Gene Tinkering in Agriculture

Gene Tinkering in Agriculture. Are genetically altered crops dangerous?

Individuals who fear the risks of such scientifically and commercially innovative products as generically altered crops or foods, otherwise as GMs, often call these products 'Frankenfoods.' Depending on which side of the debate you believe, crops that have been genetically modified "offer either the best hope ever to feed the world or the danger of a new era of biological pollution, threatening the health of anyone who ingests" potatoes such as Maine farmer Arthur Shur's potatoes that contain extra genes borrowed from bacteria and viruses so that the potatoes are more resistant to bugs, disease, even droughts. (Allen, 1999)

European nations, especially Great Britain, have balked at the new foods, fearing that all the gene crossing will produce unpredictable results, such as foods that are toxic to people or dangerous to the environment. A Cornell University study, for example, shows that pollen from a genetically modified product called Bt corn is toxic to monarch butterflies. (Allen, 1999) But these crops hold tremendous promise to make food that is not simply more attractive or better tasting, but hardier in a way that could conceivably help end world famine. Yet the affects of the crops upon the larger ecosystem remain uncertain, as do their affects upon the human body. "Hope you're not allergic to Brazil nuts," reads one website called Electric Newt, of "that cupcake you're eating with soybean oil in it might cause a problem. About 55% of last year's crop of soybeans was genetically engineered." ("Is your pizza poisoned?" 1995 The Electric Newt)