Going back to pesticides for a second, you seem to accept that pesticides affect insects and humans. So why are you so sure Bt corn only affects insects?
Rational people are not generally concerned with the modifications themselves[1], but the results of the practices they allow, which is exactly what this article is about.
And it’s not like the actual pest-resistant strains are actually reducing pesticide usage. What incentive does a farmer have to do that? Likely the pesticide resistance is part of the package.
Perhaps there is an opportunity to flip this around and make a GMO crop that will not grow at all in the presence of pesticide or herbicide.
[1] Yes, there is growing rational concern for GMOs that are not just resistant to chemicals, but actually produce novel compounds that may affect humans.
Some people want to paint it as 'irrational fear' against science. But issue with GMO is mostly about contamination of nature with proprietary seeds.
Also if you think that GMO is solution against pesticides then why use of pesticides is higher in US than in EU? There are no GMOs in EU while there is less pesticides than in US.
You can probably create GMO plants that are resistant to pests. Unfortunately companies selling those seeds also sell pesticides. So pest resistant seeds would hurt business. There are probably other companies who are developing just pest resistant seeds but they are not dominant yet and that is not because of 'GMO fear'.
Would not be surprised to find this fear was astroturfed. It makes literally no sense.
But if you listen to people actually in the know, they will tell you its more about market manipulation than the genetics themselves. The genetics are often begin, and include many beneficial things like blight resistance.
But it goes bad when you are locked into using specific chemicals bought from the the only company that also sells seeds. Or when a multinational company sues a farmer because of accidental hybridization with their propriety genetics. Or when a few companies have such a lock on crops with superior output, that you have no choice but to buy them, because it would mean bankruptcy otherwise.
There is no open source-like alternative for seeds.
Maybe there should be. Interesting idea.
most promising of returns to investors?
Being able to then selectively breed our own plants with fertile GMO plants so we get whatever benefits we need. Roundup resistance is hot button these days but I'm sure there are plenty of genes that should be public for the good of humanity.