There has been and continues to be significant research and discussion about the safety of GMOs, not only for human consumption, but also for the environment and the economy.
Professor Vierling’s Talks:
Second talk on 11/20/14 about GM Plants – Is there an up side to GM Plants? Click here for the power point.
First talk on 4/15/14 about the science of GMO Plants filmed by Amherst Media: GMO Vierling Talk #1 -April 14
Opinion Piece – Northampton Daily Hampshire Gazette
05/06/2015, Page C01
Will the fight for GMO labeling get the job done?
NE Vegetable and Fruit Growers Conference – December 15, 2015 – Manchester NH: Where GMOs Stand Today
December 21, 2017 – Learning in Retirement – Hitchcock Center, Amherst, MA. Power Point Presentation – Transgenic Plants: From Basic Research to Agricultural Applications
Text excerpt about GMO ethics and technology:
Agricultural Biotechnology: Economics, Environment, Ethics, and the Future – Annual Review of Environment and Resources
Vol. 38: 249-279 (Volume publication date October 2013)
Agricultural biotechnology and, specifically, the development of genetically modified (GM) crops have been controversial for several reasons, including concerns that the technology poses potential negative environmental or health effects, that the technology would lead to the (further) corporatization of agriculture, and that it is simply unethical to manipulate life in the laboratory. GM crops have been part of the agricultural landscape for more than 15 years and have now been adopted on more than 170 million hectares (ha) in both developed countries (48%) and developing countries (52%). On the basis of this substantial history and data spanning many years, the economic and environmental impacts of GM crops can now be summarized with some certainty, and the analysis indicates that, on balance, many benefits have accrued from the adoption of GM crops. There continue to be many ethical issues that are being debated, and many are being resolved through institutional interventions. The future of agricultural productivity would be better served if the genetic modification debate were less polarized and were focused on the potential for complementarity of GM technologies within a diversified farming system framework.
Scientifically Sound Organizations:
Informative websites which seek to increase public understanding of genetic engineering:
Sites dealing with statistics on agriculture
Integrated Pest Management and Sustainable Agriculture Sites
Video links for information on GMOs
Interesting articles Pertaining to GMOs
Prof. Vierling’s material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1354960. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.