Dr. Neal Stewart, the Ivan Racheff Chair of Excellence in plant molecular genetics at the University of Tennessee, visited Richardson on Tuesday, January 24, for the first colloquium of 2017 hosted by the Environmental Law Program. Dr. Stewart gave a brief presentation about genetically engineered crops and his work for the recent publication, Genetically Engineered Crops, for The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS or Academies).

 

Dr. Stewart spoke with enthusiasm and a clear passion for plants and his work. He commented that the NAS report, Genetically Engineered Crops, considered previously published reports from the Academies about genetically engineered (GE) crops that examine both the positive and adverse effects of GE crops. The concerns of scientists, citizens, and others about GE crops varies from human health to production levels, nutrition to performance of product, and everything in between. GE crops have been commercially available since the 1990s. Dr. Stewart explained the science behind how genetic engineering has developed over time, and what some of the effects have been to specific crops and surrounding fields. While GE crops have been on the market for approximately twenty years now, and the complexities in this field of science continue to grow, one thing is certainly clear: the conversations about GE crops and their impacts will continue in the future.

 

For more information about the Academies, visit http://national-academies.org. 

To download the report, Genetically Engineered Crops, visit http://www.nap.edu/.