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OSA Book Review: Uncertain Peril
 My spring reading included Claire Hope Cummings’ new book Uncertain Peril - Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds, a book that had been recommended to me by several folks in the food and farming world, including Fred Kirschenmann, whose advice is gold standard enough that you don’t even need to read my review, just go get the book. Of course I’ll give you my two cents anyway to go along with Fred’s gold. I have to admit that I am often hesitant to read what I consider popular books on contemporary food-farming issues, as I like to get my information from the various agricultural groups, farmers, and advocates with whom we work, as well as directly from news sources and academic or NGO studies. Some of it is time – I often feel I don’t have time to read a 300+ page book that is going to repeat much of what I glean in my day to day work. And some of it is style – the narrative holding the flavor of being packaged by publishing houses to hit the hot buttons of the latest 15 minute of fame issue.
I may have to reconsider this bias of mine after reading Uncertain Peril. I really enjoyed it. Yes, much of the information was familiar to me from work with OSA, but Cummings' writing skills and narrative organization are so concise, strong, and engaging that her book helped me refocus and integrate my understanding of the “perils”, as well as the players behind the perils. Most importantly it was a source of inspiration to continue with the work. She has crafted a book that I believe would also be very accessible to someone with little to no understanding of seed issues. In that regard I encourage you to recommend it to folks you know who have are struggling to understand or voice an opinion on GE issues.
There were several sections that really stood out for me. Cummings’ analysis of patent laws, industry consolidation, and the development of the seed industry are excellent and give a good historical overview of why we now face both a loss of seed varieties as well as farmer skills in seed work. Even better are the chapters on different models of seed conservation. The Svalbard “Doomsday” Seed Vault is a controversial subject amongst those of us who work in seed. It often comes down to the fact that there are very limited public and private money and resources allocated for seed conservation. But there are also philosophical differences. Many of us, including OSA, feel that the best way to hand down seed is in situ – farmers and breeders working directly with the seed in the area of intended use. We believe in conserving healthy agricultural systems that value seed and that allow for seed and genetic traits to evolve and migrate into new regions where they are needed. Ex situ conservation such as the Svalbard Vault is a method more akin to building a zoo and occasionally breeding new populations, rather than preserve healthy and dynamic systems. Both may be necessary given the current peril Cummings articulates. There are obvious benefits to having a seed bank to back up resources in the case of catastrophe such as wide scale genetic contamination by a Terminator technology. In situ is strengthened by having an ex situ safety net. Cummings does an excellent job of exploring this dynamic and examining not only seed banks but organizations working to preserve seed in a more direct way, groups such as Native Seed/SEARCH.
My only complaint with the book was that at the time of her research Cummings wasn’t aware of OSA, and so was unable to share our participatory approach in working with farmers on developing seed skills – not only saving and producing seed, but improving and co-evolving new varieties for regional needs. Yet I have a feeling her writing on seed issues is far from finished and that we are part of the “to be continued”. The epilogue to Uncertain Peril invites and encourages readers to help change the horror story of industrial seed models into a tale of stewardship and “a mutually productive relationship between people, plants, and place.” She wants us to write a new story that rejects “the monotheism of molecular science”. These final pages were filled with vision that assured me that Cummings is hip to the idea that the farmer grows the seed as much as the seed grows the farmer. Those of us in the seed world should be grateful to have her voice in the dialogue. Thanks Claire!
By Matthew Dillon
For more info about Claire Hope Cummings, her writing, and how to purchase the book, please go to www.clairehopecummings.com Back to June 2008 Newsletter
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