Agrobiodiversity is crops, livestock, foodways, microbes, pollinators, wild relatives …
The IITA public awareness machine must be in overdrive, and it looks like it’s running on cassava. Today
Not that I’m complaining. It’s about time cassava got the attention it deserves in Africa.
In an open letter in the New York Times magazine, slow food pundit Michael Pollan urges the next US president, the Farmer in Chief, to
Reform the entire food system: unless you do, you will not be able to make significant progress on the health care crisis, energy independence or climate change. Unlike food, these are issues you did campaign on.
His main point is that the US should wean from oil, and resolarize the farm. I can see where he is coming from, but does he really want all that backbreaking drudgery again? Yikes.
Pollan also says that the government should encourage farmers to
grow as many different crops and animals as possible. Because the greater the diversity of crops on a farm, the less the need for both fertilizers and pesticides.
Fair enough, but at what cost? Pollan says that we do not know, because we haven’t tried. Well, I would agree that organic agriculture can be very productive, but kicking out fertilizers all together is a foolish idea.
It is a long article, and it has a long list of policy objectives: “Perennialize†commodity agriculture; Enhance national security by decentralization of the food system; Four-Season Farmers’ Markets; And, create a Federal Definition of “Food.†(I believe the goal is to make it illegal to call junk, food).
Pollan is a bit too much of a romantic to my taste. But then I am not much of a visionary. The US certainly should change some of its bad food habits. Our times call for a presidents who withstands the Agro-Industrial Complex (and who does not fear Iowa’s voters). If anything, Mr. President should take Pollan’s most daring advice: rip a section of the White House lawn, and farm and govern by example.
UPDATE: The internet is a wonderful thing … thanks to Aaron Cummins, I have an answer … SPIN-Farming.
Ok, I admit it, I’ve failed, and I need your help. Some time ago I linked to some folks in the US who offer courses in intensive horticulture, the kind that can make a small urban vegetable farm a profitable enterprise. But now that I want to find them, I can’t, and every search I’ve tried doesn’t reveal any more. Are you those folks? Get in touch. Do you remember who they were? Give me a clue. Please. Thank you.
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.
The latest Plant Breeding News is out, though only if you’re registered for email alerts. However, in a couple of days you should be able to get October’s digest on the archive page, where you can also subscribe. Lots of stuff about breeding for climate change in this issue. It’s a great resource, brought to you by the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB). And I’m not just saying that because they gave us a namecheck this month.