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Article: Saving Seeds.(biodiversity in agriculture)
- Article from:
- Alternatives Journal
- Article date:
- January 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Alternatives, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Farmers and gardeners are the best hope for protecting what remains of food plant diversity
THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE viable, well-adapted seeds has allowed human beings to form civilizations, set up permanent settlements and build cities, supported by a reliable and bountiful source of food.
Throughout history, hundreds of species of plants have diverged from their wild roots. It is their ability to adapt and change that has made plants so important to us. Without controlled breeding and selection, it would be impossible to grow acres of corn as far north as Canada, wheat would be no more than a wild grass, and all apples would be tiny crabapples.
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