4 ms·
I also don't mind GMO products as such, and think this is good progress in general, no worse than selective breeding. But what I've read recently indicates that
by nonrandomstring 4y ago
I also don't mind GMO products as such, and think this is good
progress in general, no worse than selective breeding. But what I've
read recently indicates that falling food quality is linked to poor
soil quality. Vitamin D is great, but if the produce is missing
essential micro-nutrients and minerals that's bad. We need sustainable
farming practices not tweaks to the biology that masks a more serious
underlying systemic problem.
- algoatecorn 4y agoTo be fair, the reduction in micronutrients/minerals is a drop in the bucket compared to our yield increases. Besides, the reduction is more closely linked to our choice in cultivar as opposed to soil health. The Rothamsted institute has studied this extensively if you are curious to read more. I agree, though. We should not only have more sustainable farming but also a more sustained food system entirely.
- nonrandomstring 4y agoThanks for the Rothamsted reference Matt, I am interested, like so much today this is obviously a complex can-o-worms.
- algoatecorn 4y agoIt certainly is, and even as an ag researcher I'm still learning and tweaking my mental model for how our food systems should work. I believe we're headed into another green revolution where our success isn't just measured by yield. It'll also be measured by efficiency, restoration of damaged land, carbon sequestration, and innovative downstream products. Here's an interesting article from McKinsey & Co. about how agriculture is one of the least digitized industries and the benefits it could gain from innovation. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/agricultures-connected-future-how-technology-can-yield-new-growth https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights...