Renegotiating GM crop regulation

in 2010, more than 85% of the corn acre­ age and more than 90% of the soybean acreage in the uSa was planted with genetically modified (gM) crops (uSDa, 2010). Most of those crops contained trans­ genes from other species, such as bacteria, that confer resistance to herbicides or tol­ erance to insect pests, and that were intro­ duced into plant cells using Agrobacterium or other delivery methods. the resulting ‘transformed’ cells were re generated into gM plants that were tested for the appropri­ ate expression of the transgenes, as well as for whether the crop posed an un acceptable environmental or health risk, before being approved for commercial use. the scien­ tific advances that enabled the genera­ tion of these gM plants took place in the early 1980s and have changed agri culture ir revocably, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of gM technology. they have also triggered intense debates about the potential risks of gM crops for human health and the environment and new forms of regulation that are needed to mitigate this. there is also continued public resistance to gM crops, particularly in Europe.