In this episode, I’m talking with Abby and Aaron Hummel about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs as they’re commonly referred too. Abby and Aaron make their home in St. Louis, where Abby writes and cares for their two children and where Aaron works as a research scientist.

In this episode, Aaron, drawing on his work as a research scientist, provides an overview of what genetically modified organism actually are, not what Facebook says they are. We talk about national efforts to label foods, bioethical concerns about genetic editing and hedging against fear and anti-science rhetoric on social media.

Aaron, Abby and I also chat a bit about how our shared Christian theology informs and shapes our passion for science and love of the created world. Along those lines, Abby wrote a beautiful piece for Christ and Pop Culture about her appreciation for new agrarianism and her passion for biotechnology. Read it here: Faith and Fear in the Food Wars: Biotechnology’s Role in Redeeming the Cursed Ground by Abby Hummel 

Maybe you’re listening as someone anti-GMO who adores the work of Wendell Berry and Michael Pollan. Maybe you don’t understand why anyone would be against GMOs when so much good in this world is due to scientific advancements.  Maybe you’re just not sure what to think about GMOs and want to learn more. Wherever you find yourself, I hope you’ll walk away from this conversation with insight into this complex and important topic.

If you have any follow-up questions after listening to today’s episode, Abby has graciously offered to answer those questions in our Facebook group. Click here to join the conversation!

Here are some of the resources from Abby, along with some of my favorite links about GMOs.