9. Destructive Bacteria To Crops
Genetic modification as related to food was a rapidly growing trend in the late 20th century. When a soil bacteria called Klesiella Planticola was declared to be perfectly safe for wheat crops, it seemed that this would be a fantastic addition for the purpose of decomposing plant waste. Unfortunately, this bacteria was not safe and if it wasn’t for a study conducted by Oregon State University, it would have destroyed wheat and virtually all other crops as well.
What started out as a great idea turned out to be potentially lethal to humanity. What if someone had ignored or attempted to discredit the Oregon State University findings? What if big business interests had gotten in the way and swept this research under the rug? Thankfully, none of that came to pass, but it certainly was another close call as it relates to the production of food on our planet.
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