For thousands of years, humans have transformed their surroundings and nearby organisms to meet their needs. The transformation first took place when humans spread seeds on the earth to grow their own food, and it continued as humans went out of their way to provide food and shelter to other animals in exchange for work, companionship and sustenance. When early farming was successful, the best and strongest animals and crops were chosen for the next generation. This was the dawn of genetic modification, and it is as old as agriculture itself. When talking about genetically engineered or genetically engineered organisms, an important distinction needs to be made. This new generation of technology does not use traditional means of genetic selection where similar organisms are crossed or where random mutations are used to create a new crop variety. Genetic engineering technology relies on decoding an organism's DNA and making delicate adjustments to individual genes within a sequence. In many cases, genetic material from very different organisms is inserted into one another's genome to produce desired traits. Less than two decades ago, this technology was controversial and still in the early stages of development. Today, genetically modified (GM) crops represent the majority of many crops grown in the United States. GM crops are considered one of the most successful commercial applications of transgenic biotechnology (Powell, et al., 2009) and the most widely adopted varieties are those that provide herbicide tolerance and insect resistance (USDA, 2009). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that food produced with this new technology is considered “substantially equiv...... middle of paper...... July 1, 2009. Viewed: June 12, 2010. Ford, Brian J 2004. GM crops: balancing risks and benefits. Interdisciplinary scientific reviews. 29 (2): 114-117. Kessler, David A. Policy Statement - Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties. [http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/Biotechnology/ucm096095.htm]. Updated: April 2, 1992. Viewed: June 12, 2010. Powell, Jeff R., David J. Levy-Booth, Robert H. Gulden, and Wendy L. Asbil. 2009. Effects of genetically modified and herbicide-resistant crops and their management on soil food web properties and crop waste decomposition. Journal of Applied Ecology 46: 388-96. Zhang, J. H., C. Z. Wang, J. D. Qin, and S. D. Guo. 2004. Feeding behavior of Helicoverpa armigera larvae on insect-resistant transgenic cotton and non-transgenic cotton. Journal of Applied Entomology 128: 218-2