Genetically modified food conversation questions

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Genetically modified food

• What is genetically modified food?
• Is there much (or any) debate in your country about GM food? What are the arguments for and against?
• How would you react if you were given genetically modified food to eat?
• People in the US have been eating genetically modified food for many years without ill effect. Why do you think some people in the rest of the world have doubts?
• Plants can be genetically modified to make them resistant to drought or attack by insects. What objections, if any, should people have to this?
• Plants are also genetically modified in order to make them resistant to weed-killers. This means that the farmer can apply all the weed-killer he wants without affecting his crops adversely. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?
• Some companies are developing so-called "terminator" seeds. These seeds will produce healthy plants and crops, but the seeds themselves will be infertile - so the farmer has to buy new seed each year from the seed company. What do you think of this practice?
• Some vaccines are going to be produced using techniques of genetic modification. What is your opinion of experiments of this nature?
• Have you also heard of genetically modified animals or insects? What reasons could scientists have for genetically modifying them?
• Does GM experimentation represent interference with the “balance of nature?” Under what other circumstances do we interfere with the balance of nature?
• Is GM experimentation “unnatural”? Are all “unnatural” things bad?
• Some GM traits can also be produced by conventional crop breeding. In such a case is the GM crop bad and the conventional one good?
• Many GM foods have been called “Frankenfoods" because of their perceived dangers - do you think this term should be outlawed?

See also

• Food conversation questions
• Health conversation questions
• Vegetarianism conversation questions