Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Support a potato: Non-GM, blight-resistant potatoes that don’t need constant spraying

Sarvari Research Trust breeds non-GM, blight-resistant potatoes that don’t need constant spraying. These are known as Sarpo varieties. They have a promising new seedling (let’s call it Crow, short for Crowdfunded for now) to extend their Sarpo range. They need to test Crow’s performance against standard varieties in the field/garden and in the kitchen. Then they can send seed of Crow for government testing (very expensive) over two growing seasons. If the regulators agree that Crow would make a useful new variety, they will award it National List status. Then the variety can make a big contribution to really sustainable food production in UK and abroad. They need £5000 to help do this.

They can’t get grant funding for this kind of work because is thought to be near market research and therefore a private matter. Breeders of GM resistant potatoes do get grant support! So, if you join them by donating funds, time or skills, it can make all the difference. As a backer, you can participate in their research by testing Crow and sending us your results.
See how to support this project here.

Get the date in your diary: Stroud Potato Day 2nd February 2013

Yes the date is confirmed and planning is already in progress; let us know if you think you can help on the day.