Into the food fray

Portland State students who take classes from Dr. Lisa H. Weasel will probably never look at a soybean or ear of corn in the same way ever again.

When they read her just published book, FOOD FRAY: Inside the Controversy Over Genetically Modified Food, they’ll be able to cite many reasons for their convictions. The book deals with how what we eat at the dinner table affects the globe and the ethical debates surrounding genetically modified (GM) food.

A soft-spoken, quietly passionate professor of biology, Weasel received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study the topic. She is a member of Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s task force on developing public policy for bio-pharmaceutical crops in Oregon.

Modified foods are those where genes of one species are transferred to another. Corn soy, canola and papaya are examples of GM foods, Weasel said. There are no regulations on imported food and GM food, she added.

The debate over genetically modified foods has increased dramatically around the world. GM food has been hailed as pivotal to world hunger and cropland erosion, and demonized by its critics as a source of “genetic pollution,” corporate greed, and environmental destruction.

U.S. consumers continue to accept—if unknowingly—genetically modified foods. Two thirds think they have never eaten GM food, unaware of what products contain them. Anything with soy or corn has been modified.

“My biggest fear is there are not enough regulations and studies on the effects of these foods,” Weasel said. “There is little scientific attention and studies are hard to do. There is too much emphasis on short term economic gain without thought to the long-term bigger picture.”

She said there is growing awareness in the Obama administration. 

“I believe we will have more attention to agriculture and food safety,” she said, pointing out a growing trend within the sustainable food movement and a new secretary of agriculture. “There have been verbal commitments about subsides for soy and corn and revisiting or changing policies.”

Dr. Weasel’s research has taken her around the world. She adopted a daughter after seeing the poverty and orphanages in the countries she visited.

“I wanted to balance my life,” said the single mother.

Her daughter, now 6, is from Nepal and Weasel is awaiting word on another adoption in Ethiopia. Once approved, she will travel there to pick up the child.   

Weasel said Portland State is in the forefront of research and education on sustainability issues and warned against lobbying from powerful industries. She found that scientists, farmers and policy makers were willing to talk to her, but the industry itself closed its door to any interviews.

The problem with educating the general public is that “this subject does not lend itself to sound bites, because to make a point you have to talk about food safety, security, choices, regulations. That’s hard to distill in a few second or minutes.”

Those who oppose GM foods are pegged as anti-science, she said, but she welcomes debate because “stimulating reaction is a good sign to me.”

Her next book will be a more of an academic analysis from a feminist perspective, she said.

“We need to broaden the perspective of science because that’s how the world works and nature functions. Biased science does not encompass all viewpoints. People with differing experience in the world should be included,” Weasel said.

She points to women in India who can’t read or write and sign with a thumbprint but are great agricultural workers. The women live in huts with bags of seeds, the center of their life. The Dalit castes in Southern India have knowledge of the genetic components of seeds.

“We overlook the knowledge of people who are poor or in poverty. We think knowledge is a Ph.D. and discount these people,” she said. “We need to start from their knowledge instead of top down.”

Weasel will be giving talks at Portland State and the Peoples Food Co-op this month. She is preparing to move into a sustainable housing project in Northeast Portland that includes an organic farm and common area spaces shared by the residents and a l912 farmhouse for guests.