Land Mine Detecting Flower

I would like to nominate the Land Mine Detecting Flower as the best consumer product ever.

The genetically modified plant was developed in the early 2000's, however research and development has since ceased (the company had a bogus business model). The Danish biotech company Aresa Biodetection developed the Thale Cress to change colour when its roots come into contact with nitrogen dioxide evaporating from explosives buried in the soil. They adapted the plants natural reaction to turn red or brown when subjected to stressful conditions such as cold or drought, genetically modifying it to react instead to nitrogen dioxide emitted by land mines. Aresa say that in about 3 to 6 weeks of sowing seeds, the weed will show colour around areas above mines. 

Land mines are classed as indiscriminate weapons, affecting mostly civilians, and doing so well beyond the conflicts themselves. They are a great impediment to the functioning of life surrounding land mine affected areas. In 2007, the UN stated that land mines kill approximately 20,000 people annually, which is an outrageous number for something which can be completely eradicated. 

The reason that Aresa's design is the best consumer product ever is that it addresses a need in such an elegant way, providing much needed land for agricultural use in the poorest conflict stricke. The seeds themselves a far cheaper and require far less time than scouting fields with metal detectors or other land mine detecting machines, meaning untrained civilians can use them en masse and then let the weeds do the work. I should also note that the product works seamlessly within its ecosystem, meaning zero pollution or waste-age. Aresa have even made the weed infertile, meaning it doesn't spread to unwanted areas.  

Whilst the ethics of genetically modified foods are still a bit hazy, I can't see any issue in genetically modified tools like the Thale Cress.

Nicholas Avery