Author Description

"It started with little fanfare over a decade ago, when genetically modified foods quietly appeared on American grocery shelves. But in the years since, GM foods have sparked a global controversy and sounded alarms here at home, triggered by a multitude of unanswered questions and dubious practices, such as highly publicized cases of "biopharm" crops contaminating the food supply... runaway commodity prices and worldwide food shortages triggered, in part, by the biofuel movement... Europe's open hostility to GM foods and Africa's outright refusal to accept food aid containing genetically modified crops." "Combining solid scientific knowledge with a gripping narrative, esteemed molecular biologist Dr. Lisa H. Weasel helps readers make sense of this complex, contentious issue. Positioning itself directly at the intersection of food, politics, and technology, Food Fray captures the real-life experiences and wide-ranging perspectives of the scientists, farmers, policymakers, and grassroots activists on the front lines of this fierce debate, teasing out the hype from the reality and uncovering the very real pros and cons of genetically modified foods." "Genetically modified foods are ubiquitous in the American diet - 80 percent of all corn and 92 percent of soybeans grown in the U.S. are now GM varieties. But it's a science with the potential to bring both good and harm, and an issue with no easy answers. Food Fray looks at every aspect of the debate from multiple perspectives, giving you the information you need to make up your own mind."--Jacket.