kevinfolta

That unlike radioactive Nazis, there is no solid reproducible harm of GMO technology. Scientists almost universally agree. Plus, if any of us public scientists found harm in GMOs, we'd report it, and be set for life with grants, Nobel prizes and awesome papers that changed farming!

Your concern is valid, but also applies to traditionally bred crops. Anything good with exceptional properties ends up dominating markets, GM or not. What GMO gives you is the ability to rapidly adapt to a new pathogen or environmental challenge, or develop crops with expanded ranges that could increase genetic variation. That's really just speculation. Your chart is right-on... it shows that we have selected for specific improved varieities. On the other hand, the trend is to breed in more wild genes from cousins of cultivated crops, so that will give some options too. Good question and thanks for the chart.

Based on the current literature there is no reproducible, independent evidence of harm. It all comes from the same labs and is not in the best of journals. I can't say what will happen in the long run- no real scientist can. However, based on our understanding of the science there is no plausible means that the technology can be harmful any more than traditional breeding. Thanks.

This is a tricky question. First the science. From model plants we have learned about the pathways that help provide tolerance to extreme weather, drought, etc. We know how plants make metabolites and resist disease. All of these could be parts of the new generation of transgenic plants. More flavor, nutrition, etc too. However, it is almost impossible to commercialize these materials. The approval process selects for big companies, and that's why the only transgenic crops are big ag crops! In the long run, safe transgenic technology will be the norm. Thanks.

Funny you should ask. We are partnering with a Spanish lab to make a plant that gives a strong visible response at the first onset of pathogen attack. It is not fertile with other fruits, so it can't cross out to non GMOs. It will give a visible warning to the farmer that a pathogen is present, allowing precise application of controls. Farmers will use less pesticide/fungicide, less in the environment, huge savings, less fuel, more precise applications, less for consumers to worry about. It is a fresh project just at the start, but could have wonderful environmental impacts.