The food chain and why you must change the way you shop

[John Barleycorn]

GM and selective breeding are like chalk and cheese.

 

Domestic apples arose as a result of selecting individual crab apples with desirable qualities and breeding from them. No non-apple genes were ever added (I'm not sure that Romans/iron age folk/etc actually had gene-splicing technology).

 

GM involves adding a transgenic DNA (e.g. spider DNA into tomatoes) to achieve a desired result. There is no way that spider DNA would ever naturally occur in a tomato.

 

All the genes in the apple arose through natural mutation over millions (billions) of years, and the ones that led to big fruit with a nice taste were 'collected' through natural pollination processes.

 

Although I agree with most of what you say, the fact is that crab apples are NOT the ancestor of the domestic apple. They arose in the "fruit forests" of Central Asia in the region of the Altai Mountains, together with several other "domestic" fruits including grapes. The natural selection process seems to have been driven by the taste preferences of the bear (& possibly other animals) who ate the sweetest fruits, the seeds passed through them & were then spread more widely.

[Rich2484]

Normally I look forwarded to your posts tony as I find them interesting and informative.

 

On this occasion however that's 30 minutes and 12 seconds I will never see again....

 

It's something about progress that's rattling around in my head and the need to feed a world population.

 

About all I can say about it without sounding rude.

 

Sorry mate.

[AlvinD]

 

On this occasion however that's 30 minutes and 12 seconds I will never see again....

 

.

 

Agreed, I only got 5 minutes into the video and thought "I'm not wasting my free time on this".

[HCR]

Although I agree with most of what you say, the fact is that crab apples are NOT the ancestor of the domestic apple. They arose in the "fruit forests" of Central Asia in the region of the Altai Mountains, together with several other "domestic" fruits including grapes. The natural selection process seems to have been driven by the taste preferences of the bear (& possibly other animals) who ate the sweetest fruits, the seeds passed through them & were then spread more widely.

 

Good point, thanks for that.

 

Though in fairness even your point suggests that Malus pumila was indeed a 'crab' before the evolutionary influences of the bear took hold.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This will be my last post on any subject outside my diary, you can take horses to water but....

 

So Neo, blue pill? or the red one.....

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwVHeHhiLfU&feature=share]EDUCATE YOURSELF: Codex Alimentarius - YouTube[/ame]

[treequip]

you can take horses to water but....

 

You cant tell them what they MUST do:thumbdown:

[Dog Tag]

If this video does not get through to you all we dont stand a chance.

 

If you normaly dont look at the things i post, make this the first, the truth is way scarier than fiction.

 

Seeds of Freedom on Vimeo

 

Fascinating as always. I read your post all the time.

 

New to Fungi. find it amazing. loads to learn..

 

Ps grew my first Beech from seed last year.

[Amelanchier]

This will be my last post on any subject outside my diary...

 

I give that one a fortnight.

[John Barleycorn]

Normally I look forwarded to your posts tony as I find them interesting and informative.

 

On this occasion however that's 30 minutes and 12 seconds I will never see again....

 

It's something about progress that's rattling around in my head and the need to feed a world population.

 

About all I can say about it without sounding rude.

 

Sorry mate.

 

I would suggest that if you want to talk about "progress", then you read the book "A Short History of Progress" by Ronald Wright

 

After that I would suggest "Guns, Germs & Steel" by Jared Diamond

[likeitorlumpit]

We know this is all probably true but.....

we have all been bought by the big Co's and can see no other way.

Should our own farmers sell off their land to smallholders to keep the genetic diversity. I don't see this happening so how can we expect the chaps in India to change from selling out as necessary.

Fait a complis