Middle schoolers say, “Of course GMOs are not harmful, but maybe…”

History laughs at the losing teams whose scientific theories crumble under the weight of evidence. The Sun orbits the Earth. Continents stand still. Surgeons can’t spread germs between patients. Food and crops grown from genetically modified or engineered seeds do not, in any way, harm human or ecosystem health. Or do they, in some, tiny, yet-unknown way?

Last autumn, I stood in front bright and mostly eager  — there were occasional stage whispers, like, “I’d rather be talking about basketball!” — middle-schoolers to discuss three letters that seem to inspire either vitriol or respect: GMO.

By the middle of the afternoon, the students and I reached two conclusions shared by many thoughtful science writers, scientists, researchers, farmers and policymakers:

1. GM technology is far too nuanced to refer to simply as one catch-all term; and

2. Biotechnology will likely be a tool in our approach to feeding roughly 9 billion people in 2050.

Meantime, history, with its 20/20 vision, will tell us the winning team.

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Read the full original article:  Of Course GMOs Are Not Harmful, But Maybe . . .