a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment

    The entire field of genetic engineering should not be discounted in one sweeping motion.

This would be fair IF the science of GMOs is proved to be solid and GMOs end up being safe. Let's for a second assume that it is.

The safety of GMOs isn't the only reason why people are against them. The centralization of seed production as well as the ability to patent life are two aspects with huge environment-socio-economic repercussions, which were never openly debated. On this basis alone I feel it's fair to have a stance against the whole of the bio-technology industry.

Regarding golden rice, why don't we give seeds of vegetables which naturally contain the vitamin that a certain population's is deficient on, instead of selling them an expensive, patented GM seed which they'll have to buy every year (since saving GM seed is illegal)? It seems to me that bio-tech companies are trying to hide their greed behind altruistic marketing.