ABSTRACT
Around 1960, the prophets of doomsday argued that existing resources of fossil energy and coal were to diminish over “a few more decades”. More recent alarms include food contaminations observed within the EU and the long-term environmental effects of pharmaceuticals, so far tested only for their acute effects. In 2002, the EU established a European Food Safety Authority to provide scientific facts to consumers on indirect and direct influences on food safety. The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic has serious implications not only for health but also for food security. In the past, botanical gardens played a significant role in the maintenance of genetic resources and in plant collections, particularly in the tropics. In the mid-1980s, Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) planned for the support and creation of a regional gene bank in southern Africa. Both the scientific and industrial establishments stress that functional foods are the right avenue for diets of tomorrow.
