On a quiet Sunday morning, two pieces of internet news that might be of interest. Karl J. Haro von Mogel, ((Congratulations.)) of Inoculated Mind, has launched Biofortified.org, a “group blog on Plant Genetics and Genetic Engineering”. The blog is “devoted to educating the public about genetic engineering, and discussing how it intersects many aspects of our lives,” and I wish them luck. Once upon a time I too thought that education would help people to understand. I no longer do. I think the polarized opinions on genetic engineering owe almost nothing to lack of scientific evidence and everything to lack of thought. But maybe that’s just me.
I don’t recall any huge outcry (only little ones) when genetically engineered human insulin came along and removed the need to rely on pigs. ((Although one has certainly been building; I am not qualified to express a view on this.)) And I don’t suppose there’ll be much of an outcry when genetic engineering delivers something that straightforwardly benefits ordinary people — as opposed to those with a financial or political interest.
The discussions will surely be interesting, but in the meantime, regular readers can imagine what I think of Karl’s explanation for the choice of name:
The name Biofortified comes from biofortification, which is when the bioavailable nutritional content of a food crop is enhanced. Literally, strengthened through biology. Like fortifying foods with vitamins, biofortification through breeding or genetic engineering can allow the plants to produce the nutrients that people need on their own. This can be good for people in industrialized nations, but a boon for developing countries. It is also a topic that several of our authors find personally very interesting!
I’m just going to bite my tongue. You needn’t feel so constrained.
The other piece of news is that Eve Sibley commented that the seed swap mechanism I hoped for is now alive and well at World Food Garden.
The craigslist of seeds — post seeds you have to offer or request a particular rare variety.
I hope it works well. Go, try it, report back here.
Just don’t try it with any GM seeds, deliberately or by accident.
Thanks for the plug, Jeremy!
We also chose ‘Biofortified’ because it would also have a pest and disease resistance connotation, amongst others.
A few points:
First, I agree that information alone doesn’t seem to change the minds of those who are entrenched, and effective communication strategies will certainly be a topic on the blog. I know a few science communication specialists that might be interested in writing about that for us.
Also, on the craigslist of seeds – you could trade some GE seeds – notably the ‘Liberty Link’ lines, their maker still has the patent on their herbicide, so unlike Monsanto, they don’t need the seed patent to make money. And once the ‘Open Source’ GE is realized…
And pssst…. I changed my name. :)
http://www.inoculatedmind.com/2008/09/change-in-nomenclature-2/
Karl Haro von Mogel
errr… link fix
http://www.inoculatedmind.com/2008/09/change-in-nomenclature/
On that craigslist of seeds. I am all for experimentation, diversification, and exchange. But is there any risk control, and is it needed? I mean, are we going to spread devastating plant diseases across the globe when we, in the name of diversity, put seeds in our pockets or envelopes and bring them from one place to the next?
It is important to clarify that biofortification, a term I believe was first coined by HarvestPlus, can be accomplished using conventional plant breeding methods. Given general negative perceptions about genetic engineering–and I’m not taking a stance here, just making an observation– its important to remind people that most of the biofortification research, at least for developing countries, is being successfuly done using conventional breeding techniques; biofortification is not synonymous with genetic engineering. At HarvestPlus, we are breeding vitamin A, zinc, and iron into staple food crops eaten by malnourished poulations–to save lives. Our scientists have screened literally thousands of varieties of seeds held in global seed banks and found naturally occuring germplasm with elevated levels of micronutrients, for example high-zinc rice or vitamin-A rich sweetpotato. These are then used in conventional breeding programs to develop new biofortified varieties. The higher nutrient levels can have a beneficial effect on the plant, and of course on the people who need them. Our biofortifed crop varieties are given away free of charge by working with national partners in countries where the crops are grown and eaten. We recognize that a diverse healthy diet is the best way to nourish people, but for the majority of the world’s poor, that is unlikely to happen anytime soon, especially as food prices continue to rise. When people realize just how devestating micronutreient malnutrition is, they’ll see why biofortification is a sustainable and extremely cost-effective strategy that can help people lead healthier, more productive, lives.