Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food

Heralded as both the quick, painless solution to solving world hunger and the scourge of modern science-a dangerous tampering with nature and the decimation of traditional crops and communities-genetically modified foods have triggered volatile debates and deeply contradictory dialogues the world over. Food Fray cuts through the complex science, boiling passions, and ethical dilemmas to provide an impressive history of every significant development in the GM food story, as well as an even-handed assessment of both its potential benefits and negative consequences. Meticulously researched, yet lively and entertaining, the author travels the globe to gather the perspectives of scientists, activists, consumers, government officials, and others, as she uncovers possible answers to difficult questions: · Do GM crops encourage a dangerous dependence on bioengineered seeds, chemical fertilizers, and toxic pesticides? Or can they solve the food scarcity problems that plague mankind? · Will the world's major staple crops be controlled by a handful of countries and corporations? Or could the increased income that GM yields bring to small farmers provide the key to the prosperity of poor nations? · Will this promising science, played out against a landscape of growing consumer fear, shoddy corporate practices, and loose government regulation, ultimately be squashed? Or will biotechnology continue to develop in ways that ensure the health and prosperity of many-not just the profits of a few?