Hawaii: GM crop test capital of the world
December 11, 2008 by Grace Ibay
Filed under Genetically Modified Food
Comments Off
The land of pineapples, bananas and sugarcane, Hawaii seems like an unlikely place to grow corn. But in the last 10 years or so, the Aloha state has been home to genetically modified crops - potatoes, soybeans, wheat, beets, rice, safflower and other food traditionally grown in the mainlands.
Scientific American takes another jab at the pros and cons debate on Genetically modified food, in the background of a economically thriving but ecologically isolated Hawaii. Of interest is a report that genetic drift has been found in non-GM papaya seeds that test positive for GM material. The safety of genetically modified food is always a top debate topic. But in the case of Hawaiians, rejection of GM food, in particular taro root crop, has as more to do with its legendary origins and ties with the Hawaiian culture.
