Bookverdict.com

Gr 5–8—Castaldo notes that because of climate change, big farming, and habitat loss, our planet is losing biodiversity "at a depressing rate," and she proceeds to lay out the frightening hazards of monocultural agriculture—from the Irish potato famine to the current decimation of banana and coffee species—and the use of genetically engineered seed stock. Along with doing her best to raise reader anxiety about this issue with statistics and ominous trends, she also highlights the often-heroic efforts of scientists to create and pre...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

"Some 75 percent of plant genetic diversity has been lost since the 1900s...More than 90 percent of crop varieties are no longer being farmed...half of our calories...come from just three [plants] -- rice, maize, and wheat." This eye-opening book on the science and politics of agriculture serves as a wake-up call to readers about the fragility of something many of us take for granted: our plant-based food supply. Castaldo clearly lays out a case for the importance of plant diversity ("Seeds equ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In this wake-up call about the fragility of our plant-based food supply, Castaldo speaks clearly to the importance of plant diversity, presenting engaging scientific ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More