Nitrogen fixation depends on at least 17 genes in the bacterium, and 50 genes in the plant. There are, in addition, problems and hazards inherent to the practice of the technology itself, which makes the regulation of the technology an urgent issue. These have been underestimated in assessments of the risk. Proponents of genetic engineering claim that research scientists can precisely identify the individual gene that governs a desired trait, extract it and insert the copy into another organism which will then have the desired trait as will its offspring. This simplistic picture ignores new knowledge from genetics which shows that genes function in a complex way, linked with each other and with changes in the environment and that exchange of genes between species is an important feature of the possible risks.
Genetic engineering uses vectors to transfer genes between species.
Their ability to overcome mechanisms to exclude foreign genes, means unpredictable effects may arise. The vectors carrying the transgene, unlike chemical pollution, can be perpetuated and amplified given the right environmental conditions. Genetic engineering has the potential to unleash cross-species epizootics and epidemics that will be impossible to control or recall. Rather than the promotion of genetically modified foods and the risks they bring, we should support the conservation and sustainable development of indigenous agricultural biodiversity, which will better guarantee long term food security for all.