In modern agricultural politics, organic farming and genetic engineering
occupy opposite ends of the spectrum. In the Ronald-Adamchak household,
the world is not so black and white. Ronald is a professor of plant
pathology at the University of California, Davis. Adamchak manages the
student-run organic farm on campus. Together, they're exploring the
juncture where their methods can (and they argue, should) meet to ensure
environmentally sustainable food production. Revealing common principles
and "leveling the playing field," this book roughly chronicles one year
in the lives of the Ronald-Adamchack family. Through dialogue with
friends and family, the authors thoughtfully explore the use of GE
agriculture and the concerns expressed by consumers. They discuss the
contents of their own largely organic pantry, what they choose to feed
their children, and how over the last ten years of their marriage, they
have developed a specific criteria for the use of GE in agriculture.
From their personal vantage points, Ronald and Adamchack explain what
geneticists and organic farmers actually do, and help readers
distinguish between fact and fiction in the debate about crop genetic
engineering. Loosely organized by season, each section of the book
addresses a different issue related to the role of GE and organic
farming in food production. Raoul provides a farmer's view of the
philosophy and practice of organic farming and how it differs from
conventional agriculture; Pam describes the tools and processes of
genetic engineering, the potential ecological benefit of using GE
technology to generate plants, and the associated risks. At the end of
the book, they describe one of their typical family dinners, explain
their choice to bring both genetically engineered and organic food to
their table, and share some of their family's best recipes.
Authors:
Pamela C. Ronald is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at
the University of California, Davis. Her laboratory has genetically
engineered rice for resistance to diseases and flooding. Her work has
been published in Science, Nature, and other scientific periodicals and
has also been featured in newspapers including The New York Times, The
Wall Street Journal, and Le Monde. She is an elected Fellow of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science. Raoul Adamchak has
grown organic crops for twenty years, part of the time as a partner in
Full Belly Farm, a private 150-acre organic vegetable farm. He has
inspected over one hundred organic farms as an inspector for California
Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and served as a member and President of
CCOF's Board of Directors. He now works at the UC, Davis Student Farm,
where he teaches organic production practices and manages a five-acre
market garden.