Page 40 - Breeding Edge ebook

technology would have to be “fully transparent and closely engage local and indigenous communities in
Hawaii.”
On the other hand, she says, “avian malaria should not be in Hawaii.” Plus, the islands there have their
own native mosquitos; the avian malaria one has no value in the food chain. So, she asks, “Do we have a
right, or a moral obligation, as stewards, to remove those mosquitoes” via a gene drive or other biotech
remedy?
It’s important to always remember that, “science and innovation always outruns law and policy. These
ethical and moral questions are not new,” says Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board. “They arise
every time a new technology emerges.”
“I would have these same discussions when I worked at Pioneer,” Even recalls about some of the Iowa-
based seed company’s early research aimed at improving corn yields.
“When Henry Wallace pioneered the use of hybrid seed corn in the 1920’s, there were all sorts of
people saying ‘the sky is falling,’ ‘you’re messing with God,’ and this is ‘not the natural way
things should happen.’ There was all this fearmongering.
“Now, it’s viewed as one of the most successful improvements in agriculture and modern history.
And people assume it’s natural and they welcome they welcome it,” Even adds.

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