Eric Anderson, San Diego County's Farmer of the Year this year, said the approach is similar to the conventional breeding his family has done for 40 years, except that results are almost instantaneous. He likes the potential for bioengineering the decorative plants his family breeds on its Elfin Forest farm, east of Encinitas. For example, he said, it took decades to breed his yellow clivia plants but might take only a few years in the lab. Before, you would have to grow a lot of generations and select for disease. As for food, the biotech industry anticipates that Americans will be eating more GM products in coming years, not fewer.
Scientists are at work on techniques to make food more healthful, longer lasting and better tasting.
Advances in genetic understanding will only increase the possibilities.