Sounds exactly like the advice an oil man might give to someone who warned about global warming when pumping the very first few barrels of petroleum out of the ground.
And if we had listened to that oil man back then, today we might be mostly powered by alternative sources and would be utilizing the benefits of the benzene ring in pharmaceuticals, clothing, chemicals, plastics, cosmetics, medicines, etc., rather than burning it into the air.
GMOs can do a whole world of good if we approach the technology with care rather than fear.