ABSTRACT
It is clear that genetic engineering (GE) methods are here to stay, but it is much less clear whether they will have the impact on crop pro duction that has been predicted by the advocates of this technology. Their raison d ’etre from the beginning has been to use the techniques of molecular biology to improve the effectiveness of crop production by adding desirable traits that are not accessible through traditional plant breeding, and to reduce the time to bring a new crop variety to marketplace production. The successful complete descriptions of whole genomes1 have paved the way to a level of genetic precision that few predicted in the decade after the first reliable inventions. As with any new inventions, the justifications have been often hyper bolic, which is to be expected from inventors. For the stated goals to fulfill the worldwide needs for food, fiber, medicinal, and other re sources, especially in the developing world, success will have impact, but as with most new inventions, the real benefits will appear more slowly and many will be unanticipated.
