The Botany of Desire

[Rovers]

PBS show... they called the genetically engineered crops "BT" crops.

 

First is the issue of monocultured crops.... growing only one strain of a particualar plant based on market demand, such as fast food FF potatoes. These mono-crops required more pesticides. Lack of crop diversity breeds suseptabilty, but... bio-engineered crops (genetically altered potato plants that had a harmless bacteria that only affected the major pest, the Colorado potato beetle) were actually trumped by older strains that need more pesticide conrol due to public opinion. Sooo... bio tech is less safe than pesticides? Where the F is the logic in this, even with the tree huggers?

 

The forkin tree huggers.... they scream bloody murder about pesticides, mostly as the boy who cried WOLF!, ( yet a purely ORGANIC - the new GOD of the food world, ORGANIC, which means nothing in terms of health) still objected to a solution which reduced pesticde applications to potato crops by as much as 40% which forced it's was discontinuation... becuase it was genetically engineered?

 

Every single veggie, fruit, meat or legume is a hybrid... a selectively bred plant or animal. Bred to increase yield, be more resistant to pests and disease, and this BT potato was discontinued because the fatty folks that eat at McDonalds were worried about eating a BT potato? They would rather eat french fries that have been sprayed with more pesticides, not less?

 

I work in the green industry. NYS classifies me as a farmer, although that is a real stretch IMO. People have NO clue what pesticides are all about, what risks they carry, and have NO clue about bio-engineered crops, and how safe they are. This really is f-'n ridiculous. Rant over.