Genetically Modified Crops

This week on The Digital Life, we chat about the USDA's recent announcement, declaring a regulation free approach to the design, cultivation, and sale of certain gene-edited plants. On March 28, 2018, the USDA made an important announcement that included the following statement: "Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques ...." This includes new methods, like genome editing, that "can introduce new plant traits more quickly and precisely, potentially saving years or even decades in bringing needed new varieties to farmers." Genetically modified crops may be better able to resist herbicides, withstand viral and fungal attacks, contain more nutrients and even be more flavorful. However, in the US, because such GM food products will not likely be subject to disclosure, it's only a matter of time before CRISPR altered foods are available at your grocery store with (or without) your knowledge. Join us as we discuss.