ABSTRACT
Technology and science build on the experiences and observations remembered or documented by hunters, fishers, farmers, priests, shamans, medicine men, that is, by specialists. The food microcosm has lagged behind somewhat in applying the developments arising in this burst of scientific growth. The impact of new computer applications was slower to be felt in food processing than in other industries. The major new technologies that will dominate in the beginning decades of the third millennium will have their greatest impact largely in the fields of agriculture and animal husbandry and health and well-being. The biological sciences have always had a great impact on the agricultural industry. Governments are confused, perplexed, and frightened by the technology and by the hubbub over the technology. There is no universal agreement on patents, on long-term safety, or environmental safety. The scientific community, as might be expected, generally supports the science of recombinant DNA technology.
