Let me weigh in on this one. Mostly is trendy nonsense. The locavore movement? Most of the agricultural sector in California probably shouldn’t be there. Local suppliers always win when their crops come in because of those despised laws of supply and demand. The food is there, it is fresh and it doesn’t carry the added cost of transportation. But only when it is in season. If it weren’t for those transport trucks and aircraft flying in fresh fruit and vegetables from all over the world those things would be priced out of the reach of most North Americans.

As to GMO crops the nonsense is even worse. Generally speaking the left leaning science blogs where actual knowledge about the biology is, as opposed to hysterical foundationless speculation found elsewhere, they laugh at those people. With very good reason I might add. If it weren’t for the incremental crop improvements that confer pest resistance, drought resistance and increased yield we would be forced to use more pesticides and more fertilizer and more of our overstressed water supplies.

As a piece de resistance there are crops like vitamin e enhanced rice that could save hundreds of thousands of children from going blind due to vitamin deficiencies. Or that wonderful rice variety developed by the Indian government that, using genetic modification combined high yield varieties with one requiring very little heat to cook, will save vast acreages of forest or other hydrocarbons from being used as fuel.

As you can see I have very little use for Luddites.