Cotton has been in food headlines, which has surprised some friends who gave me a shout with a link like this one from NPR — Not Just For Cows Anymore: New Cottonseed Is Safe For People To Eat. The idea of edible cottonseed isn’t one may people have really pondered I guess cause when we think of cotton, we think of the lint that makes our clothing and some of us don’t even think about the reality that there is also seed that is harvested at the end of the season.

Research on Cottonseed

But Dr. Keerti Rathore of Texas A&M University thinks bigger than a lot of us. I’ve had the chance to hear about his research several times and this idea he came up with two decades ago. To see his research is reaching reality is awesome.

Dr Rathore is originally from India. He’s seen lots of farmers there and in other parts of the world who work incredibly hard on their crops but remain hungry, food insecure. A lot of farmers in that place are growing cotton. Cotton seed has a great nutritional profile however they naturally include a toxin to humans called gossypol. It shows up in the plant matter and seeds.

Dr Rathore theorized if he could remove the gossypol from the seed it could be a good food source grown locally and he’s been working on it for more than 20 years! And whereas a lot of other genetically modified crops have been adding something, he eliminated gossypol production. Really cool work and I cannot begin to imagine the sene of pride for accomplishing something that can really help transform the lives of hungry people.

Here’s a video Texas A&M did that explains.

With the USDA review complete, it means farmers could start planting soon however, the cottonseed will have to be held until the FDA review is complete. If the review comes back positive, the seed could be used as a food product, otherwise it would be used as cattle feed.

Why eat cottonseed?

The nutritional profile of cottonseed is pretty well known. My friend who is a veternarian explained how cottonseed is used in dairy feed offering a good source of fiber, energy and protein. Cattle can eat it because and those complex stomachs process the gossypol. As ruminants, they break down some things that humans can’t — I mean we don’t exactly graze on pastures. All of that is part of what makes the headline such a grabber that they got clicks.

Cottonseed oil is processed removing gossypol which makes it favorite for sauteing and frying. I use it in my Instant Pot pretty often. I really need to write about this a bit more!

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Today a friend of mine has a post on the company blog that, with the exception of growing up in Texas and the whole mom thing, feels like I could have written it. Like Molly, I have friends or people I meet when I’m out and about, show some sense of surprise when the conversation turns to where we all work. When I say I work in agriculture that’s usually surprising but it goes up a notch when I explain I work for Monsanto (reminder as the footer says, this is my personal blog).  Sometimes people want to dismiss it as “everyone needs a paycheck” and I have to explain that’s not it. I have a lot of choices. Other times people want to help me see the error of my ways. I usually explain that I choose to work here because I am a true believer in agriculture. I want to make a difference.

Molly does a great job capturing my thoughts as she speaks for herself. The blog post reads:

This is a question I hear again and again from new friends, surprised to hear that I work for Monsanto.  Their surprise is certainly understandable.  I don’t exactly fit the stereotype.  I’m politically progressive, I shop at my local natural food store and the local farmers’ markets, and I belong to natural parenting and attachment parenting mommy groups.  I’ve got my own little organic garden growing in pots out on my back porch.  I even cloth diaper my baby.

So why on earth would I find myself working at a place like Monsanto?  Everyone who’s ever read anything on the internet knows what they say about Big Bad Monsanto.  So why does someone like me, a liberal, political activist, lactivist, environmentalist, marginal locavore, and attachment parenting advocate work for a company like that?

Here’s what I tell my friends:

I didn’t fall into a job and Monsanto.  It wasn’t something that just happened.  I actively sought a position with the company.  I wanted to work here, because I believe the work we are doing has a positive impact on the environment and the world.

I’ll use cotton as an example.  I grew up in the Brazos River Valley in Texas, and cotton is something I know a little about.  My family used to go every year to a local cotton gin festival. We took tours of the cotton gins. I learned about pickers, strippers, modules, and bales in 4H.  And it was always fun to pick up the leftover fluff at the side of the road to play with, pick the seeds out, and comb it until it was soft enough to go into a doll bed.

(continued at You work where? | Beyond the Rows)

I am passionate about agriculture. I love working with farmers and especially enjoy knowing I’m making a positive difference. And I’ve worked for a few companies and made a conscious choice to join Monsanto. I talk to farmers almost daily — whether they use biotech or choose not to, heck, some of my friends are organic farmers, and I really think that we are all better by sharing information freely. With only two percent of America involved in agriculture, we have to look at how all of us can do better to meet the challenges ahead. And in case anyone is interested, agriculture of all sorts is always taking applications! I’d love to see more folks joining our ranks! At Monsanto, on the farm or wherever!

What are things that people are surprised to hear about you?

Related articles

• Meal Six: At Monsanto, I Learned I Am the Problem
• Why would a farmer plant GMO cotton?
• Cotton Is Life in Texas – Cotton Farmers Tell Their Story
• What our fields actually need is a heavy application of honesty

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