Biotechs Launch GMO Defense

After years of shouldering criticism of genetically modified crops, agricultural biotechnology companies have started a website, gmoanswers.com, to take a unified position in response to critics of the technology. Backed by firms such as Monsanto, Dow Chemical, DuPont, BASF, Bayer CropScience, and Syngenta, the website will encourage people to post questions about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). “We recognize we haven’t done the best job communicating about GMOs: what they are, how they are developed, food safety information—the science, data, and processes,” says Cathleen Enright, executive director of the Council for Biotechnology Information, which runs the GMO Answers site. Answers to questions will come from scientists, academics, farmers, and independent expert volunteers. Enright, who is also an executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, adds, “Food is personal, so we want to open the door for personal discussions.”