Genetically Modified Crops' Results Raise Concern

from the San Francisco Chronicle

Washington -- Biotechnology's promise to feed the world did not anticipate "Trojan corn," "super weeds" and the disappearance of monarch butterflies.

But in the Midwest and South--blanketed by more than 170 million acres of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton--an experiment begun in 1996 with approval of the first commercial genetically modified organisms is producing questionable results.

Those results include vast increases in herbicide use that have created impervious weeds now infesting millions of acres of cropland, while decimating other plants, such as milkweeds that sustain the monarch butterflies. Food manufacturers are worried that a new corn made for ethanol could damage an array of packaged food on supermarket shelves.

Science in the Media

Newspapers:

Magazines and Web Sites:

The Science-Media Intersection:

Science Blogs

Sign Up

... for Sigma Xi SmartBrief, a free daily summary of the latest news in scientific research, delivered straight to your in-box. Each story is summarized concisely and linked directly to the original source for further reading.

Click here to subscribe.

Subscribe to Our Content!

Visit our RSS Feeds page to choose among 13 customized feeds, or create a free My AmSci account to request an email notice whenever a specified author, department or discipline appears online.

EMAIL TO A FRIEND :

Of Possible Interest

Science In The News Daily: Dam Removal to Help Restore Spawning Grounds

Science In The News Daily: EPA Issues New Soot Regulations

Science In The News Daily: GM Crops Good for Environment, Study Finds