Agricultural biotechnology offers substantial benefits to farmers, consumers, and the environment. However, the American people have not embraced this new technology. Spurred by such events as the StarLink™ corn contamination and European rejection of genetically modified foods, there is an increasingly visible and contentious debate in this country about the potential risks and benefits of agricultural. If we want to realize the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology, we must achieve agreement and compromise. We must appreciate some of the factors that contribute to continuing public concern, and consider changes in government regulation that might increase public trust.