Agriculture and Biotechnology

Re “Engineered Crops Yield Many Fears,” Ventura County Perspective, April 2.

It’s obvious that the American public is afraid of the possibilities and consequences that biotechnology has the ability to harvest. With this being the future of agriculture, both in plant and animal production, much is yet to be heard on the issue.

As with any new technology or discovery, our first human reaction is to be afraid of it and to dream up all the horrible outcomes. How easily we forget that eventually we learn to master the technology that we have created and use it to our benefit.

Biotechnology is no different. It is the next logical evolutionary step to take to get to the subsequent level of production.

What we must all realize is that this science is not perfect and that mistakes are bound to happen, which the media will no doubt feast upon to glorify themselves while leaving the public with a less than accurate story and making the agriculture community look unscrupulous.

MAGGIE GARRISON

College of Agriculture

Cal Poly Pomona