Margart Smith and Peter Davies Explain Why BT Crops are Safe for Humans and the Environment

During a Panel about GMOs and the future of agriculture, Margaret Smith and Peter Davies, professors in plant breeding and plant biology respectively, responded to questions about the safety of the BT protein for human consumption and for the environment. BT crops have been genetically engineered to create a protein that is toxic to pest insects. It represents an ecological alternative to overuse of pesticides.

Margaret explains that the BT protein is toxic only in alkaline guts, which affects a few families of insects. it does not affect humans and other mammals because they have acidic guts.

Peter explains that the BT protein is broken down like any other protein in the human gut, and that this has been verified by multiple studies. He goes on to explain that the introduction of BT cotton in India has been beneficial for insect and wildlife populations. Obsolete pest control methods involved indiscriminate spraying of pesticide, which harmed beneficial insects and indigenous wildlife.