Today is Halloween, and there are lots of scary things in our world, But I’m not afraid of GMOs, because I’ve taken the time to understand the facts about how genetic engineering can support sustainable agriculture to feed a hungry planet. People fear what they don’t understand, so please take the time to watch Food Evolution and learn the facts about GMOs.
I’ve been a food scientist for over 40 years, and people often ask me, “What does a food scientist do?” Here’s my response. Food scientists oversee every aspect of food – from the farm to the table – enabling consumers to have a safe, nutritious, tasty and affordable food supply.
I’m not afraid of chemicals in my food, because I understand the source and function of almost every food additive that’s used by the modern food industry. And I’m not afraid of GMOs, because I understand that farmers have been practicing some form of genetic modification for thousands of years. They’ve been breeding animals to produce more meat or milk, grafting trees to increase fruit or nut yield, and cultivating hybrid seeds with increased yield and disease resistance. Now we have tools to precisely engineer foods to achieve similar results.
Here’s a quote from the website of IFT – the Institute of Food Scientist. I’m a member and a Certified Food Scientist… “Amid a brutally polarized debate marked by passion, suspicion, and confusion, Food Evolution looks at one of the most critical questions facing the world today—that of food security—and demonstrates the desperate need for common sense, solid information, and calm logical deliberation. Using the often angry and emotional controversy over genetically-modified foods as its entry point, Food Evolution shows how easily fear and misinformation can overwhelm objective, evidence-based analysis. Food Evolution takes the position that science and scientists hold the key to solving the food crisis.”
The movie is narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, @neiltyson. It’s interesting, it’s factual, and on Halloween, it might just give you one less thing to be scared about.
