Sunday 2 September 2012

GM crops should be revered rather than feared


Genetically modified organisms are not something to be feared,
It would be far more appropriate if they were rather revered.
Though don’t associate reverence with us playing God,
Conventional crops are just as unnatural when planted in sod.

Seed has been farmed since the dawn of civilization.
One look at the fossils reveals the location –
Of - the rachis which shows the secret to how
Our ancestors learned to harvest and sow.

Wild versions of barley found near Zagros
Have a smooth rachis where the grain falls off.
But ancient remains from the Fertile Crescent
Show signs of threshing where humans were present.

Thus continued thousands of years of selection,
Maize, wheat and barley took on a vastly new complexion.
The ancient grain teosinte in Mesoamerica,
No longer resembles our corn so familiar.

The anti-GM lobby would argue with vigour
That adding new genes is fraught with danger.
However when you consider the amount of regulation,
GM crops are safer than conventional plantation.

Organic crops are often praised wholeheartedly,
Apparently they’re safer if not as plenty.
Yet if only people knew the outrageous discrepancy,
That many were mutated with radioactivity.

In a perfect world we might all pursue permaculture
But in reality the hungry would surely suffer.
In order to feed the world’s malnourished and starving,
There is a need for GM alongside marker assisted breeding.

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