In Lean Times, Biotech Grains Are Less Taboo (Frankenfoods)

New York Times ^

[anymouse]

Soaring food prices and global grain shortages are bringing new pressures on governments, food companies and consumers to relax their longstanding resistance to genetically engineered crops.

[anymouse]

The leftist dilemma.

[goldstategop]

Genetically engineered foods are are wholesome and safe as conventionally grown foods. There is no taste difference. Its a shame its taken soaring food prices to lead the Left to drop its resistance to sensible progress in agriculture.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[netmilsmom]

Frankenfood = Frankencelery

[Dumpster Baby]

I've never understood the hysteria over genetically altered food. Every food crop is genetically altered by centuries of selective breeding and selection, and transplanting, and grafting, and crossbreeding, and ..........

[goldstategop]

That's also true about conventional foods. Genetically modified foods just happen to be engineered to resist diseases and pests and produce superior tasting crops. I have never understood what environmentalists have against biotechnology that would eliminate crop loss, pesticide use and more nutritious foods. Surely, those are things are in everyone's interest. Agriculture is a human pursuit and there has never been anything natural about it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[rightwinggoth]

but if you are willing to pay $6 for a gallon of orange juice at whole foods, this should not strike you with concern.

[TexanToTheCore]

The EU’s refusla to allow GM foods in the EU has cost Africa a great deal. I would expect this to break down now that we have a supply problem.

[Mr. Lucky]

Bingo!

[neverdem]

BTTT

[To Hell With Poverty]

I have to credit my sister’s bringing me to an anti-biotech protest rally in Boston as my first step on the road to Conservatism. I wanted to be 180° from those freaks!

[SunkenCiv]

Dijonaise for your DNA.

[NVDave]

Bingo. You’re spot-on.

The difference in “GMO” plants is that the breeding has been accelerated.

Most people don’t know that corn (which we hear quite a bit about here on FR WRT ethanol production) is a grass. Most all grains are, in fact, selectively bred grasses.

The Indians of the Great Basin (Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Utah) used to depend on the seeds of grasses such as Indian Ricegrass to support themselves. If most people saw Indian Ricegrass, they’d agree that this was “pretty thin pickin’s” and they’d be worrying about many other things in life other than losing weight.

Wheat, as we currently know it, is shorter and produces more grain than it used to 100 years ago. The selective breeding programs over the last 100+ years have increased the yields and reduced the losses due to lodging.

So if someone comes along and genetically modifies wheat to resist blight or insects, this is a bad thing because... why?

Oh, right, because the genetic modification was researched and developed by some large US-based corporation. Riiiight. Got it now.

[Hardastarboard]

The key difference between traditional genetic manipulation and GMO is that with the traditional method, plants or animals that have desirable characteristics are cross-bred to achieve an even higher level of that characteristic. With GMO foods, the desirable genes are inserted directly into the seed or embryo.

This does at least raise some chance for unexpected (dangerous) results, but for some reason it just doesn't concern me. If the scientists are able to determine which genes are the desirable ones, they can surely also determine which ones are the bad ones, and omit, over ride or remove them. Besides, it's not like this hasn't been done for that last 20 years with no discernible negative side effects.

[traviskicks]

Let the people choose what they want, get governments out of it. I think genetically engineered food is great! :)

[sanchmo]

I've never understood the hysteria over genetically altered food.

The hysteria is mostly from people who don't have to worry about going to bed hungry. My general observation

* People who agitate against sources of cheap food can generally afford vast quantities of the most expensive gourmet food.

* People who agitate against energy consumption can generally afford to live in the largest, most luxurious houses, and travel around the world.

* People who agitate for reducing the human footprint in pristine wildenesses generally travel to those wildernesses regularly.

* People who agitate against growth in the developing world either live in the developed world or at at the top of the pyramid in the developing world.