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> I think "distribution" in this context is just a nice way of saying that poor people can't afford better food from elsewhere, they have to rely on what is che

by bildung 12y ago

> I think "distribution" in this context is just a nice way of saying that poor people can't afford better food from elsewhere, they have to rely on what is cheap and can be bought from the local market. That may very well be the case. > If they're already buying bananas as a staple food, then I presume that the fix would be for the government to go to the local growers and either give the better banana plants for free, or at a discounted rate, or some other incentive. If that's what the growers grow, then that is what will eventually be available at the market. I think that exactly is the distribution problem again: If the government has the means to do that, why is it not providing seeds/saplings etc. of vitamin A containing crops right now? Bananas are a really demanding crop, so the soil has to be of high quality. Most probably the article just left this information out for the sake of readability, but given the current information my fear is that these GMO bananas are a solution for a problem complex that has not been researched deeply enough to have a firm understanding of the causes. Like a startup running with the mantra 'build it and they will come' :)

judk 12y ago
Maybe next time the Gates Foundation and its hundreds of resesrchers will consult you before wasting time on its billion-dollar "unresearched" programs.
Retric 12y ago
Plants are vary region specific, and banana's are far easer to cultivate in some areas than just about anything else. It also far less costly to distribute seeds than what the seeds make. More importantly, once you swap DNA your done it's a one time cost with no further development needed. PS: Bananas will grow and fruit under poor soil conditions but will be less productive without deep, well-drained soil; forest loam, rocky sand, marl, red laterite, volcanic ash, sandy clay, or even heavy clay. The key element in soil type for successful banana plant growth is good drainage. Alluvial soils of river valleys are ideal for banana growing. Bananas prefer an acid soil.[3]
bryanlarsen 12y ago
Bananas are tasty and currently part of the culture. Is it easier to add vitamin A to bananas or to convince people to eat a different food that's rich in vitamin A? It's easy to convince a starving person to eat anything, but AFAICT most of these people aren't starving, just malnourished.
tfinniga 12y ago
> If the government has the means to do that, why is it not providing seeds/saplings etc. of vitamin A containing crops right now? Why do people eat bananas as a staple food now? If you're poor, it's all about the efficiency of calories per dollar. You're hungry and you want something filling, but you don't have a lot to spend. You pick the thing that is going to fill you up. If the staple food right now is the banana, it's because that's what is most efficient to produce. In other areas that is rice, in the US it is corn. The goal is to make the staple food a bit healthier.

by bildung 12y ago

judk 12y ago

Maybe next time the Gates Foundation and its hundreds of resesrchers will consult you before wasting time on its billion-dollar "unresearched" programs.

Retric 12y ago

Plants are vary region specific, and banana's are far easer to cultivate in some areas than just about anything else. It also far less costly to distribute seeds than what the seeds make. More importantly, once you swap DNA your done it's a one time cost with no further development needed. PS: Bananas will grow and fruit under poor soil conditions but will be less productive without deep, well-drained soil; forest loam, rocky sand, marl, red laterite, volcanic ash, sandy clay, or even heavy clay. The key element in soil type for successful banana plant growth is good drainage. Alluvial soils of river valleys are ideal for banana growing. Bananas prefer an acid soil.[3]

bryanlarsen 12y ago

Bananas are tasty and currently part of the culture. Is it easier to add vitamin A to bananas or to convince people to eat a different food that's rich in vitamin A? It's easy to convince a starving person to eat anything, but AFAICT most of these people aren't starving, just malnourished.

tfinniga 12y ago

> If the government has the means to do that, why is it not providing seeds/saplings etc. of vitamin A containing crops right now? Why do people eat bananas as a staple food now? If you're poor, it's all about the efficiency of calories per dollar. You're hungry and you want something filling, but you don't have a lot to spend. You pick the thing that is going to fill you up. If the staple food right now is the banana, it's because that's what is most efficient to produce. In other areas that is rice, in the US it is corn. The goal is to make the staple food a bit healthier.