Reply #55: The answer I believe

[Johonny]

is they take genes that are not in the selective gene pool of the plant and insert them in the plant. If you read Darwins book I think you'll find he considers breeding part of the evolutionary process. Evolution cares not if the selective force is "natural" or man-made. Selective breeding generally has to work with the natural gene population of a species. Waiting for new mutation in a population that are favorable to you takes a long time. For most of these new genes to arise naturally in these plants would require a huge amount of mutation of the genome and thus are very unlikely to occur. So in that sense there is a huge difference in selective breeding and current GMO methodology. But unless genetic markers are used there is little ability to tell the difference from a man introduced gene and any other gene. They are generally made of the same stuff.

The general fear is that the genes transferred between species will have unintended consequences. Such as an antifreeze gene might make your crop more frost resistant, but might prove toxic as it concentrates up the food chain. There is a general distrust that these situation have been adequately thought out and researched. The same problem of course could occur from selective breeding more frost resistant crops.

The other general dislike of these crops is that they are often made to be non-reproductive. Thus making the farmer unable to make his own feed stock and producing a heavy dependence on the manufacturer for seed.

and lastly it is a mistake to believe people aren't also unhappy with selectively breed crops. Many feel modern agricultural crops have been selectively breed at the expense of nutritional content and taste. Leaving many to be unsatisfied with modern produce in general. You see a lot of those type of posts on the DU as well.

So to sum up. Safety isn't places only on GMO or "natural" but on how it effects the ultimate environment. There is a general fear that modern crops were produced to satisfy maximum production and maximize profits, but not to maximize health or minimize environmental impact. That clearly leaves a lot of DU posters uneasy.