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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Headsup: Trewavas on the cult of the amateur in agriculture.
  • Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:25:44 -0400

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Trewavas on the cult of the amateur in agriculture
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:05:08 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Most list readers have now leaned of Tony Trewavas of Edinburgh and
his views on agriculture. The current article steals its title from a
book by a computer person named Andrew Keen who fears that google is
no where near as smart as he thinks it should be. Both 'authorities'
share the view that most people are too dumb to make decisions and
should strictly follow the orders of smart people such as Trewavas and
Keen. Trewavas demands that farmers and such should stop listening to
people who disagree with Trewavas and other biotechnology smarts
because those who disagree with Trewavas are just stupid and should
not be allowed to speak out at all. Trewavas stresses his 2004 article
on organic agriculture which is his Mein Kampf on the need for
stamping out disagreeable ideas on biotechnology and finally solving
organic agriculture.

Anthony Trewavas Trends in Biotechnology 2008 Article in Press
doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.06.002
The cult of the amateur in agriculture threatens food security
The incorporation of science and technology into agriculture has led
to enormous growth in crop yields, providing food security in many
countries. From the 1950s onwards there has been increasing
interference in agricultural policy by a few scientists who are
marginal to agriculture and from a variety of unqualified groups.
These groups and individuals have used fear and anxiety and have
greatly exaggerated minor problems to persuade an unqualified public
of supposed dangers in food and to try and change agricultural policy.
Fear and emotion do not lead to good policy, and the cult of the
amateur that has developed could have serious repercussions on vital
food security and future agriculture in developing countries; it must
be soundly rejected.





  • [permaculture] Headsup: Trewavas on the cult of the amateur in agriculture., Lawrence F. London, Jr., 08/07/2008

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