As a changing climate intensifies extreme weather, agricultural multinationals are hyping the ability of genetically modified crops to boost yields when facing drought, heat or even heavy rainfall.
As a changing climate intensifies extreme weather, agricultural multinationals are hyping the ability of genetically modified crops to boost yields when facing drought, heat or even heavy rainfall.
But skeptics of engineered foods, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), still aren’t buying it.
«I don’t see why we should evolve our views when they’re still doing the same things,» said Bill Freese, science director at the non-profit Center for Food Safety, criticizing the «dramatically increased toxic herbicide use» following the proliferation of GMOs.
Seeds designed to thrive in specific local conditions have been developed for centuries through conventional breeding, by crossing together plants with relevant characteristics and selecting the desired offspring.
But as more severe weather creates hostile growing conditions for conventional seeds, companies such as Bayer/Monsanto, Corteva and Syngenta are promoting GMOs as more efficient.
And newer technologies can reduce development times for these heartier varieties «by many years» compared with traditional crop modification techniques, according to a spokesperson for Germany’s Bayer.
«Drought tolerance is a complex trait involving many genes,» the spokesperson said. «Therefore, the ability to develop drought-tolerant traits through classic breeding methods such as crossbreeding is limited.
