Why papayas are being genetically altered

Corn. Soy. Cotton. Conola. All very popular crops; each are genetically modified so that mega-corporations can own them while raking in millions.  But why alter the genes of Hawaii's papayas?  They are certainly not as popular as (and therefore not as profitable as) the aforementioned crops.  It had not been clear to me until recently, when I ran across an item in the excellent Grow Your Own Drugs by James Wong. The papaya made it to his "Top 100 Medicinal Plants". According to him, papayas "contain papain", an enzyme used for tenderizing meat.  Aha. So that's why. 

The giant companies own the genes of the crops that are fed to livestock - the crops that make the animals tough in the first place.  They alter the animals own genes for larger, quicker, unnatural production.  So why not own the genes of the Hawaii papaya so that they will own the meat-tenderizer, too? 

The book is excellent.  It's not what you think - it's drugs as in remedy-type drugs.  Remedies and recipes to heal by - all out of plants.  Apparently, this is huge in the UK.  We could learn a thing or two from the Brits.

Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes  by James Wong
224 pages    $19.95 US    A Reader's Digest Book

    

The Recipes - Feb. 2011

Green Tea Smoothie
2 cups milk *
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon matcha (green tea powder)
2 cups ice cubes
 Combine all ingredients in blender. Purre til ice
has broken down and smoothie is thick and
combined, for approximately 1 minute.
Pour into tall glass and serve.
  * Try different milks, like almond, hazlenut,
and oat for delicious flavor variations!

Basic Hummus
soon to come!
2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup water




These recipes come from the book
L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook
by JoAnn Cianciulli.