Not anymore, you don’t
Who benefits from the food shortage that’s causing riots in developing countries and hoarding in America? Why the biotech crowd, of course. Since the increase in price of certain foods, consumers and companies have started dropping resistance to what the Europeans charmingly refer to as Frankenfoods. If non-genetiocally modified rice is too expensive, load up on the genetically modified stock. It’s cheaper and is resistant to all sorts of maladies, like insects and pesticides. (No having to pay for pesticides to keep the plants clear of bugs, then.) That these genetically modified plants haven’t been studied too closely, who cares? I live in New York (for now). If the terrible air quality doesn’t kill me, then I’m sure I’ll be done in on the F train or something.
Such modified plants aren’t necessarily a panacea for the food shortage. A recent study found that farmers in the developing world would benefit the same amount, if not more, from having better access to clean water than switching to genetically modified crops.
Let the record show I have zero problem with genetically modified food. Bring ’em on.