Rauch puts forth a number of the different positive and negative possibilities on the topic of genetic modification to crops. I felt that he did not cover all the possible aspects of the genetic modification argument, but did attempt to outline exactly why we need them for continued survival. I believe that he is right in his avocation of genetic modification of crops.

The main point that solidifies Rauch’s idea is the fact that throughout human history, scientific breakthroughs have allowed agriculture to progress; cultivating more from less and using different techniques to get the most out of croplands. Genetic modification is one of those scientific breakthroughs that should allow us a race to make the most of our agricultural lands. The positive effects of this include increased agricultural yields per acre, decreased need for pesticides and herbicides, and no need for tilling or other agricultural tactics that cause environmental damage. Also, Rauch establishes the idea that genetically modified crops would be able to not only exist in areas that current crops cannot live in, but actually change the makeup of the land. He uses the example of tomatoes that have been engineered to have a high tolerance to salt. Not only that, but these plants can absorb and store some of the salt in the ground to make the land more agricultural-friendly. These are all extremely enticing possibilities for the use of genetically modified crops.

On the flipside, the Rauch outlines many of the negative consequences of the GM crops. The most pressing issue that I felt he addressed only slightly was the problem with implementation of the GM crops. As with many new technologies, most notably “hybrid vehicles”, just because they exist and are effective does not mean that people everywhere will either choose to use them or even have access to the. New technologies require a great deal of money to implement; not only to start with, but also when you consider all of the capital already in place that would have to be retired to make room for the new. Just because something is good for the environment, does not mean it is immediately good for individuals. It is a difficult subject considering there are problems not only with the GM crops themselves, but the task of implementing them into widespread use is a daunting one at best. It seems that the issue is much more extensive than just what Rauch outlines, but nonetheless I believe he does a moderate job of explaining the overall gist of the issue.