Brian Halweil

Brian Halweil is a staff researcher at the Worldwatch Institute, an organization that works to raise awareness of global environmental issues. In the following viewpoint, Halweil examines the claim that advances in biotechnology will revolutionize agriculture and increase global food production. Halweil argues that engineering crops to be more resistant to pesticides—so that farmers can increase their use of these chemicals—will eventually result in weeds and insects becoming resistant to those chemicals. The author warns that rather than increasing the food supply, bioengineered foods will give biotechnology companies more control over farmers, since these companies will patent and charge higher prices for the new higher-yield crops they develop.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Halweil, what was the first transgenic crop planted for...