This week we broadcast the debate and some of the questions and comments that followed. Genetic manipulation of food is a sensitive and controversial issue. Over the last ten years, technology has been developed that has allowed us to add new genes to our crops. The altered organisms may be afforded better protection from insects, they may be able to tolerate herbicides that kill weeds, or they may be able to survive in harsher climates. The goal of the technology is to be able to produce more productive crops using fewer resources.
Critics say no.
They are concerned about the environmental, economic and social impacts of the technology. They are also very concerned over the safety of these new products. Dr. Ann Clark is an associate professor in the plant agriculture department at the University of Guelph. She's a frequent speaker at both scholarly and farm producers' conferences throughout Canada and the United States. She is also one of Canada's most outspoken critics of genetic engineering of plants.