by Nancy F. Castaldo
When seeds disappear, they’re gone for good. This spells
trouble for our food supply. Out of thousands of plants species, only about 150
are grown for sale, while half our calories come from just three: rice, wheat,
and maize. This lack of diversity makes plants vulnerable to disease, climate
change, and habitat loss.
Fortunately, there are people all over the world who are
trying to protect seeds. You will meet many of them in this book, including a
heroic group of Russian scientists who saved important seeds during World War
II. Even though they were starving, not one of them ate any seeds. Many of them
died.
The perils of GMO seeds are discussed as well, and it has
nothing to do with whether they’re safe to eat. As farmers in India have
discovered, GMO seeds are very expensive, often require more fertilizers and
pesticides, and result in lower yields. This leaves farmers so heavily in debt
that they’re often driven to suicide.
A sobering book, it will open your eyes to the importance of
plant diversity and why this crisis cannot be ignored. A call to action, Castaldo’s book
should be on every student’s reading list.
Highly recommended.
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