Problem
Anyone who goes into a grocery store can see the increased emphasis on marketing of natural and organic foods. Clearly, there is a growing demand for food which is free of herbicides, pesticides and chemicals. However, one of the biggest impacts of climate change is on food crops which are susceptible to changes in regional precipitation and temperature. A potential solution to this problem is to develop genetically modified crops which are more temperature and drought resistant. This type of research is expensive and it can take years to develop new 'climate change resistant' crops. An additional consideration is whether today's natural and organic food shoppers will purchase food which is genetically modified in order to resist the effects of climate change.
Discuss the following questions. Do you think that research to develop 'climate change resistant' crops is worth the expense of public tax dollars? Would you purchase and consume such foods? Do you think that foods which are genetically modified in order to resist climate change should be identified on the food label? Is there anther solution to this problem?