In July, she requested that Monsanto submit further testing on the bollworms that survived on last summer's Bt cotton crop. As of press time, the results had not yet been reviewed. The EPA has taken some steps to try to inhibit the development of pest resistance to Bt. For example, the agency required farmers to plant a small plot of non-Bt cotton within their Bt fields. Farmers are expected to comply because when they buy the seed, they grant Monsanto the right to inspect their farms.
Scientists also warn about the unknown health implications to humans.
A study of transgenic crops published in the New England Journal of Medicine last March looked at soybeans inserted with Brazil nut genes and proved that allergens can be transferred from one crop to another through genetic engineering. And hundreds more are in the pipeline, some implanted with the genes of animals such as new varieties of corn, soybeans, oats, rice, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, raspberries, strawberries, papayas, and plums. There's even transgenic seafood in the works, including genetically altered salmon, prawns, catfish, and abalone. Even biotech supporters concede that there is no way to predict the health and environmental consequences of this transgenic stampede. You just don't change one thing.