Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Are White Camembert and Brie Doomed to Extinction? The power and strength and endurance of life on our planet Is due to adaptation, thus survival, to ever-changing conditions on earth. The antithesis of this is the desire of humans for standardization-- Sameness and comfort to continual and 'familiar' known entities. Biologically, this leads, of course, to ever-weakening biological systems, Which Homo sapiens are managing and controlling for their own pleasure. How is this at all germane to our cheeses? Well, we are facing a collapse of microbial diversity. We have been relying on a single fragile strain of fungi Which is now at a risk of dying out of existence on our planet. To create our cheeses, Penicillium biforme has been chosen To yield the desired colors, flavors, and aroma which the populus desires. Now P. camemberti, a developed strain, considered a 'species', Cannot reproduce, and must be continually created By ever-more difficult cloning methods. Along the way, other strains of mold have vanished from disuse. The desired fluffy white mold, which grows quickly, Has reached a condition which is locked in and not now found in the wild! With variations of P. camemberti being completely stifled, There has been an increase of harmful mutational errors in its genome. Other cheeses, for the same reasons, are not out of danger-- A couple are Gorgonzola and Roquefort. The single variety of cloned bananas, with an effective pest, Could be completely decimated. Variations of wheat strains are vital for survival, now facing the Climate Crisis. Finally, if diversity within a species is lost, adaptability is lost. With this in mind, we humans must revel in the pending enjoyment Of the future variety of slight changes in color, aroma, and flavor! Frank Maurer 19 February 2024 1950 Hours.