> Hi Sanet Folks,
> ... [nice compliments & healthy perspective]
> Recently someone told me that there is a difference between .. organic ..and
> [chemically grown] food... the amount or .. presence of phyto elements. ... I
> understand that NASA Ames may be working on this concept .... My understanding
> of phyto elements is
> very limited. I have read that they are the major contributer to color in
> vegetables. Especially the red and ornge colors .
Then you are talking about beta carotene, the precursor to Vitamin. A. Try
searching on that basis for any comparative studies done re content differences
between organic & conventional crops. There may be a qualitative (as distinct
from quantitative) difference, but it's possible no accurate measurement criteria
have been developed yet.
25 years ago I began to mention publicly (California Rare Fruit Growers Yearbook,
1973) the desirability of conducting research re possible differences in
photosynthetic efficiency in leaves from fruit trees on vs. not on their own roots
(seedling vs. grafted). (Nothing has been done as far as I know, to date).
There are similarities in concept with your interest here, as the issue is
biological evolution vs. the application of a "foreign" context. (Budwood may be
biological, but it's out of context to the rootstock. If anyone doesn't see that,
please be aware that I'm not going to argue to point here at this time. The
studies need to be done, anyway). GMOs in food are another even more blatant
manifestation of the same mentality.
It would be nice to identify a sensitive indicator for out of context /
inappropriate / unsustainable production methods. The results of those
differences are even more important. Of course the best and most valid indicators
will be performance oriented, at the consumer level - and the beauty of it is that
each and every one of us can make a personal choice, using his own apparatus to
conduct the research with.
Otherwise, until the differences are nailed down, we have a situation similar to
that of tobacco, asbestos and agent orange - at one time they were good for you,
if you believed those pushing them. (The agent orange mentioned above has no
relation to the orange agent you yourself are looking for).
Right - development of a set of objective criteria capable of distinguishing real
& significant diffences that no doubt exist in food related to production methods
is a worthy goal.
> . Does anyone have any opinions or references on this subject? Is there
> anyone that you know of that would be able to speak about this subject at a
> large sustainable agriculture conference?
What's the budget?
> Thanks,
>
> Thomas Wittman
> Committee for Sustainable Agriculture
> Ecofarm Conference Committee
> Wattsonville, California
--Douglas M. Hinds Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y Rural A.C. (CeDeCoR) (Center for Community and Rural Development) - (non profit) Cd. Guzman, Jalisco 49000 MEXICO e-mail: dmhinds@acnet.net, dhinds@ucol.mx, cedecor@acnet.net, cedecor@ipnet.com.mx
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