Can it be said for certain that transgenics do not pose a threat to the environment or to human health?
First of all, there is no technology with “zero risk”, but nor is there evidence that the transgenic seeds can harm the environment or human health, as we know non-degradable agro-chemicals have done. A modified organism has a new gene that turns it into a different living organism whose behavior is impossible to predict. However, I would walk over coals to assure that nothing bad happens. The same debate is occurring now as 30 years ago, when in the first stage of genetic modification bacteria where introduced to produce human insulin. Scandal erupted because of the supposed unknown diseases that were going to appear. In spite of that wave of rejection, vaccines emerged for diseases like hepatitis and an arsenal of pharmaceuticals was created to confront serious health problems. No other product in the food industry is subjected to more testing than genetically modified products. If I could, I would eat all the transgenics. Then why is there so much fear of genetically modified foods?
