While working for The Cooperative Wheat Research Production Program in Mexico in 1944, scientist Norman Borlaug studied ways to minimize the loss of wheat production due to stem rust, an infectious fungus. Borlaug developed simple techniques for cross-breeding, harvesting, and planting seeds in order to produce unusually disease-resistant strains of wheat. The result was a striking growth in wheat yields. By 1963, largely due to Borlaug's techniques, Mexico was producing six times as much wheat per year as in the year before Borlaug's arrival. Borlaug took his new techniques for agriculture to other countries with food supply problems, including India and Pakistan, similarly revolutionizing their agricultural sectors. These agronomical innovations resulted in what has become known worldwide as the Green Revolution, and earned Borlaug a Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Over the next three decades, geneticists developed techniques for extending Borlaug's work by altering crops at the genetic level, resulting in what are known as GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. The use of GMOs has radically shifted the prevailing ground rules of world food production; for example, farmers in climates that once proved inhospitable to certain crops are now able to produce abundant harvests of varieties of those crops that have been genetically engineered to withstand the climate. The reach of GMOs extends even beyond food production, as they now frequently feature in the development of medicines.

Nevertheless, despite the great promise of this technology to benefit human quality of life, recent research has revealed potential dangers that GMOs may pose to the environment and human health. Many organizations and governments concerned with these negative effects have raised a vocal opposition to GMOs. Some countries have not only banned GMO production but also GMO research.

As evidenced by the escalating food costs that gave rise to the global food crisis of 2008, starvation remains a pressing problem in many parts of the world. Starvation is as often a consequence of inadequate food production as it is of inadequate distribution. GMOs, therefore, are as important a topic of debate today as ever. How do you view this technology? A rich understanding of the debate requires familiarity with the ongoing research, as well as the key points of both sides of the GMO debate. In this Spotlight, we provide a broad range of resources to help you gain a deeper understanding of the many sides of the GMO landscape.

Image: Tiago Fioreze.