All of us have an impact, whether positive or negative, on biodiversity – the amazing variety of life on earth. This may come through the way we choose to live our lives, the way we farm, the way we care for the environment or the way we dispose of our waste. In just a few pages this issue attempts to bring more understanding both about changes in the diversity of life on earth and of how recent scientific advances may impact on our lives.
From the earliest times when people began cultivating crops and raising livestock, farmers have been selecting particular crop plants and animals. In addition, plant and livestock breeders have enabled significant changes in yield or disease resistance. However, in recent years, advances in genetic science have led to some changes of enormous significance to ordinary people, to you and me. The ability to identify genetic material has led to the patenting of this material, preventing others from using it free of charge, and possibly limiting a farmer’s choice when selecting seed. The ability of scientists to breed crops has also changed considerably with recent advances in genetic modification. Now genetic material from one species can be transferred into a completely different species.
These subjects are not easy to understand and we apologise that sometimes we have needed to introduce difficult terms. But all of us need more knowledge of these developments, so that we can discuss their impact on our lives. We hope this issue will help.
Isabel Carter