While most governments are reacting to the global food shortage by growing more food, the Chinese have decided to grow the same amount of fruits and vegetables, but with A TWIST: giant versions of standard food staples: 210-pound pumpkins, 2-pound tomatoes, and cucumbers that are over 2-feet long -- that are currently feeding families in 22 of China's provinces, and governments in Europe, Japan and elsewhere are taking notice. 

This weird, believe-it-or-not scenario becomes even more fantastic as it turns out that the reason these foods can grow so huge is because they've been sent to outer space. The seeds get blasted into outer space, and, after they return, transform into enormous eatables -- but no one knows why.

The China Academy of Sciences, working with the then Soviet Union, first started looking at the benefits of growing seeds in space in 1987. Then two years ago the Shijian-8, the first recoverable satellite designed solely to carry space seeds, was blasted into outer space on China's Long March rocket. On board were more than 2,000 seeds.

Scientists have yet to offer a definitive explanation of why space causes the seeds to mutate but they believe that cosmic radiation, micro-gravity and magnetic fields may play a part, but beyond that guesswork, there's seemingly no reason that space seeds should be a miracle food. Our MINA correspondent, a physicist, believes micro gravity plays a major role. 

Once the seeds are returned from space they are cultivated and only fruit or vegetables that show improvements in size, taste or vitamin and mineral content are selected. The seeds from these plants are then bred over at least another three generations to ensure they remain stable.

The Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, 50 miles from Guangzhou, could be the taste of things to come as China struggles to feed its 1.3billion population. Vast farms are already being used to cultivate these crops as space fruit and vegetables are put on dinner tables across China. A total of 22 provinces are taking part in the programme, coordinated by the China Academy of Sciences.

Futuristic greenhouses in southern China give birth to 15-stone pumpkins - 10 times their normal size - 160lb Chinese winter melons, chilli plants the size of small trees with fiery 9in-long fruit which look more like exotic peppers. Alongside are 14lb aubergines, 2lb tomatoes and 2ft cucumbers.

Chinese scientists claim some space fruit and veg are better than the original. The Vitamin C content in some vegetables is nearly three times higher and there is a marked increase in trace elements such as zinc. Yields of space rice are also 25 per cent higher. Research also shows that certain space breeds use proportionately less water than their more traditional predecessors so they could be perfect for arid areas.
To date China has bred more than 50 new species of plants and has plans to produce more than 200 new species.

"A lot more space seed products are going to be coming on the market in the next two to three years, with sweet pepper, tomato and cucumber breeds on sale," said Chinese expert Lo Zhigang. "Some of China's space seed products are already exported to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. These include breeds of cucumber, sweet pepper, tomatoes and broccoli."

And that's exactly what worries environmentalists. In the same way that genetically modified foods may present an as-of-yet unknown danger to our health, some worry the same is true of food from space. I am also against modifying foods genetically. 'Experts' say, the seed is modified genetically so the worms don't eat it, hence we have 0% loss in our crops. My only question is, why would I eat food that worms wouldn't eat?  All in all, with the Chinese way of growing crops, a 2 pound tomato and some feta cheese, would serve us well for a Macedonian salad.                        // Marjan C.