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The subject is touchy, to put it mildly. It stokes trepidation聽among writers and the foremost experts on the subject. And聽so, to introduce the topic of this story, we leave it to a rideshare聽driver: Anthony. He 麻豆精品 S檚 impartial, the product of an Italian聽upbringing and an American education. During a 10-minute聽ride he talks about Olympic sports, World War II, family, and the聽importance of patience when cooking pasta and eating it.

麻豆精品 S淚n general, people in Europe are healthier because they eat聽slower, 麻豆精品 S� Anthony says, right before he drops the three-letter聽bomb. 麻豆精品 S淭hey also don 麻豆精品 S檛 eat GMOs. 麻豆精品 S�

There. The driver said it first. GMOs. Genetically modified聽organisms. He admits he doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 know much about them,聽only that he 麻豆精品 S檚 heard they 麻豆精品 S檙e unhealthy. It 麻豆精品 S檚 an opening for his聽passenger.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e heard the same things, 麻豆精品 S� the passenger says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut I 麻豆精品 S檝e聽heard other perspectives, too. Some say GMOs might be an聽answer for world hunger. 麻豆精品 S�

Anthony listens intently. The passenger asks what he thinks聽of the next-level science of clustered regularly interspaced short聽palindromic repeats.

麻豆精品 S淣ever heard of it, 麻豆精品 S� Anthony says.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 CRISPR. Have you heard of CRISPR? 麻豆精品 S澛爐he passenger says.

麻豆精品 S淥h, that, 麻豆精品 S� Anthony says. 麻豆精品 S淚t sounds scary,聽but I need to learn more. 麻豆精品 S�

We should be able to have open聽conversations like this outside Anthony 麻豆精品 S檚聽Camry, but the very mentions of GMOs聽and CRISPR often stir up emotions and聽resistance.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a complex topic, 麻豆精品 S� says Houman Sadri,聽associate professor of political science and聽founder of the UCF Model United Nations聽program. He has an interesting family聽background and an open mind. 麻豆精品 S淭he more聽I learn about GMOs and food, the more聽questions I have. 麻豆精品 S�

The questions often pivot to politics,聽ethics and the environment. While those are聽important discussions, something crucial is聽often missing from the discussion: science.聽If we 麻豆精品 S檙e to get anywhere meaningful, that 麻豆精品 S檚聽where this conversation needs to turn.

Mixing Science with Food

Take a breath, and digest this basic truth:聽Science has been at the heart of food聽production for as long as plants have grown聽from the ground. As plant biologists like to聽say, 麻豆精品 S淪cience doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 make food less natural. 麻豆精品 S�

Food scientists are no more nefarious than聽people who 麻豆精品 S檝e been genetically enhancing聽plants on farms and in backyards without聽realizing it. If a vine produced good fruit,聽you 麻豆精品 S檇 remove the poor performers and聽surround the productive vine with more聽vines to phase in the best family traits. The聽banana is an oft-cited example. Its ancestors聽were green, hard and had to be cooked 麻豆精品 S斅燽asically, plantains. A Jamaican farmer came聽upon yellow bananas growing on his land聽in the early 1800s. He found them sweet聽and easy to peel, so he turned an accidental聽mutant into a field of what we now eat by the聽billions worldwide.

Simply put, plants evolve. With bananas,聽it happened over time. Crossbreeding (a聽sweet orange + a pomelo = grapefruit)聽speeds up the process. Gene modification聽(nonbrowning apples) speeds it up聽even more. Now imagine using genetic聽modification for something more聽significant than developing bizarre fruits聽 麻豆精品 S� like, human survival.

麻豆精品 S淲ith science, we can mine for聽meaningful information in the DNA聽and use it to increase yields with fewer聽external inputs, 麻豆精品 S� says UCF Associate聽Professor of Biology Chase Mason.

