Ricarda Steinbrecher

Genetic engineering is not a precise science—engineered crops have unpredictable and undesirable side effects that may harm the environment and disrupt local ecosystems, claims Ricarda Steinbrecher in the following viewpoint. If scientists splice an insecticide gene into a particular plant, she contends for example, the resulting decline in the insect population that feeds on that plant adversely impacts the birds and other insects that rely on it for food. Steinbrecher asserts that upsetting the balance of nature, which is becoming increasingly fragile in response to the growing human population, by genetically engineering crops is unwise. Steinbrecher is a genetic scientist and a member of the British Society for Allergy, Environmental, and Nutritional Medicine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Steinbrecher, what is wrong with the concept of...