Some other good comments already on changing and introducing new DNA to the world, trying to outsmart nature, and the agribusiness effort to lock farmers in to

Some other good comments already on changing and introducing new DNA to the world, trying to outsmart nature, and the agribusiness effort to lock farmers in to seeds. Two other things come to mind. First, biodiversity among crops is essential for food security and ecosystem protection. When you have hectares of crops with the same genetic makeup, not only does that make the system fragile (as another reply hinted at), but it also affects the other species that depend on that crop. Perhaps this is also a complaint against monocropping, which are generally GMO operations. But more genetic diversity strengthens resilience of the crop and the system that supports and coexists among it. Spontaneity in complex systems is good because it protects from colossal crop wipe-outs. It's also the fundamental difference between hybridization and GMO, so don't ever let some jackass from Monsanto say they are merely extending farming practices of genetic modification as old as farming itself. Second, GMOs are often created to work in tandem with pesticides. So while the genetically modified strawberry might not damage my body, that shit on it will, and that doesn't always come off with a quick rinse in the sink. Pesticide (and herbicide, fungicide, etc.) use also doesn't stop with the target species making a meal out of the crop. It kills anything like it. Case in point is the dramatic decline in pollinators and insects hence bird species[1]. Again, futzing with nature's mechanics is folly because ecosystems rely on vastly complex networks of biomes that are themselves built on complex biodiversities. The truth is that while scientists can analyze insect and bird populations, understanding the complex interplay between many species in biomes is nebulous at best and generally outright opaque. The time it takes for scientists to say "with confidence" that X-->Y-->Z takes years, and even then we're talking about 3 variables and ignoring knock-on effects. It is high time we learn our lessons and start trying to figure out how to work with nature rather than beat it back. I am always fascinated that HN draws such a brilliant crowd yet many people around here seem convinced that technology's inexorable advances are all we need to solve our problems. [1]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pesticides-have-led-catastrophic-decline-frances-bird-populations-180968562/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pesticides-have-le...