Study Finds Biotech Crops Less Harmful Than Crops Treated With Insecticides

摘要

Washington, D.C.—Genetically modified crops that are engineered to produce their own insecticides are less harmful to nontarget species than are regular crops treated with chemical insecticides, according to a study published June 8 in the journal Science. The study reportedly is the first to analyze environmental impact data from field experiments worldwide involving corn and cotton plants with a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) gene inserted for its insecticidal properties. The research was conducted by scientists at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California in Santa Barbara, The Nature Conservancy, and Santa Clara University.