Virginia Walbot and Lisa Weasel teamed up Thursday to speak about the future of genetically altered food and how cultural beliefs affect the use of certain food engineering techniques.

Walbot, professor of biological sciences at Stanford University, led off the lecture with an introduction to various technologies that are being used to enhance the efficiency and safety of farming around the globe.

She said new technology always replaces old technology and using biotechnology instead of basic chemicals will give farmers greener ways to grow their crops.

“I would say that biotechnology definitely leaves a softer footprint on our environment than chemical technology,” Walbot said.

Demand for biotechnology by consumers was another issue Walbot felt strongly about.

“I think there should be a mandate by the people,” Walbot said. “There should be a demand that there is a rotation of biotech strategies; it’s good engineering to put into place in a rotation system.”

Instead of chemicals and general pesticides, Walbot suggested that the bacterium Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a safe alternative that changes the internal makeup of crops instead of being a surface deterrent.

Bt has been used since the 1940s by farmers and is regarded by farmers as a very durable shield against insect damage. Unlike small mammals and other pests, insects’ digestive systems are highly alkaline, which causes spores produced by Bt to become deadly.

“All other animals are safe because of the alkaline nature of the insect gut,” Walbot said. “The pH level of mammal organs and other pests is more acidic. With insects, the Bt punches holes in the gut cavity so that stomach contents leak into body.”

Unlike chemicals, Bt and other transgenic organisms aren’t subject to insect resistance. Since Bt is a living bacterium, the dead insects are used as a food source and the bacterium is constantly evolving.

Weasel, associate professor of biology at Portland State University, followed up Walbot’s lecture with some facts of her own.

She said the United States, Argentina and Brazil are the top growers of genetically modified foods at 54, 17.4 and 11.1 percent respectively.

Along with Walbot, Weasel focused on an initiative to move away from the usage of chemical methods to preserve our crops.

“We’ve reached our limit in some capacity with what we can do with chemistry,” Weasel said. “Now we have to focus in on life in living systems.”

Weasel said no matter what the issue with global crop production, cultural issues are a huge aspect of what agricultural engineers must take into consideration.

“No matter how good or bad the sciences, food is occupying a very important place culturally that goes beyond just eating and the issue of sustenance,” Weasel said. “It carries a very high emotional residence.”