Environmentalists are attacking biotechnology, trying to convince the government and the public that the science is unsafe. What's really unsafe, however, is their attempt to stop valuable research and the production of foods and medicines. As a black American, I consider this opposition as elitism in its cruelest form since the poorest members of the population, blacks in particular, are going to suffer because of it. If you think advances in food science have not affected you, think again. Biotechnology creates hearty plants that can grow in climates and conditions that could not previously sustain them.
Scientific research makes it possible for farmers to use fewer herbicides to keep plants bug-free.
And biotechnology makes foods healthier. Before the tomatoes can go to market, the government puts them and every other genetically-modified product through rigorous testing to ensure their safety. Unfortunately, you must realize that environmental radicals regularly put the needs of rocks and slugs before the needs of mankind. Their campaign against science, if successful, could lead to hard times and worse for the poor and minorities here in the United States and in Africa. Despite recent advances in the workplace and the growth of the black middle class, there are millions of us who still live in sub-standard conditions in urban areas and who bring home meager salaries that keep us there.