• 2022-06-06
    Practice1
    IfchiefexecutivesofleadingU.S.agri-biotechcompanieshavebeensufferingfromheartburnlately,itisn’tbecauseofanythingthey’vebeeneating.Rather,it’stheunsettlingknowledgethatlong-simmeringEuropeananxietiesovergeneticallymodified(g.m.)crops,likeocean-hoppingviruses,arespreadingacrosstheworld.
    UnlikeBritons,whoseconcernsaboutwhattheyeathavebeenontheriseeversince“madcowdisease”(eventhoughithadnothingtodowithgeneticengineering),Americanshaveseemedindifferenttog.m.foods.Iffoodmakerscannolongercountonthepublic’sunquestioningacceptanceoftheirproducts,it’snotjustbecauseofactivisttheatricsandshrillagitprop.Withbillionsofdollarsatrisk,thebiotechindustryhasbeguntofightback,formingcorporatealliancesandlaunchingamajorp.r.effortthatincludeslobbying,newresearcheffortstostillpublicfearsandTV,radioandnewspaperads.Sofar,theregulatorshaveapproveddozensofgeneticallymodifiedplantsforhumanconsumption.Butifpublicpressuregrows,itmaybeforcedtogoslowerinthefuture.Onepossibility:theFDAcouldbeginapplyingtog.m.foodsthepowersitalreadyhastoregulatefoodadditives.Byoverreactingtofearsfannedbywell-fedconsumersintheindustrializedworld,foodproducersmightuprootanindustrythatcouldsomedayprovidebillionsofpeopleintherestoftheworldwithcropstheydesperatelyneed.
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