Re "Genetic crops, world food supply on UCD agenda" (Our Region, March 17): Edward Ortiz raises important questions regarding the relevance of genetically engineered crops to efforts to meet global food needs. Unfortunately, UC Davis professor Eduardo Blumwald misleads readers with assertions that genetically modified crops can feed the world.

In reality, the GE biotech industry has consistently failed to deliver on such promises. Industry data reveal that virtually 100 percent of commercial GE seeds have been engineered to either contain an insecticide or be used with herbicides. GE seeds are essentially the growth engine of the pesticide industry. It's a pity that UCD plant researchers still claim ignorance about the weight of global scientific evidence, which points towards ecological agriculture as our most reliable way to feed the world while conserving soil, water and biodiversity - resources critical to sustainable food production. Happily, ecological farming -- along with a rigorous commitment to democratic processes and equitable trade -- can succeed where narrow genetic fixes have failed.

-- Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, Oakland

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Ecological farming, not genetic engineering , will feed the world

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