I'll throw a shocker to some of you who know my tendency towards back to earth living: I'm actually IN FAVOR of genetically modified foods on a commercial scale.

Years ago, it was virtually inconceivable that we could begin to support the vast numbers of people currently residing on this planet. The fact that we've done a grossly inefficient job of distributing the food fairly notwithstanding, we have made INCREDIBLE strides in maximizing yields over minimum area, and we HAVE the resources to feed the world's population, even if we don't do it responsibly. Genetic modification increases this potential, as well as the possibility that we can engineer crops to grow in soil that is currently to infertile to nurture them and thus help blighted and drought stricken areas to achieve long term self sufficiency. The fears of "Frankenfruit" may or may not be well founded, but we will not know unless we spend a great deal of time and money in developing these plants to their fullest potential. In addition, these mass production techniques have increased the quality of life for Americans in developed nations such as ours; the less than a dollar a dozen I pay for eggs is virtually unchanged since my childhood, and vegetables can still be had in many larger communities for 3 to 4 cans for $1 when they go on sale.

While I personally prefer to eat healthier, safer food, the options are there, but they come at a cost that takes into account the wasted and spoiled produce the organic farmer MUST factor in, as well as the labor cost of producing pest free produce without modern pesticides. Because retail stores experience a similar loss due to the absence of preservatives, the cost to the consumer HAS to take these factors into consideration. Genetically modified, mass produced foods may have their drawbacks, but in the end, we're feeding more people for less money. And it's hard to see how that can be anything but a good thing.