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Tomorrow's Table

On this web log I explore topics related to genetics, food and farming.

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Pamela Ronald is Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis, where she studies the role that genes play in a plant's response to its environment. Her laboratory has genetically engineered rice for resistance to diseases and flooding, both of which are serious problems of rice crops in Asia and Africa. Ronald is co-author with her husband, an organic farmer, of "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetic and the Future of Food".

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"[Tomorrow's Table" is a fantastic piece of work. I totally recommend it whether you are pro GMO or anti-GMO." "This is an important book... I agree with the authors that we will need the best ideas from "organic" thinkers and from scientists – including genetic engineers – to feed the world and help the poorest...I certainly recommend this book"-- Bill Gates

"Here's a persuasive case that, far from contradictory, the merging of genetic engineering and organic farming offers our best shot at truly sustainable agriculture"-- Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog

We found the book insightful and well-documented." -- Organic Gardening Magazine

"Whether you ultimately agree with it or not, Tomorrow's Table bring a fresh approach to the debate over transgenic crops."-- Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma

"The noteworthy aspect of the book is the way they then marry their separate fields to argue logically for the use of GM technologies to improve organic agriculture." -- Science magazine

"Brilliant... the best book I have ever read about the ways in which genetically engineered and organic food relate to each other and society." -- Michael Specter, Staff writer for The New Yorker

"A unique, personal perspective ... Highly recommended." -- Peter H. Raven, President, Missouri Botanical Garden
"A tale of the passions of an organic farmer and a plant genetic scientis...a source of inspiration." -- Sir Gordon Conway KCMG FRS, Professor of International Development, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College, London, and past President of the Rockefeller Foundation

"Simply one of the best scientific presentations of organic agriculture I have read in that it is soundly grounded in the literature and does not over-reach, while remaining staunchly and reasonably pro-organic." -- Phil Stewart

"This wildly eccentric book juxtaposes deep scientific analysis of genetically engineered agriculture with recipes for such homey kitchen staples as cornbread and chocolate chip cookies." -- Booklist

Tomorrow's Table in the classroom at Oregon State University:
"I really enjoyed the book. It did a great job of keeping everything in perspective. Use again!"
"Use again! A great resource and easy to understand"
"The textbook was great. It had a story line to it. It was easy to remember."

"Tomorrow´s Table, una búsqueda de la verdad sobre la agricultura orgánica y la modificación genética" -- Antama Fundacion

book cover.jpg


bostonglobe.jpgArticle, The New Organic in The Boston Globe

rice.jpgArticle, Making Rice Disease-Resistant in Scientific American


podium.jpgRonald speaking schedule


Ronald publications

Read Reviews of Tomorrow's Table

Interviews, lectures and profiles

Read about submergence tolerant rice

Learn about pattern recogniton receptors and disease resistant rice

Learn about the Genetic Resources Recognition Fund

Learn about Biofuels

organic farming:

What makes an organically grown strawberry environmentally friendly?

Category: agricultual policy

Many consumers therefore may conclude that if they are not harmed and their children are not harmed by a particular pesticide, then the application is acceptable. But most farmers and environmentalists would disagree. The toxicity of the pesticide does matter.

Read on »

What would Rachel Carson say about genetically engineered crops?

Category: agricultual policy

The success of creative integrated approaches, involving entomologists, geneticists, physiologists, biochemists, and ecologists, provides a roadmap for the future of agricultural production and attests to the foresight of Rachel Carson.

Read on »

How to feed a hungry world

Category: agricultual policy

Rather than focusing on how a seed variety was developed, we must ask what most enhances local food security and can provide safe, abundant and nutritious food. We must ask if rural communities can thrive and if farmers can make a profit. We must be sure that consumers can afford the food. And we must minimize environmental degradation.

Read on »

Is Organic Food the Answer?

Category: agricultual policy

As every farmer knows, farming practices span a continuum. Each season, crop and location brings challenges.

Read on »

Turnip Blue Cheese Gratin

Category: food

This recipe was provided by our friends Sue and Buck at a recent bring-your-best-dish-ever potluck.

Read on »

Pami's Purple Haze Carrots with oranges, ginger, and walnuts

Category: biofortified

From the vegetable's point of view the holidays weren't that great.

Read on »

Peace on Earth

Category: organic farming

Happy Holidays from my friends Finn and Gunilla with winter photos of their farm

Read on »

The likelihood of pollen from GE cotton causing harm to the environment is about as likely as a poodle escaping into the wild

Category: agricultual policy

Virtually every food we eat has been genetically altered. Unless you eat wild Alaskan salmon, chanterelles gathered from your local forest, Sierra Nevada yampah and wild blueberries, your diet consists entirely of foods that have been modified by humans and domesticated in artificial, fabulous ecosystems--called farms.

Read on »

Organic Farms Not Always Best for Butterflies

Category: agricultual policy

A new study this week in Ecology Letters indicates that when the organic yield per hectare falls below 87% of conventional yield, wildlife does not benefit.

Read on »

The UC Davis Student Farm Harvests Striped Tomatoes and Pumpkins

Category: recipes

Notice how the trial tomato varieties compare to the hybrid red slicers in terms of flavor, texture, and degree of softness.

Read on »

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