Food for Thought

Run for your lives, people, we're about to be taken over by "Frankenfoods"! For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it refers to the relatively recent practice of genetically combining foods from entirely different species; for example, crossing a cold-water flounder with a tomato so that the latter will be able to survive in cold climates without becoming mushy. According to the folks in this video, this development is immoral at the least, and dangerous at worst, and until we know more about possible effects, we'd be better off eating organic, or at least insisting that the government require labeling that outlines all the DNA components of these foods. The filmmakers are also firmly against herbicides and pesticides, especially those that have been developed to be sold with specific, genetically-altered seeds; to that end, they really let the Monsanto company, in particular, have it. Though this video has a well-produced, professional look, and presents an interesting case against the potential perils of merging new-age technology with ages-old agriculture, its arguments would have been strengthened by explaining in more detail how gene-splicing works, why herbicides and pesticides are used, and what exactly some of the specific negatives of genetic engineering might be. Despite these missteps and the completely biased presentation, it is still recommended for addressing an important topic. Aud: H, C, P. (K. Glaser)