An Internet search for food and agriculture topics brings up a plethora of often conflicting information as well as the names of many organizations with very different agendas. But understanding how to evaluate the validity of the information is necessary in order to make informed decisions about what agricultural system you want to support and the type of food you want available as a consumer.
Consider the question of biotechnology. Is genetically engineered food safe? Is it the way forward in agriculture? The Council for Biotechnology Information says yes, while the Union of Concerned Scientists says no.
Explore the websites for the Council for Biotechnology Information (www.whybiotech.com) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org).
Evaluate the websites and work with the information to answer the following questions:
Evaluate the agendas of the two organizations as well as the accuracy of the science behind their positions on GMOs:
Who runs each website? Do the person’s/organization’s credentials make the information presented on food and agriculture issues, especially GMOs, reliable or unreliable? Explain.
What is the mission of each website? What are the underlying values? How do you know this?
What claims does each website make about the current problems in food production and what the future of agriculture should be, especially with regard to GMOs? Are their claims reasonable? Explain.
How do the websites compare in providing scientific evidence in support of their assessment of agriculture and their position on the role of GMOs? Is the evidence accurate and reliable? Explain.
How do the two organizations compare in engaging you as a citizen in agricultural policy and the role of GMOs? Do you have a preference for one approach or the other? Do you think that citizen involvement in policy issues is necessary and effective? Explain your responses.