Well, surly this technology is used to improve the crops to be resistant to weed pressure and not just to sell more herbicides. Let's ask the internet.
The post says that targeted mutagenesis is safer than non targeted. The criticism you mentioned - very one sided btw - holds true for both cases. You are right with your criticism on GMO's but radioactivity Is a worse option than Crispr.
Almost all of these criticisms are basically “GMOs are somehow considered tainted or something, so we need to prevent them from mixing with non-GMOs” which an ideological premise, not based on facts.
Regarding herbicides/pedicures: actually GMO eggplants in Bangladesh save lives because they need less spraying.
So all that's left is policy issues and FUD. And political problems have political solutions.
A big problem is that farmers are not allowed to use the corn and and grain which they grew themselves on their own field as seeds. When they buy the engineered seeds and accompanied pesticides they are forced to do it every year.
That's a dangerous development in my opinion. You must not centralise seed production in that way.
Plus: the Roundup stuff really doesn't look healthy to me.
This is a exclusive problem for the US. A County with a working justice system would acknowledge biological gene mobility and the natural reproduction cycle. That means farmers will be able to grow plants out of their own seeds as well as cross the mutants with relatives to keep the benefits alongside biodiversity. This is of course no business model but open funded research could do it as well.
Most scientists have a strong opinion against herbicide resistance (like round-up, round-up-ready). These genes are very quickly found in other plants do to gene transfer so it's only a short short sighted solution.
PS: Glyphosate is the best herbicide we know. Your argument is valid for all herbicides but with roundup the least.
