The British tabloid attack is typically overt, with headlines linking use of antibiotic resistance markers to epidemics of encephalitis, for example. Other media take a more subtle anti-GM stance. It begins with a scenario of a woman in a supermarket being deceived by lack of labels indicating GM food. A double negative and doublespeak. Much of the hubbub over transgenic food has a decidedly political flavor.
Some scientists wonder whether transgene hysteria is symptomatic of larger issues.
3 Activists concerned about the safety of GM foods often say that they require more testing. Jeremy Rifkin , another opponent of GM foods, is planning to sue Monsanto, DuPont, Novartis, and other biotech companies for antitrust violations. It's strange that while Europe frets over multinational corporations, much of the rest of the world is trying to figure out how to feed a growing population. Transgenic crops are the answer. GM crops that resist infection, use nutrients more efficiently, are easier to cultivate, and produce higher yields may be the harbinger of a sustainable agriculture that's friendlier to the environment, according to Peter Raven , director of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.