“The original drive was based on the [desire] to not use herbicide,” said Jim Farmer, board member of the American Soybean Association and member of the ASA Biotech Working Group. 

Farmers use modified seeds to render their crops more immune to common pests and disease.  Genetic modification does not directly use chemicals or hormones, said Kim Kaplan, spokeswoman for the Agricultural Research Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But, she said, it does change the DNA of a crop by introducing, eliminating or rearranging specific genes.

Proponents of genetically modified foods cite the benefits of larger, more profitable crops for farmers and less pesticide usage.

But opponents are actively fighting this 13-year growth trend. They contend that the shift represents the privatization of agriculture since genetically modified seeds are owned by corporations around the world. They also say that farmers will eventually use more pesticides when targeted weeds become resistant.

“Because it’s been such a subtle process behind closed doors, people aren’t aware,” said Colin O’Neil, researcher at the Center for Food Safety in Washington, DC. 

The ASA’s Farmer, whose specialty is soybeans, said there is no reason to be concerned.

“I don’t know of a single instance where there was a reported health problem due to genetically modified soybeans.’’ 

Although critics are vocal and Europe remains opposed, genetically modified food seems to have a future globally. China recently approved two genetically modified rice seeds.  The Gates Foundation supports genetic modification as a way to achieve sustainable farming in poor countries.

The number and variety of genetically modified seeds are expected to quadruple in five years.

“There are currently about 30 seeds available, manufactured by corporations,” said Pamela Ronald, professor of plant pathology at the University of California at Davis.  “In five years, there will be approximately 120 seeds, half of which will come from Asia and Latin America.”  

The debate about genetically modified food is unlikely to end soon.

“This all happened in 13 years,” O’Neil said.  “Maybe in another 13 years, this can all be reversed.”