Advancing gene editing could be one tool to reduce chemical use in agriculture, but it faces the critical judgment of shoppers. 

Jon Entine, Genetic Literacy Project founder, says that consumers may be ready to revisit the conversation. 

According to Entine, “It very much is modeled on conventional agricultural development of moving traits around, and, I think, the public is younger, is more science-focused than it had been at any point in history. So, we really have to figure out ways to engage people and focus not on the means but on the ends.” 

He also says that it is important for different sectors in agriculture to work together on sustainability. 

“There’s obviously things that organic farming does well, soil prevention is one of them, and I think organic farming has really inspired a lot of changes in conventional farming. That said, there is a disparagement quality that has evolved in the organic industry where crop biotechnology of one form and now gene editing are somehow portrayed as unnatural,” he states.

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