The research division of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is making some headway since it began a project known as "Insect Allies."
Insect Allies aims to innovate a new method of implementing genetic modification upon agricultural crops – rather than using the slow, laboratory-based method of breeding the desired traits using Mendelian genetics, this would involve genetically modifying viruses, carried by insects, which would infect and directly modify crops already planted and growing. The current method is called "vertical modification," whereas Insect Allies would be "horizontal" in nature, hence the name Horizontal Environmental Genetic Alteration Agents (HEGAAs).
A new report in the journal Science says that while DARPA says this is being developed in order to combat possible future agricultural crises, it could also easily be weaponized as a devastating new type of biological weapon.
Biological weapons have long been outlawed per international law.
Though DARPA denies any malicious intent for Insect Allies, a lack of civilian ethics oversight has concerned a number of experts who say that even if DARPA has no desire to use the research as a weapon, it could have unforeseen consequences or even prompt rival states to conduct similar research.
Tell the U.S. Department of Defense and its head, Jim Mattis, that DARPA must include transparent civilian oversight with regards to the Insect Allies project or to otherwise disband it altogether!
