different beet, same drum

i subscribe to vegetarian times magazine. although it's annoying at times, (it would probably award a "stick" to the great org. nature conservancy), it has tasty recipes, great vegetarian advice, and interesting herbal remedies (that actually sometimes work!). all their recipes call for organic, pesticide-free foods, which i take great pleasure in substituting for cheap, genetically-modified foods.

this month they have an article on "smart breeding," which smells all too similar to a low-tech version of genetic engineering (which the magazine calls "scary"). "smart breeding" is a complicated and seemingly-slow process: by cross-breeding, genes are transferred from one plant to another, making it "taste better... more resistant to disease and harsh weather... more nutritious." it seems that this is one very, very small - or non-existent - step from GMO foods.

the technique is much less "scary." one scientist says "sometimes all I need to do is place two beets in a cage and smack the side with a stick."

although it sounds primitive, they do use some genetics. by examining the DNA strand, they find out "which plants to mate so they produce... whatever trait we want to encourage." so, this is anaolgous to genetic engineering. but, for heaven's sake, don't do it in a lab!

and if you aren't convinced that it's tampering with nature just as much as GMO, listen to this:

He actually figured out how to switch off one gene, making the beet gold. Switching genes on and off, he bred a striped beet with a bull's-eye appearance.

okay, now they're just showing off.

the article emphasizes how crucial this new technique could be for less developed countries (LDCs), as it can produce higher-yield plants. however, the article notes that "few smart-bred crops are available" now. so, let's let the folks starve a little longer until there's a less "scary" way to grow food (now most LDCs are pressured to refuse GMO crops, and cannot use many good pesticides and fertilizers).

*i was unsuccessful in locating the "beet generation" article by don baker on the vegetarian times website. it's in the nov/dec 04 issue.*

update: found the article while searching for something else!

Labels: ideology, misc. science