Walk around the supermarket and you'll find potatoes, corn, and lots of other genetically- engineered foods. Biotechnology is changing what we eat, but is it safe? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the debate over genetically-altered crops. Also, a man who travels around the world collecting "heirloom seeds."
Marc Lappe runs the Center for Ethics and Toxics in northern California. He's the co-author (with Britt Bailey) of "Against the Grain: Biotechnology and the Corporate Takeover of Your Food." Lappe talks with Steve Paulson about how biotechnology is changing what we eat. Also, Rob Horsch is the general manager of Agracetus, a research and development company owned by Monsanto that specializes in genetically-enhanced crops. He tells Judith Strasser that genetically engineered foods have been approved by the FDA, but that genetically altering plant structures must be done with great care.SEGMENT 2:
David Mas Masumoto talks with Jim Fleming about his memoir, "Harvest Son: Planting Roots in American Soil." The son of Japanese-American parents interned during the Second World War, Masumoto raises organic grapes and peaches on his farm in California.SEGMENT 3:
Ken Whealy is the director of the Seed Savers Exchange. He collects heirloom seeds used by local farmers all over North America as well as in Russia and Eastern Europe. Whealy tells Steve Paulson why he thinks it's necessary to preserve as much genetic diversity as possible, and describes some of the most unusual varieties he and his volunteers have collected.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 98-12-06-B.
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