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Over the past decade, the world has witnessed leaps and bounds in the field of biotechnology. From cloning to "designing" babies, the rapid development of these supposedly beneficial techniques has sparked huge amounts of controversy over the safety of these techniques. One issue at the center of this controversy is the development of genetically modified food. Today's technology allows scientists of alter the genetic makeup of plants and animals in order to improve nutrition, flavor, protect from diseases, and increase growth rate. This gene-splicing technology involves taking a gene possessing a certain quality from one organism and inserting it into another organism's genetic code so that this altered organism will possess characteristics which it previously did not have. While these processes do allow, for example, goats to produce milk richer in protein, and tomatoes to be protected from soil bacterium, they also pose a serious threat to the future of the environment and food industry. Long term effects have yet to be verified, but nonetheless these foods will have effects on the environment, consumers, and international trade relations. We, as a global society, need to evaluate the risks and benefits of these products and determine for ourselves if we are ready to commit our lifestyles to a world full of biotechnology.
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