What does the author say about the environmental question?
The debate about genetically modified crops is often conducted as if there were one question. In fact there are several, and they should not be run together. Whether a particular modified crop is safe to eat is an empirical matter, and the answer is usually yes after proper testing. Whether the crop harms the environment, for example by encouraging heavy use of herbicides, is a separate empirical matter, and the answer varies from crop to crop. Whether a few companies should own the seeds on which farmers depend is a question about law and economics. Campaigners who answer the third question with arguments about the first are not helping anyone, and nor are enthusiasts who treat evidence on safety as if it settled the other two.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: E. The answer varies from crop to crop and needs to be established by evidence
- Step 1: The passage says it is 'a separate empirical matter, and the answer varies from crop to crop'.
- Step 2: Therefore evidence for each crop is required.
Answer
The answer varies from crop to crop and needs to be established by evidence.
Why not the others: The author says the answer is empirical and varies by crop, so it is not the same for all, not settled by safety tests, not unanswerable by evidence and not settled for either camp.
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