FOOD FROM VATS? 

(Editor's note: In the beginning computers could only communicate in capital letters. This is one of 20 columns from Dr. Tomorrow's original series, included here to indicate change as well as describe it. Those columns also hold another story, that change is swift and offers both disaster and opportunity.)

DURING THE NEXT DECADE THERE WILL BE MORE CHANGES IN THE METHODS OF FOOD PRODUCTION THAN DURING THE PAST MILLENNIUM. AND, IT WILL BE DUE TO BIOTECHNOLOGY.

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES FROM ONE COMPANY. BUT EVEN THESE ARE NOT THE MOST BIZARRE AMONG THE MANY BIOTECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FIRMS NOW SPROUTING UP AROUND THE WORLD. THESE PEOPLE ARE CREATING THE "SCIENCE FICTION" OF THE NEW AGE. THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT SUCH DEVELOPMENTS, IF CARRIED TO CONCLUSION, WOULD ALLOW COMPANIES TO PRODUCE VEGETABLES, FRUITS, FLAVOURS, FRAGRANCES, DRUGS AND SOME INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS, TOTALLY INDEPENDENT FROM THE PLANTS ON WHICH WE NOW DEPEND TO SUPPLY OUR NUTRITIONAL, GASTRONOMICAL AND SOME INDUSTRIAL NEEDS!!

IN SAN CARLOS, A TOWN ON THE FRINGE OF CALIFORNIA'S SILICON VALLEY, THE ESCAGEN CORPORATION IS TESTING VARIOUS WAYS TO DEVELOP THE FLESH OF ORANGES AND CHERRIES WITHOUT GROWING THE TREE! THEY WILL DO IT IN VITRO. GROWING THE PLANT IN GIANT FERMENTATION FLASKS IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL CHANGE THE MEANING OF "HOT HOUSE" FOREVER.

AT THE MOMENT THEY APPEAR CLOSEST TO PRODUCING A TRUE VANILLA FLAVOUR FROM CELL CULTURE GROWING IN POLYMER BEADS IN A FLASK IN THEIR LABORATORY. THIS WILL NOT BE AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOUR, CURRENTLY A $100 MILLION BUSINESS WORLDWIDE. IT WILL BE IDENTICAL TO THE TRUE VANILLA FLAVOUR, ANOTHER $100 MILLION INDUSTRY, ALMOST 100 PERCENT OF WHICH COMES FROM THE VANILLA BEAN ORCHID GROWN ON MADAGASCAR, AN ISLAND IN THE INDIAN OCEAN OFF THE AFRICAN COAST. SUCH DEVELOPMENTS, AND THEY WILL OCCUR IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, POSE LARGE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FOR THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, THAT HAVE DEPENDED ON 'ONE CROP' ECONOMIES FOR CENTURIES.

THE MUNDANE AND LOWLY POTATO, THE FOURTH MAJOR FOOD CROP IN THE WORLD AND A POPULAR STAPLE HERE IN NORTH AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

THE METHOD USED FOR CENTURIES IN POTATO PLANTING IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING. IT TAKES ABOUT ONE TON OF TUBERS, USED AS THE 'SEED' IN PLANTING POTATOES, TO PLANT ONE ACRE.

WITH THE NEW 'TRUE POTATO SEED' (TPS), SHOWN IN THE ACCOMPANYING PICTURE, THAT SAME ACRE CAN BE PLANTED WITH ONLY FIVE OUNCES OF TPS! THINK OF THE SAVINGS IN STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS! THE SEEDS ARE VIRTUALLY DISEASE-FREE AND ARE LESS COSTLY TO PRODUCE. THEY COULD EVEN BE PLANTED WITH AN AIR GUN!

SUCH SEEDS ARE PROTECTED BY A COATING AGAINST BACTERIALOGICAL INFECTION AND INSECT, RODENT AND BIRD DEPRADATIONS. ESCAGEN HAS DEVELOPED "ELITE PARENTS", MANY DERIVED FROM SUB-SPECIES THAT ORIGINATED IN THE ANDEAN REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA AND IN MEXICO. THESE, WHEN CROSSED IN CERTAIN COMBINATIONS, PRODUCE VIGOROUS HIGH-YIELDING HYBRIDS. THE COMPANY SAYS THAT FROM THE TESTS NOW UNDERWAY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE, VIA MICRO PROPAGATION, MORE THAN A MILLION PLANTS WITHIN A YEAR.

SUCH POTATOES WILL BE UNIFORM IN TEXTURE, FLAVOUR, AND COLOR, WITH IMPROVED CULINARY CHARACTERISTICS. LOOK FOR THEM WITHIN A FEW YEARS ON PRODUCE MARKET SHELVES.

MORE INFORMATION:

ADRIAN SHAEFLER, MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ESCAGEN CORP., 830 BRANSTEN ROAD., SAN CARLOS, CA 94070-3305.

PHONE: (415) 595-5335. FAX: (415) 595-4332.

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