Agriculture Quote by Nina Fedoroff
“In agriculture, people have taken wild plants that can't be eaten by people - and turned them into wonderful food sources. And that's because genomes can change, and people working with plants have picked mutations. Mutations are nothing more than genetic changes.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Talk on Genetic Engineering, 2015
Human-directed plant breeding uses natural mutations to create new food crops.
In simple terms: Mutations help develop better foods.
Key Takeaway
Leverage natural variation in agriculture.
Themes
agriculture
genetics
food security
innovation
Mood
optimistic
informative
Type
explanatory
educational
When to use this quote
- crop development
- food policy
- research labs
Key Concepts
mutation
selective breeding
crop improvement
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the limits of mutation breeding?
- How can we integrate new technologies?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on mutations may overlook modern gene editing tools.
![“After observing mutations in fruit flies for many years, Professes Goldschmidt fell into despair. The changes, he lamented, were so hopelessly micro [insignificant] that if a thousand mutations were combined in one specimen, there would still be no new species.” quote by Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/58c/norman-macbeth-47158_despair_after-observing-mutations-in-fruit-flies_221683.jpg)
