Sanet Post, Bob MacGregor, November 15, 1996

I am not so frightened of genetically-engineered food products as Greenpeace and many of the Sanet correspondents. I do not consider the products of genetic engineering to be fundamentally different from triticale or donkeys or any of a number of transpecific hybrids which have been produced by more conventional techniques. I consider genetic engineering techniques to be a valuable tool if we are to try to keep up with demand for foodstuffs and reduce chemical inputs dramatically. Pests evolve too fast to foresake this technique for developing resistance (I call it breeding for the impatient). Still, I'm not completely starry-eyed about the technology -- I'm just not terrified by it.

I'm not even terribly upset by the notion that the corporations involved in this type of work are in it for profit. I do believe in consumer choice, however. I find it amusing that these big corporations -- purportedly bastions of the free enterprise system -- are fearful of allowing their products to be exposed to the forces of the marketplace by allowing labelling. I admit that there could be some expense associated with establishing parallel marketing channels (as would be needed to keep genetically-engineered products separate), but, given consumer concerns, this likely should be done despite the cost.

BOB