Total American corn and soybean exports slipped briefly, but American farmers are undeterred. Early indications this year from seed companies are that they are not significantly cutting back, because big food processors have agreed to buy modified grains and keep them separate from traditional ones. The focus of the fury is a technology that borrows a genetic code from plants or animals and transfers it to a plant. Modified seeds, for instance, can produce their own pesticide and reduce the amount used in the fields. The seeds are now used throughout North and South America, China and Australia.
Opponents concede that no one has ever been harmed by genetically modified food.
But there are questions about environmental threats. Many Europeans fear the food itself, and some supermarket chains will not sell it. Those who object to the science argue that more research is needed on long-term safety. There is also an anti-American element. Demonstrators' signs often portray America and its agrochemical companies as one and the same.