ABSTRACT
The issues surrounding recent developments in crops, specifically the introduction of traits by biotechnology that are intended to improve pest management, have been and are likely to continue to be a source of contentiousness in the world community. Early in the debate, the scientific community expressed a number of concerns. The message was that the benefits of the transgenic (often colloquially referred to as genetically modified or GM) crop, presumably better management of pernicious pests, should be carefully evaluated against the risks (e.g., increased cost of production or the escape of the trait into the wild plant community) (51). Unfortunately, an effective assessment of benefits and risks has not been possible in most agronomic situations, in part due to the inability to assess economic gains attributable to the transgenic trait, a lack of definitive knowledge about the potential environmental and ecological impacts, and the global political climate (47). Significant differences in how these traits are regulated by governments (49), the concerns about food safety issues (44), and the perceptions on how transgenic crops will impact global food supply (21) have led to much confusion within urban communities about the utility of biotechnology. It has polarized communities, agriculture, companies, and environmentalists to the point that an objective scientific debate, with the potential to effect change, does not appear likely in the near future (12,13).
