permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

See what I mean about the vulnerability of Organic Certification?
An alternative to this is needed yesterday.
LL

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] public relations creating 'New Organic'  from gnetic 
modificarion
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 17:16:49 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group              <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>, jcummins 
<jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

UC Davis seems to be the seat of an amazing public relations campaign
geared toward creating chimera like bodies fusing  organic farming
with genetic engineering.The resulting body resembles Doctor
Dolittle's Pushmi-pullyu an antelope like animal  with a head at each
end. Such animals  strived to go in opposite directions at the same
time. Ecological farming has been a primary target for the efforts to
redesign traditional farming practises to include gene modification.It
makes more sense to me to molecular techniques such as marker assisted
selection that to not change the genes of the food crop but allow
efficient selection of genes allready in the crop. Genes such as the
QTL loci are the richest source for genetic improvement. Introduction
of synthetic transgens and fully synthetic genes  do not fit in
organic and ecological farming.
The UC Davis  public relations efforts are a soft sell  but one worth
discussing fully.

http://indica.ucdavis.edu/news/The-new-organic-The-future-of-food-may-depend-on

Plant Genetic Engineering and Organic Agriculture
Genetically engineered, organically grown? [ pdf ]
By Pam Ronald, Sarah Hake, and Don Murch
"Conclusion Sustainable farming practices seek to:

    * Provide safe and nutritious food;
    * Minimally impact the environment;
    * Provide healthful conditions for farm workers;
    * Be profitable for farmers;
    * Foster ecological farming practices;
    * Benefit the local community; and
    * Improve the lives of the poor and malnourished

We see significant potential for GE crops to be integrated into and be
a part of sustainable farming practices, just as organic practices
will play a role. Through continued dialogue, we can enhance the
world's ability to cope with the problems of pesticide use, fertilizer
contamination of the environment, loss of topsoil, hunger, disease and
environmental degradation."
    + Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak read from "Tomorrow's Table:
Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food", April 24, 2008,
7:30pm at Mrs. Dalloway's, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley, CA,
(510)704-8222
    +The new organic: The future of food may depend on an unlikely
marriage: organic farmers and genetic engineering.
    + Now Available: Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and
the Future of Food