Mason grew up in a small town surrounded by farms and classmates who qualified for reduced-cost lunches. He thinks about those students when he walks through a garden full of sunflowers that he calls 麻豆精品 S渟ilent aliens. 麻豆精品 S� While he doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 conduct GMO or CRISPR research, he does use the flowers to explore the secrets of why they 麻豆精品 S檙e able to grow in ecosystems as varied as sand dunes, wetlands and mountain forests. He might find tucked into their DNA a defense mechanism they 麻豆精品 S檝e developed to ward off beetles or fungi. Theoretically, if someone could replicate those mechanisms in food-bearing plants, then just think of the outcomes: Plants could produce through droughts, floods, extreme weather and armies of insects 麻豆精品 S� without the need for irrigation or pesticides.

麻豆精品 S淏ut you couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 crossbreed those聽traits from sunflowers to a different聽crop, like peppers, 麻豆精品 S� Mason says. 麻豆精品 S淥ne聽would need to take the GMO or CRISPR聽approach. 麻豆精品 S�

Simply put, the GMO approach is聽adding or removing a gene to increase聽the likelihood of certain characteristics,聽like pest resistance, drought resilience聽or flavor. The CRISPR approach is more聽precise, where changing a single letter聽in the genetic code all but guarantees a聽desired result in a short amount of time.

One adjustment could allow an entire聽crop to survive an otherwise deadly聽disease.

Some plants have done this on their聽own. Lemons developed limonoids,聽which produce their strong scent as a聽mechanism to deter insects. Coffee beans聽use caffeine as an internal insecticide.

We can wait for plants to figure out聽their own schemes, perhaps for millennia,聽if at all. Or we can use the science that聽quite literally bears fruit right away.

Seed of Doubt

Sadri 麻豆精品 S檚 family moved around the world聽before settling in the U.S. in the 1970s. His聽father was an agricultural engineer for聽the Food and Agriculture Organization, a聽specialized agency of the United Nations聽tasked with providing member states聽with technical agricultural assistance to聽increase food production and decrease聽hunger.

麻豆精品 S淲e had discussions about genetic聽engineering during family meals long聽before GMOs were commercialized in聽the 1990s, 麻豆精品 S� Sadri says. 麻豆精品 S淢y father always聽said the human body is a biological聽machine and to treat it well. At the聽time, he worried about the unexpected聽consequences of GMOs. He was part聽of the generation of scientists who聽discovered that the pesticide DDT didn 麻豆精品 S檛聽break down in nature, which led to it聽being banned. He knew the possibilities聽with GMO technology, but he was divided聽because there hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 been enough lengthy聽studies on the health and environmental聽ramifications. 麻豆精品 S�

It didn 麻豆精品 S檛 help when genetically聽engineered plant food got off to a rough聽public start. The Flavr Savr tomato came聽to stores in 1994, with an extra gene聽that promised to inhibit rotting. The聽tomato disappeared three years later,聽reportedly because of high production聽and distribution costs. The FDA said the聽Flavr Savr posed no health danger and聽had the same nutritional content as a聽conventional tomato. The demand for the聽Flavor Savr was high, too. But its demise聽over basic economics opened the door for聽GMO pessimists to shape perceptions.

An English professor wrote a letter聽to The New York Times about his fear of聽 麻豆精品 S淔rankenfood, 麻豆精品 S� a term that spread. At a聽time when most people remained neutral聽in the GMO debate, a plant biologist in聽Britain claimed on national radio that聽genetically modified potatoes damaged聽the immune systems of rats. The research聽institute where he did his work suspended聽him for what they considered misleading聽statements, but a stigma had become聽rooted.

The dissent isn 麻豆精品 S檛 always peaceful. In September 2000, more than two dozen Greenpeace supporters went into the countryside of Norfolk, England, and trampled, pulled and hacked a 15-acre field of genetically modified corn before the landowner 麻豆精品 S檚 family could stop them.

