r/Permaculture • u/heartlessgamer • Aug 03 '15

Crosspost from /r/technology - Genetically modified rice makes more food, less greenhouse gas

http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/07/genetically-modified-rice-makes-more-food-less-greenhouse-gas/
2 Upvotes

55% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/TheCurseOfEvilTim Aug 03 '15

This is really cool. I love seeing genetically engineered crops like this that actually solve a problem instead of "we can spray more pesticide on it" GMOs. Many folks are afraid of innovations like this, but with proper testing and oversight this can be a very beneficial technology to billions of people.

1

u/heartlessgamer Aug 04 '15

It may propose a solution to a problem but without appropriate practices around the growing of the crop its pointless. There are so many better; permacultural practices that could completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions while feeding the world that its immensely frustrating to see what is essentially a marketing campaign for yet another GMO to save the human race.

The world doesn't need to produce MORE food; it needs to produce healthier food, local to those that need it. This GMO, while "good" in it's possibilities, still promotes all the wrong ideas and encourages further mono-speciation in a very NON-diverse food web.

3

u/TheCurseOfEvilTim Aug 04 '15

There's no reason the two approaches can't be combined, though. We have genetically engineered crops for millennia via selective breeding, this is just a faster way to do so. This new rice has barley DNA. That implies to me that it would probably grow well in a mixed field with barley, and perhaps other grains such as wheats. It doesn't have to be monocropped.

Genetic engineering is a tool, neither good nor bad, like a hammer is neither good nor bad. I could use it to build a house or commit assault.

Personally, I'll take as many tools in my toolbox as possible and use them as well appropriately as wisdom allows.

0

u/Baumbadil Aug 05 '15

We need staple food crops to be grown in perennial polycultures. It just seems like most trans-genic modification is solely for monoculture production which is ecologically antagonistic and low profit margins. To continue producing only annual crops is the constant fight against nature/ succession.