<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear List, Allow me to address a previous post to the list. Quote: "We could encourage grain development leading to a "grain" without protein fractions that trigger adverse immune responses. We could encourage research that would lead to "turning off" the celiac genetic marker of DNA." Somehow, I don't think we can pick and choose our agenda on this subject. We don't understand enough about the functions of gluten in wheat as it pertains to the rest of the natural world-not just celiac disease. Gluten intolerance may be the result of natural selection. Couldn't we just change our diet instead of changing the law of nature? Quote: "Most farmers, love the land, are well educated stewards of the land, proud of providing us with the most sanitary, high quality and abundant food supply in the world. Remember, less than 3% of Americans are farmers. A smaller percent of the American family income goes to buy food than anywhere else in the world. We can work with the farmer and their commodity groups so they are aware of our special needs and concerns. Our challenge is to continue to increase the breadth of positive alliances throughout the food industry. " Unfortunately, this supports the romantic idea of the "farmer". Many farms today are owned or subsidised by large agro-corporations. Many small "family" farms are against genetically altered foods. For instance, a long-standing tradition of farming is to "trade seed". GMO's (genetically engineered plants) are patented products. "Trading seeds" is akin to "bootlegging". To stop this spread of free seeds amongst the farming community, Terminator Technology (a proprietary term, not mine) has been developed and approved. What this means is that soybeans, rape seeds, or anything that has been "patented", produces sterile seeds. In perennial crops, plants die after the harvest. This has a negative affect on poor and developing countries, where the MAJORITY of their annual income is spent on food. Farmers may be forced to buy seeds from these large American companies that own the patents to the plants they grow. Traditionally, farmers use a portion of the beans/seeds of their crop for next years' planting. We don't know enough about this technology. It may serve the Celiac Community, it may not. The bottom line will probably be determined by profitability, not the good of a group, or all of mankind. Thank you for your time Gwynneth in Boston