Posted outside its doors, the sign signaled a new era in commercial grain trade. Standard business practices between grain exporters, local grain merchants and their neighborhood producers have been shaken by a global trade dispute. At issue is genetically enhanced foods. Advancements in bio-engineered seeds have benefitted farmers with higher yields, weed, pest and drought resistance, and reduced chemical application. What's more, genetically modified foods may yield untold consumer health benefits.
Research indicates biotechnology has the potential to boost nutritional content in foods.
This would bear enormous opportunities to address malnutrition, world hunger and disease resistance, especially in Third World nations. Because of the political sensitivity, free trade principles are ignored, and scientifically approved biotech foods are summarily rejected for import. If this issue isn't resolved once and for all, consumer resistance to genetically enhanced food products could cause a major traffic jam in the food chain. Consider the consequences. Put a kink in the system and the entire row drops like dominoes.