Genetic engineering in agriculture is often compared to crossbreeding, a technique used to develop improved breeds and varieties. Biotechnology is much more than crossbreeding. Researchers are given more control over what genes and which traits they wish to manipulate. Scientists can now also transfer characteristics from one species to another. An example of this is the Arctic flounder and the strawberry. Arctic flounders have a gene that prevents them from freezing in the icy arctic waters. Scientists are trying to use this "antifreeze" gene in strawberries so they can resist frost. This is only one of many developments scientists are working on. Others include improved flavor, nutritional value, resistance to disease and insects, and resistance to bruising in fruits and vegetables. Researchers are developing produce designed to be picked and delivered at peak ripeness and flavor. Leaner meats and cooling oils with less saturated fat are on the horizon, and ev

 Several press release of Greenpeace in 1998

Since biogenetics is a relatively new field, I believe that we must be careful with what is done to foods and other products, but I do not believe it should be stopped. As Michael W. Fox, author of Superpigs and Wondercorn, said, "Clearly genetic engineering is as much a Pandora's Box as it is a cornucopia of wonderful possibilities....Without congressional and state oversight and international coordination to minimize risks to the environment and to the very fabric of life itself, we could be on the threshold not of some biological utopia, but of our own nemesis."

eals. For example, if a tomato with an antibiotic resistance gene is eaten at the same time as an antibiotic, it could destroy the antibiotic in the stomach.

 Harrisson Pierre V., Das Emperium Nestle, Rotpunkt-Verlag, 1986

My opinion is that genetic engineering should be allowed in some areas proven not to be harmful or offensive in any way, while it should be prohibited in areas where it would cause problems of any kind. In plants and animals, few disadvantages have been found. In humans, many ethical and religious disagreements have been formed against it. Taking all of these accounts into consideration, man must now choose which path will be best for mankind in the vast world of science.

will protect the environment, have natural fertilizers and pesticides, and provide more yield with less input.

Despite the many benefits, there are also oppositions and possible risks. Many religious groups strongly oppose biogenetic techniques. A concerned group of religious leaders has requested a moratorium for th

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