David Schubert is professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN)One would expect that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the best interests of the public in mind, but its recent decisions have cast serious doubt upon this assumption.

One in particular could have a dramatic impact on the safety of the U.S. food supply: It is the mandate of the EPA to regulate the use of agricultural chemicals like insecticides and herbicides, as well as to determine their allowable limits in food and drinking water.

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What does this all mean? Consumers should consider purchasing certified organic soy and corn products until the EPA withdraws its allowance of food crops that contain herbicides, and every effort should be made to prevent the introduction of additional herbicide resistant crops. These food additives are not good for you or your children.

American scientists and the general public hold vastly different views on key scientific issues including the role of people in causing climate change, the safety of genetically modified food, and evolution, a poll released on Thursday showed.

Advocates for GMO labeling are getting another shot in the Arizona Legislature. Six representatives submitted a bill to require food containing even just one genetically engineered ingredient be labeled as such.

Scientists want to release millions of genetically modified mosquitos in the Florida Keys, all for the sake of public health.

DuPont acknowledged a dent to seed sales in Brazil from the resistance of a major insect pest to genetically modified traits as the chemicals conglomerate unveiled a fourth successive quarter of declining agriculture sales.

The US-based group, unveiling results for the October-to-December quarter in line with Wall Street expectations, said that revenues at its agricultural division fell 4.1% to $1.73bn.

The decline reflected in part a 1% drop in sales of agrochemicals which, with a rise in sales volumes more than offset by a greater mix of lower priced products, and by currency headwinds.

However, the drop was in the main down to DuPont's seeds business, Pioneer, which saw sales drop by 7%, thanks in the main to setbacks in Brazil.

FDA could set millions of genetically modified mosquitoes loose in Florida Keys (January 26, 2015)

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Third World Network: Caution Sounded on GM Mosquito Strategy to Control Diseases

Recent research in Panama, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, raises concerns about the strategy of using GM Aedes aegypti mosquito to control diseases. The GM mosquitoes, genetically modified by the British firm Oxitec to render the mosquito larvae unviable, were released in field trials in Panama in April 2014. The aim is to greatly reduce Ae. aegypti populations and with it, the incidence of dengue.

However, Ae. aegypti and the Asian tiger mosquito, Ae. albopictus are ecologically very similar. Both can spread Chikungunya as well as dengue. Chikungunya, a tropical disease that causes fever, fatigue and joint swelling, spread rapidly throughout the Americas in 2014 and the first case was reported in Panama in May 2014. The research found that Ae. albopictus was spreading across the country, relying on road networks to disperse.

Two main concerns were raised in relation to GM mosquitoes:

(1) Ae. albopictus’ aggressive invasive nature could help it colonize areas where GM mosquitoes have wiped out local populations of Ae. aegypti and elevate Chikungunya to a more widespread public health threat; and

(2) Ae. aegypti (including wild forms) could re-establish itself in the absence of continuous release of the GM versions, which would be very expensive for Panama.

Either occurrence could facilitate the spread of Chikungunya and dengue in Panama. “In this particular case, where you’ve got two mosquitoes that can do the same thing, but the GM approach is only going to affect one of them, it doesn’t make sense at all,” says Matthew Miller, one of the researchers of the study.

Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in the Florida Keys if British researchers win approval to use the bugs against two extremely painful viral diseases.

Genetically modified cows may save the world from the Ebola outbreak. Scientists view them as donors of human antibodies needed for the creation of a vaccine against the virus.

A large majority of Americans support labelling of genetically modified foods, whether they care about eating them or not.

There’s always a little catch-up to do when coming out of the Holiday season. Back in December, the USDA public comment period opened up for a next-generation transgenic potato variety developed by Simplot.