Ottoline Leyser discusses the ability to target and/or select specific genetic changes in plant genomes, and the impact of this on the governance of our food system.
Plant genetics from Mendel to Monsanto
Plants and photosynthetic microbes have the extraordinary ability to convert light energy to chemical energy and as a consequence, they are the foundation of virtually all ecosystems and all agricultural systems on the planet.
The characteristics that make plants successful in natural ecosystems are often antithetical to agriculture and over 1000s of years we have domesticated plants to make better crops. The molecular genetics revolution of the 20th century has simultaneously provided a means to understand the relationship between plant genes and plant characteristics, and the ability to target and/or select specific genetic changes in plant genomes.
This combination of knowledge and technology opens the possibility for designer crops, and raises interesting questions about the governance of our food system
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'Food futures: how can we safeguard the planet’s health, and our own?' is the Michaelmas Term 2019 Lecture Series from the Oxford Martin School.
Food is an essential part of life, but what we eat, how we grow, manufacture our food, how we distribute food, and how we access food can govern many factors of ours and the planet’s life. From the governance and economies of food production, to the sustainability of our planet, to our own health. In this series we will look at how...