Self-proclaimed 麻豆精品 S淕MO experts 麻豆精品 S� with聽no advanced education in science have聽grown followings by stimulating fear with聽books and documentaries. Consumers聽began to look for foods with 麻豆精品 S渘o-GMO聽ingredients, 麻豆精品 S� and entire stores made it聽part of their mantra.

We can wait for plants to figure out聽their own schemes, perhaps for millennia,聽if at all. Or we can use the science that聽quite literally bears fruit right away.

With far less publicity, thousands of聽studies have been released showing no聽health risks from genetically engineered聽plant foods. The research has come聽from universities, the World Health聽Organization, the United Nations, the U.S.聽Food and Drug Administration (FDA),聽and the National Academies of Sciences,聽Engineering, and Medicine. The FDA聽is one of three agencies that regulate聽GMOs in the U.S. The EPA explores聽environmental impacts, the Department聽of Agriculture ensures GMO plants aren 麻豆精品 S檛聽harmful to other plants, and the FDA聽concludes if they 麻豆精品 S檙e safe to eat.

麻豆精品 S淏ut remember, 麻豆精品 S� Sadri says, 麻豆精品 S渢he U.S.聽in general advocates for biotechnology.聽In contrast, Europeans approach聽biotechnology with skepticism. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淲hen you start from a position driven聽by something other than evidence, then no amount聽of evidence will change a person 麻豆精品 S檚 mind. 麻豆精品 S�

In 2015, each of the 27 countries in聽the European Union were allowed the聽option to ban or partially ban GMO聽crops. Nineteen countries chose to聽do so. Many scientists in Europe shut聽down their research programs because聽funding stopped and criticism of their聽work escalated. Farmers feared any聽connections with GMO studies would聽invite the destruction of their land and聽put their livelihoods at risk.

The science, in essence, became wary聽about being science.

麻豆精品 S淲hen you start from a position driven聽by something other than evidence, 麻豆精品 S� says聽one plant researcher, 麻豆精品 S渢hen no amount聽of evidence will change a person 麻豆精品 S檚 mind.聽Those opposed to GMOs would have聽looked at the science and come around聽by now. 麻豆精品 S�

If most farmers, scientists, regulators聽and those working to stem world hunger聽agree on the potential benefits of using聽GMOs and CRISPR, then where exactly is聽the strong opposition coming from?聽No one in this conversation is willing聽to guess.

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Feeding Agendas

Agriculture and science have always聽worked hand in hand. Without the natural聽partnership, famines over the millennia聽could very well have wiped out the聽populations of entire continents. As one聽researcher points out, 麻豆精品 S淧eople too easily聽forget what could have been. 麻豆精品 S�

Today we 麻豆精品 S檙e faced with 麻豆精品 S渨hat could聽be. 麻豆精品 S� According to the U.N., between 702聽million and 828 million people globally聽face food insecurity, and the number of聽undernourished people is back on the聽rise. Worse, there 麻豆精品 S檚 only so much fertile聽land left to use. Forests have already聽become fields. Wetlands have become聽farmlands. Organic food growing has a聽nice aesthetic, but typically it requires聽more land and water to produce the same聽amount of food, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 vulnerable to聽climate extremes. For most consumers,聽especially those in the lower and middle聽income brackets, organic foods are also聽too expensive.

Another fact to consider: Organic food聽is a $61 billion industry. Its most vocal聽advocates are also the most open critics聽of GMO and CRISPR science. Some聽observers wonder, however, why they聽wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 at least entertain conversations聽about technology that would allow聽farmers around the world to grow more聽nutritious foods on less land while聽using less fuel, less irrigation and fewer聽chemicals.

The U.S. Agency for International聽Development isn 麻豆精品 S檛 waiting for a public聽consensus. It 麻豆精品 S檚 already introduced聽genetically engineered staple crops聽in countries where food shortages are聽prevalent. Eggplant is now thriving聽in Bangladesh. Cassava, potatoes and聽black-eyed peas are reliable food sources聽in African nations.

