Sanet Post, Willie Lockeretz
Question for discussion
December 23, 1996

A question has occurred to me that I thought might stimulate some interesting discussion:

If definitive evidence is developed showing that the genetically engineered crops now available have absolutely no adverse consequences on human health, would this be good or bad news?

      In response to questions raised by some respondents, Willie reposted his question:

Because several responders to an earlier question I posed said that it was impossible to prove the absence of a health effect, let me refine the question, and invite responses:

If a systematic, comprehensive, well-planned and well-executed effort by a broad team of highly qualified and indisputably unbiased investigators, who are given time and money in amounts commensurate with the task, finds no evidence of any adverse human health effects from recently available genetically engineered crops, would this be good or bad news?

William Lockeretz Tufts University