The Big Three of the 21st Century--Food, Energy and Water

Here at the beginning of the 21st century, the challenges are clear: the growing population is stressing the Earth's resources to the breaking point. The "big three" are Food, Energy and Water--whose initials ominously spell FEW. Looming shortages make human misery more likely as time passes without finding solutions. Will the 21st Century be known as the Century of Scarcity? Or will we find new technical, political and economic approaches to free humanity from want and discontent?

Search This Blog

Sunday, July 15, 2012

A high-profile grant for a GM crop effort

The Gates Foundation, apparently unafraid of controversy, has made a $10M award to a research effort in genetically modifying cereal crops. The scientific concept is to enable the crops to fix nitrogen--just like some legumes do, but in this case acting as a "self-fertilizer." The goal is higher yields in places that can't afford artificial fertilizers--such as much of Africa.

Near the bottom of the article, a GM critic mentions that the promise of GM crops to increase yields has yet to be realized. That by itself doesn't seem like a good reason to curtail research, when the promise is so great. Other funding organizations, such as the UK's Agricultural Biotechnology Council, appear to be getting on the bandwagon.

On the other hand,  some concerns exist. Prudence dictates the use of controlled growing environments with EACH new GM crop to ensure safety.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)