Should GMO drugs be perceived differently than GMO food?

Ben Locwin| August 18, 2014 | Genetic Literacy Project

Should GMO drugs be perceived differently than transgenic food? Some anti-GMO activists say, ‘no,’ that anything derived from genetic modification should be rejected. It’s abundantly clear that there is widespread support of transgenic healthcare therapies but far less so for genetic engineering in agriculture. As I’ve noted previously, public perception is divided on issues when emotion crowds the discussion. In cases where there is little patience for science to help the public decide, there tends to be almost no ambivalence in choosing a side. We have the so-called ‘bimodal distribution of public opinion’ where there are two sides, and not many in the middle. We see this not only in headlines but in pictures. The most recent example supporting this hypothesis can be found in the recent news explosion around the Ebola treatment, ZMapp and its place in public perception compared with transgenic food. There is a global outcry to rush treatments ( ZMapp in particular) to the market. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) giving support to fast-track it without proper safety or efficacy tests having been completed, for example in this headline…..To Read More......