Here's a fun one:
A collaboration at the N.C. Research Campus could help determine whether organically grown food is more nutritious than food grown by conventional methods.
Dole Food's director at the Research Campus wants to test vegetables grown at the Cabarrus County training farm to learn more about the nutrition content of local, organic food...
While farmers suspect that locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables pack a bigger nutritional punch, they have little scientific evidence, Bost said.
Analyzing their produce using state-of-the-art instruments at the Research Campus will provide empirical data, she said.
Farmers then could tell consumers that their food is more nutritious.
Yes, THAT Dole. And this is not some study by a university researcher that happens to be funded by Dole. The director of the Dole Nutrition Research Laboratory reports directly to the CEO of Dole. And don't forget Dole's relationship with Monsanto:
Monsanto, a flagship tenant at the Research Campus, is the world's leading producer of genetically modified seed and the herbicide Roundup, both abhorrent to most organic farmers.
Others have expressed concern about Monsanto's presence at the Research Campus, although site leader Dr. Susan MacIsaac said Monsanto will not modify plant DNA in the company's 9,000-square-foot Kannapolis lab, expected to open this fall.
Instead, Monsanto will use traditional plant breeding techniques to develop tastier, healthier vegetables.
While Dole Food and Monsanto have a five-year agreement to study vegetables, the companies do not have an official collaboration at the Research Campus, Gillitt said, but it's a possibility.
Both companies currently have one scientist in Kannapolis. Monsanto plans to have 10 employees, and Gillitt said he will hire two more researchers this month.
I'm sure the results of this study will be totally independent, unbiased, and 100% credible. |
