Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects

Our committee was given the task of examining the evidence regarding
potential negative effects and benefits of currently commercialized
genetically engineered (GE) crops and the potential benefits and
negative effects of future GE crops. In carrying out this study, the committee
members and I were well aware of the controversial nature of genetic engineering
in the United States and globally. Before and during the committee’s
first meeting, we received comments from people and groups expressing the
view that the scientific evidence establishing the safety of current GE crops
was so solid and well-reviewed that the only potentially useful task for the
committee would be to examine emerging genetic-engineering technologies.
We considered those comments but believed that available analyses were
not complete and up to date and that an examination of the data on diverse
biological and societal aspects of both current and future GE crops would
therefore be useful. We received other comments indicating that research
studies that found adverse biological or social effects of GE crops had been
ignored, and because of our committee’s composition, we too would probably
ignore them. We took all of the comments as constructive challenges.