The judgement of technology cannot be entrusted to the developers of technology and their peers. When a majority of scientists accept a given technology in their field, that is meaningless. It is not just the technology itself but the attitudes that we humans hold that help determine the acceptability of a given technology. The question needs to be, can we be trusted with it given the way our imperfect world works, not could we be trusted with it in some theoretical world with strict controls altruistically enforced by benign institutions. Until we advance morally, culturally and intellectually, we must be highly suspect of any emerging technology with potentially devastating effects if misused.
Biotechnology is relatively new.
Even before this emerging technology has gained a foothold, we have already had the accident of an unapproved form of genetically engineered corn entering our food supply. This should be seen as a severe warning of worse problems yet to come - not a blip on the road to some genetically modified heaven. The truth is, we don't live in a perfect world where appropriate safeguards on high technology can be infallibly counted on. Even if we impose strict monitoring systems now, that is no guarantee that in the near or distant future, an economic or political decision will be made to loosen the safeguards. With some technologies, the most prudent course is to simply not go down that road.