Log onto the Discussion Page. Discussion Part 1: Introduce yourself in the Class Introductions Conference. Deadline Sunday November 26, 2006.  Please click the Discussion page and tell us about yourself.

Part 2: Read through Unit I and respond to Unit I Discussion Assignment by November 26, 2006.

Part 2: After reading Unit I, you will notice that all of our staple food plant species and in fact most of our important food plant species do not originate in the United States. For example, corn originated in Mexico, potato originated in the Andean region, rice was from Asia, etc. Yet we grow these crops rather well here in the U.S. and have plenty of food to feed ourselves and export them to other countries. So, what is this concern about loss of plant genetic resources that some people are grumbling about? Why should Americans be concerned with plant genetic resources conservation when most of the wild relatives of the crops are not even native to the United States?