| REVIEW:
Eating in the Dark By Dorene Pasekoff |
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January 13 , 2004: A more accurate subtitle for this book would be, "A History of Genetically Engineered Food from May 1997 through 2001." Hart, a reporter for Food Chemical News, has compiled a detailed history of genetically engineered foods from their initial hope as profit centers for the biotechnology industry to the current storm in the marketplace over whether such food should be there at all. When your children take college classes in late 20th- and early 21st-century history, you may find this book on their reading list. All the players--Monsanto CEO Robert Shapiro, Dennis Avery, Ronnie Cummins, Dan Glickman, the EPA, the FDA--and all the events--NewLeaf potatoes uprooted in Ireland, Bt corn pollen killing Monarch butterfly larvae, the Terminator technology uproar, the meltdown that was the WTO meeting in Seattle, and of course, StarLink corn in the food supply--are laid out in chronological order for the reader with plenty of space for quotes from official documents and interviews with those most directly involved. Like the reporter she is, Hart does not take sides, but simply gives everyone the room to explain themselves fully so that readers can make their own decisions about both the technology and the participants. Those who have kept track of what's happening with genetically modified foods (for instance, through Biodemocracy News [www.organicconsumers.org/listserv.htm], a monthly e-newsletter on biotechnology, published by the Organic Consumers Association), will not find any players or events they haven't read about before. However, the advantage of this book is that Hart is able to give entire chapters to scientists such as Arpad Pusztai (whose findings that genetically modified potatoes caused immune system damage in rats sparked a global controversy) and John Losey (the first to find that Bt corn pollen could kill Monarch butterfly larvae), so that they can explain and defend their research in their own words. As a food and science writer, Hart is also able to prod government officials and industry management into explaining their decisions with greater clarity because she knows the right questions to ask. Each chapter is meticulously documented with additional technical information, but since footnote numbers do not appear in the chapter text, you'll have to keep your finger in the "Notes" section to match sentence fragments with the relevant reference information. Numbered notes in the text corresponding to the documentation in the Notes section would have been a lot easier to follow. If you just want to learn what genetic engineering is and why folks have concerns about it, read Genetic Engineering, Food and Our Environment by Luke Anderson. It's quick, clear, concise and three years after its publication date, still completely on target. If you prefer the full background on how genetically engineered food has developed into a global issue, featuring the words and documents of those who influenced and lived this history, pick up Eating in the Dark. Dorene Pasekoff is a freelance writer who coordinates St. John’s
United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden in Phoenixville,
PA. |
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