by Karl Haro von Mogel on 26 October 2009 In the last 12 hours, the Ashoka Changemakers contest has really taken a dramatic turn for the better for Biofortified. The vote tallies are constantly changing, but at the start of writing this post, we have rocketed forward to 632 votes, leaving behind our leading opponent the Non-GMO Project, at 260 votes. During the course of the day, we have gained about 570 votes to their 100. There are still two more days left to the contest, and you never know how much things may change down the road. So today I will present another reason why I think Biofortified deserves your vote: Honesty.
Last week, a day into the final voting week, we received a comment on our entry from Megan Westgate, the Executive Director of the Non-GMO Project. I will reproduce it in full:
Biofortified Pro GE?
Although you say here you are not pro GE, on your own homepage there is a link to “Other Pro GE Blogs” implying that yours is one, too. And there is no link to anti GE blogs (which would be a requisite if you really were committed to balanced representation). You even have a link to “Monsanto According to Monsanto” (the industry blog), but no link to the powerful documentary “The World According to Monsanto.” Given these facts, how can you really say that you are offering both sides? Your entry here doesn’t seem honest.
Anastasia and I both pounced on the comment, pointing out that nowhere in our entry to we “say we are not pro-GE,” and asked her to retract her statement and pledge not to engage in dirty politics. Making stuff up is totally not acceptable tactics (misreading isn’t very good either). Later that day, she did just that, which I applaud her for. Let the contest be about who can gather the most support over the internet, not who can misunderstand the other side the most.
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by Karl Haro von Mogel on 26 October 2009 The Ashoka Changemakers GMO Risk or Rescue contest is about halfway through its final voting week, a lot has happened in this time, which I will fill you in on, and today I present the second reason why I think Biofortified deserves your vote: Dialogue.
One of the reasons why we started a group blog to talk about plant genetics and food is because of the many opportunities it allows for dialogue, of several kinds.
First, it allows scientists to start talking about their work and the work of others in a manner that people without a background in genetics can access. Most people in this country, and many around the world, have access to a computer that is internet-capable and can read about it. Scientific Journals are the primary go-to place for the latest science and the most complete summaries of knowledge and issues, but these are often behind a registration wall that limits its access to only a small part of the population. On a science blog such as Biofortified new research can be presented where almost anyone can access it, and in a language common to non-scientists.
But more importantly,
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by Karl Haro von Mogel on 22 October 2009 As of Wednesday afternoon, the entry period for the Ashoka Changemakers contest is over. Everyone has had a chance to enter the contest since the deadline was extended, so now it is down to a week’s worth of voting to decide the winner. Each day, I will post a reason why I think Biofortified deserves your vote. The reason for today is Science. We bring lots of it to the site, and we would like to bring more.
Understanding the issues involved in genetic engineering in agriculture means that you have to understand some of the science. You don’t have to have a Ph.D. to have an opinion on the topic (it sure helps), but like any important issue it pays to do research first. Would you buy a car without researching your options? Maybe you don’t need to know exactly how a four-stroke wankel engine works, but knowing the difference between a V6 and a V8 might be important if you want to make the right decision for your driving needs. Wouldn’t it make sense to treat the genetics of the food you eat (and the clothing you wear) with the same information-oriented approach?
That is one of the primary reasons why we started this blog almost one year ago:
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by Karl Haro von Mogel on 21 October 2009
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and most of it is found in our bones and teeth. Without this element to form the hard structures of our bodies, life as we know it as mammals would be in peril. We need it for our nerves and muscles to function properly, too. Many people in the United States are deficient in calcium, upwards of 44%, and in the developing world, these numbers are sadly much, much higher. And as we age, we lose more and more calcium from our bones, leading to osteoporosis. Women are particularly at risk for this disease once they go through menopause.
 What can we do? Taking calcium in supplement form can be one way to absorb it, but according to the results of a huge multi-year trial of calcium supplements conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative, these provided only modest benefits. Only women over 60 who took the full regimen of calcium supplements (with Vitamin D) had a statistically significant difference from the control group. And this benefit came with a cost – of more kidney stones.
Nutrition research continues to find wrinkles in the vitamin and mineral pill-popping philosophy, often due to the fact that there are many factors that influence the absorption of needed nutrients. In the case of calcium, vitamin D is important to help its absorption, while antinutrients such as phytic acid (aka phytate) and oxalic acid will inhibit its absorption. One particular form, calcium oxalate, is insoluble in water, and will pass right through us, if it doesn’t irritate our tissues on the way through. (It is often shaped like tiny needles that the plants doubtlessly use to defend themselves.)
Can’t we just eat vegetables that are high in calcium? Not necessarily.
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by Karl Haro von Mogel on 18 October 2009 Tomorrow’s Table, the book and blog by Pamela Ronald, has now moved to ScienceBlogs. Home of the popular Pharyngula blog written by PZ Myers, the medical blog Respectful Insolence by Orac, and a whole host of others, this means she will have a lot more exposure and the support of a pool of regular blog readers in that community. Congratulations! Maybe a few of those readers might find their way from the hive mind
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