Article review from Scientific American. Author discusses genetic crop modification and addressses long term impact on the environment

Kathy, Brown. 2001. "Seed of Concern", Scientific American, 284:52-57. In this article the author addresses the growing concern over the risks of genetically modified crops and the possible environmental effects that these plants may have in the future. Presently most genetically modified crops fall into two main categories; those which are resistant to insect pests because they produce their own toxins, and those which can tolerate a wide range of weed-killing herbicides in place of harsh …

…a population over time. In a sense, mankind has simply found a way to accelerate the process of evolution in plants by providing them with better defenses against pests such as insects and weeds. What we have overlooked is that plants and pests are in a constant struggle for survival and that the natural evolutionary response of weeds and insects will be adaptation. It is inevitable that eventually, genetically modified plant traits will prove ineffective.