Is the engineering approach better? Without GMOs, we will die of starvation in 20-30 years.

As far as I understand, the seeds are still exposed to radiation or chemicals. This does not change the fact that mutants appear only in the next generation, but filters out the most vicious problems.
The trick is that mutants are not considered GMOs.
One thing is that you are wrong – they are still sorted to identify and fix mutations.
But the other is right - control of side mutations is almost impossible, and their risk is almost 100%.
And such mutants are now the main mass of seeds and seedlings. Now hardly find ' verified by centuries' varieties.

With genetic engineering, everything is much safer, and the method of implementing the gene is generally borrowed from nature. There are risks, but they can be controlled, as all results are scientifically predictable.
Yes, it all rests on the goodwill of scientists. But it is so everywhere.
But how can this be explained to a person who is watching television, or to a whole horde of people who have studied genetics from Marvel Comics?