Can GM foods be sustainable forever? If so, what type of steps do we have to take to keep them sustainable?

Expert response from Bruce M. Chassy

Professor Emeritus of Food Safety and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Thursday, 12/04/2018 13:52

GMOs are crops - and like any other version of the same crop, where you grow them and how you grow them is far more important than whether they are GMOs. No known system of agriculture can promise that it is sustainable forever; much agricultural research is being devoted to improving the sustainability of agriculture. In this regard, it appears likely that using GM technologies may improve sustainability of a particular crop cultured in a specific manner and place. Other technologies and/or strategies will also be required to improve sustainability. Sadly, methods which advocates claim are sustainable often aren’t sustainable, which is why much research remains to be done. Viewed from this perspective, GM crops are just crop varieties with specific benefits some of which may contribute to sustainability. There are no magic bullets on the path to sustainable agriculture.