Domestic Nature

MAN HAS BEEN IMPROVING PLANTS SINCE AGRICULTURE FIRST EXISTED. THIS IS HOW MOST OF THE WRITINGS ON THE HISTORY OF PLANT IMPROVEMENT BEGIN. IN FACT, IT WOULD SEEM THAT MAN HAS ALWAYS TRIED, MORE OR LESS CONSCIOUSLY, TO PRESERVE THE SEEDS OF THE BEST PLANTS FOR LATER SOWING. WITHOUT KNOWING IT, OUR ANCESTORS PRACTICED WHAT IS NOW CALLED "MASSAL SELECTION". HOWEVER, TEN CENTURIES LATER, THE OBSERVATION OF THE POOR RESULTS OBTAINED REVEALS THE INACCURACY OF THIS FIRST STATEMENT. MAN HAS IN FACT ONLY JUST SUCCEEDED IN DOMESTICATING THE MAIN PLANTS CURRENTLY CULTIVATED BY TRANSFORMING PLANTS THAT ARE PERFECTLY ADAPTED TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT INTO PLANTS THAT ARE USEFUL FOR HIM BUT OFTEN UNABLE TO SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN.GMO (GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM) HAS BECOME A RATHER PEJORATIVE ADJECTIVE, OFTEN CONFUSED WITH (AND LIMITED TO) CORN THAT IS INSENSITIVE TO A HERBICIDE OR AN INSECT, AND EVEN ATTRIBUTED TO EVERYTHING DERIVED FROM IT, FROM CORNFLAKES TO STARCH, IF NOT TO THE MILK OF COWS THAT HAVE CONSUMED IT.