levels
3) vitamin D deficiency is serious illness that cannot be treated with food
4) the strawberries haven’t even been field tested yet - it is unlikely all 8 will make it to market
5) the potatoes, barley & wheat are also not approved for market
6) all are currently illegal to consume or sell
7) food & feed variety approval takes years
8) the High Court found these “Brexit freedom” (seriously??) regulations unlawful in June
9) Brussels has never ever demanded that gene-editing be banned
archive.is/HDHr7
Europe’s new deregulated gene editing regime heading to the European Court of Justice. There will be more of these cases and they won’t stop until governments stop using biotech lobbyists to write inadequate regulations.
Slovakia says it will mount a legal challenge the EU’s new gene-editing regulation, citing threats to precaution, transparency and consumer choice. The move comes as England’s weaker precision-breeding regime faces court-ordered reconsideration over labelling and traceability failures in its framework. beyond-gm.org/slovakia-to-ch…
Many farmers that I’ve spoken to see benefits in digital agriculture, but it’s important to qualify that and ask better questions about who really benefits in the short, medium, and longer-term.
Digital agriculture is often sold as inevitable progress, but behind the “cloud” lie corporate power grabs, exploited mine and data workers, and huge water and energy costs – raising urgent questions about who digitalisation really serves. abiggerconversation.org/caug…
So that’s a “no” - or a “don’t want to know” - to food sufficiency @andyburnham ?
We wrote to Prime Minister @andyburnham to welcome him and to talk about why food sufficiency, rather than economic growth, was the basis of genuine food security. The letter never made it to his desk. It was diverted to an anonymous staffer (or likely an AI bot) in @DefraGovUK for a reply. Here’s why that’s a problem: beyond-gm.org/so-thats-a-no-…
Ecoreflections retweeted
The boom in Atlantic bluefin tuna farming in European waters threatens to derail the fish species’ recent recovery
New report by Compassion in World Farming warns it could also affect global #foodsecurity
thegrocer.co.uk/news/bluefin…
Thanks @csmaje. It is very sad to see The Land go the way of other thoughtful journals in the age of TL;DR.
New essay 'RIP The Land, 2006-2026'
chrissmaje.com/2026/08/rip-t…
Ecoreflections retweeted
Our latest Beyond the Headline briefing examines claims that gene editing could future-proof cacao, separating scientific progress from hype and asking whether technological fixes can address the economic, ecological and ownership problems shaping cocoa production. beyond-gm.org/can-gene-editi…
We broke this story at the Ecologist mag & pursued it in spite of legal threats & official refusal to recognise the need for remediation. So grateful for Paul Cawthorn’s persistence, BBC & the epic @michaelsheen for taking it up and running with it again. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czek…
2/ Here’s what I wrote when Michael first spoke about this scandal at the Annual Raymond Williams Lecture 2017 howlatthemoon.org.uk/welsh-i…
3/ And you can find the original collection of Ecologist investigations from 2007/2008 here theecologist.org/news/brofis…
Interesting that since @andyburnham came in there's been little focus on food/farming from him directly. With every new administration, food and environment are inevitably treated as a footnote or something to get around to, eventually...
In a letter sent to to Prime Minister Andy Burnham today, @Beyond_GM proposes food sufficiency as a clearer foundation for policy and argues that emerging technologies should be judged against their public value, credible alternatives and wider effects on farming, health, the environment and democratic accountability.beyond-gm.org/beyond-gm-to-a…
Sad news about Bill Oddie. Our paths crossed a few times. Amongst other things, he was patron of the Cows Belong in Fields campaign I led for Compassion in World Farming. We won Ethical Campaigner of the Year 2011 - it was a fun night! RIP now.
Bill Oddie, wildlife presenter and comedian, has died aged 85 bbc.in/4bz51uf
Ecoreflections retweeted
Did you know a barrister is facing jail just for reminding a jury they have the right to vote with their conscience? This historic right has kept trials fair since 1670. We can't let it be silenced now. Add your name to defend fair trials👇 you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio…
We’ve lost an absolute giant. A strong, coherent, compassionate voice amidst the chaos of a world desperately in need of, yet fighting, change. As Ecologist editor, I was privileged & grateful to have him as a regular columnist. Safe journey dear Richard. resilience.org/stories/2026-…
