Laureates' letter reflects deep divide in society over GM foods

THE NUMBER OF Nobel Prize laureates that have signed an open letter calling on the non-governmental organization Greenpeace to rethink its long-standing opposition to genetically modified organisms has exceeded 109 and is still rising. GMO is a hot topic of debate in China, too, writes China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang:

Like most modern technologies, GMO is a mystery to ordinary residents, yet GM foods have much to do with their daily lives as well as their safety.

The more scientists defend GM foods, the more they are accused of "building knowledge barriers". As a result of the dilemma, even though scientists spend years making experiments and tests to prove the safety of GM foods, people respond by saying there are probably other potential threats that have not been identified yet.