Farmbrarian

Click to find at a library near you!

Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak are an unlikely husband and wife duo that joins forces to provide a unique discussion on the roles of organic farming and genetic engineering in present-day and future agriculture. Both work at the University of California, Davis: Adamchak as an organic farmer and Ronald as a plant geneticist doing research mostly on rice.

Ronald’s unique position makes her argument in favor of transgenic crops much easier to digest than one taken out of a Monsanto catalog. She shows why, in her opinion, genetically engineered crops and organic methods are not only compatible, but mutually dependent.

Set in the authors’ Sacramento Valley community, Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food (2008) reads like a civil discussion among friends or respected colleagues. The focus of the debate is on the best way to properly sustain the earth, while feeding a growing population.

The book gave me better understanding of and some level of respect for transgenic crops. It is a useful contribution to the food movement that provides a surprisingly objective look at the use of genetic engineering in modern day agriculture.

Quotes:

• “What if…GE is a tool that can be refined and shared, as grapes can be fermented and made into wine that delights and nourishes those who drink it?”(68)
• “Herbicide-resistant soybean has helped foster use of low-till and no-till agriculture, which leaves the fertile topsoil intact and protects it from [erosion].” (70)