Genetically modified crops should be subject to stricter and more public review prior to being approved for use, as well as more careful monitoring in the field afterward, a panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences determined yesterday. The panel said its recommendations were intended to “improve an already functioning system” of monitoring GM crops, but warned that new genetic innovations (for example, plants that produce their own chemical pesticides) will require more rigorous review. Naturally, bioengineering companies interpreted the report as praise for the status quo, while their critics said they hoped it would help encourage stricter regulation on genetic modification of plants.
