'What are the possible environmental risks of growing GM crops? Is it morally permissible to proceed with a harmful course of action if you are unsure of the consequences?

In the last century scientists devised methods of modifying the genotype of food crops. This process introduces foreign genes from a donor organism into a host organism . The technique generally used is recombinant DNA1. For example, GM soya has been modified to make it tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate so that farmers can use glyphosate to control weeds without killing the crop2. Supporters of GM foods believe key food crops will be genetically engineered to …

…short-term and long-term affects, thereby hopefully finding answers to their potential risks. For example, one solution found to tackle the problem of 'escaping' genes through cross-pollination would be to further modify GM crops making the seeds they produce sterile7. This terminator technology is currently at examination stage. With research, fears surrounding GM crops can be verified to being either true or false, leaving people confident of the full consequences they may cause to the environment.