Yet even those encouraging outcomes聽open more questions.

麻豆精品 S淭here are a lot of players involved 麻豆精品 S斅爂overnments, corporations and everyday聽citizens, 麻豆精品 S� Sadri says. 麻豆精品 S淲hat are their聽motives? 麻豆精品 S�

From Farms to Whose Tables?

Beatriz Otero Jim茅nez doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 remember聽much of the sugarcane fields that once聽occupied so much of Puerto Rico 麻豆精品 S檚聽landscape. Her grandfather made a聽living from the cane harvests until聽companies moved production off island.聽Farming in general declined, and so did聽self-sustenance. Today, less than 15%聽of the food consumed in Puerto Rico is聽grown there.

麻豆精品 S淚t concerns me, 麻豆精品 S� says Otero Jim茅nez,聽a postdoctoral scholar who teaches聽an honors seminar on food systems聽at UCF. 麻豆精品 S淭he island is susceptible to聽a supply interruption, which could be聽catastrophic. 麻豆精品 S�

Otero Jim茅nez says there 麻豆精品 S檚 enough聽food being produced worldwide to meet聽the needs of the world population.聽She doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 question the science. She聽questions who controls it.

麻豆精品 S淭he technology and the seeds聽developed from it are owned by a handful聽of companies,” Otero Jim茅nez says. “What 麻豆精品 S檚 their goal? Is it to聽make healthy food accessible to everyone?聽Is it to provide local farmers what they聽need to grow food locally? Or is it strictly聽to produce more cash crops for profit? 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淣ew technology should be available to聽all participants in the food chain, and not聽just corporations. 麻豆精品 S�

In the U.S. more than 90% of corn,聽soybeans and cotton are GMO crops.聽While grains account for most of our聽caloric needs, large-scale farms also reap聽government subsidies from the surplus聽that 麻豆精品 S檚 used for textiles, livestock feed, oils聽and ingredients to make processed foods.

麻豆精品 S淭he technology doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 translate to聽better access to healthy food, like broccoli聽and squash, 麻豆精品 S� Otero Jim茅nez says. 麻豆精品 S淟ike I聽said, we 麻豆精品 S檙e currently producing enough聽food. So why are people still hungry and聽getting chronically ill?”

Instead of pushing for GMOs to聽totally disappear, she 麻豆精品 S檇 like to see more聽transparency in the end game.

麻豆精品 S淣ew technology should be available to聽all participants in the food chain, and not聽just corporations, 麻豆精品 S� Otero Jim茅nez says.聽 麻豆精品 S淩ight now, there are too many obstacles聽between the technology and the table. 麻豆精品 S�

Circling Back to the Garden

Even on cloudy days, a blossoming garden聽serves as a foreshadowing of bright.聽possibilities. A place where seeds of doubt聽are replaced by seeds of hope. Those seeds聽are in the hands of anyone with a massive聽field or a sliver of dirt. They 麻豆精品 S檙e distributed聽from Haines City, Florida, to Haiti, from聽Kansas to Kenya. From those seeds,聽healthy food grows with certainty. Pests聽and extreme weather are easy to combat.聽Every growing season is bountiful. Food聽insecurity around the world shrinks.聽Wetlands and forests expand.

In the U.S. more than 90% of corn,聽soybeans and cotton are GMO crops.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 a place where there 麻豆精品 S檚 a commingling聽of organic food, natural selection, GMOs聽and CRISPR.

麻豆精品 S淲e can only get to a place like that聽with science, 麻豆精品 S� says one researcher.

Science begins with questions. So,聽let 麻豆精品 S檚 take a breath and end with two聽researchers, that if it were safe, would聽like to ask: Can we at least have truthful聽conversations? Let 麻豆精品 S檚 talk about organic聽foods, crossbreeding and GMOs. Because,聽really, what are we afraid of?