Food from genetically engineered crops

Maarten J Chrispeels Food from genetically engineered crops Should we worry? Genetic change resulting from crop domestication took 10,000 years Teosinte (top) and corn or maize (bottom) The March of Genetic Technology 1860 1920 1950 1960 1980 2000 Mendel: making crosses, introducing genes Discovery of hybrid vigor Inducing mutations Tissue culture and embryo rescue Plant transformation and GMOs Genomics phenomenal population growth for the past 100 years QuickTime™ and a Photo - JPEG decompressor are needed to see this picture Plant Breeding and Crop Yield 1950 1960 1970 1980 Wheat in Mexico Tons per hectare The scientific basis of all crop improvement is the identification of the genes that encode certain phenotypic characteristics Those genes can now be transferred more easily (via marker assisted breeding - no GM) or directly (through genetic engineering - GM) Molecular agriculture makes new gene combinations possible Peas (on the left) that make a genetically engineered bean protein are insect-resistant and not need to be sprayed with pesticides Creation of a GM plant relies on a natural gene transfer mechanism What are people’s concerns • Is this food safe? • Should food be labeled? • Are there adverse environmental effects? • Patenting of seeds • Discrimination against the poor • Who benefits? All of these concerns apply to food and agriculture in general What about their nutritional value and safety? What are the main food issues in the US? The # safety issue is bacteria (6000 deaths per yr.) The # health issues are fat, sugar and salt Are GM foods safe and nutritious? All GM foods have been extensively tested and they are as safe as other foods in the market place GM crops can be made into convenience and “junk” food just like organic crops and other crops! Nutrition depends on the food, not the method of crop breeding Every year 250,000 children become blind because of vitamin A deficiency Some GM crops will improve the nutritional quality of foods Such foods are now in the pipeline A GM soybean line, developed as a collaboration between the USDA and DuPont, is hypoallergenic in humans The approach is to down regulate the expression of the gene encoding the major allergenic protein (antisense) Hmmm Shouldn’t those things be labeled? Labels are not neutral! Produced by Radiation Breeding! Truthful labels can be misleading or meaningless There are no GM apples anywhere! Is food labeled this way nutritious? How to Label? Conventionally grown Pesticides, twice a week GMO Pesticide free Should foods from GM crops be labeled? Perhaps! The US takes the view that if foods are “substantially equivalent”, the method of producing them need not be on the label Farmers use a variety of techniques, and keeping production streams separate “from plow to plate” costs money Such separation is called “identity preservation” Who should pay for this? Voluntary labeling works in the US for Kosher and Organic foods Europe requires that all food that has any ingredient that is more than 1% GM be labeled as “GM containing” So, what’s the bottom line? GM foods are as safe and there is promise for more nutritious food For some crops, environmental impacts are similar or less than conventional agriculture GM is an important tool for the plant breeder GM technology can solve problems that can’t be solved in other ways at present The benefits will be spread between biotech companies, farmers and consumers QuickTime™ and a Photo - JPEG decompressor are needed to see this picture GM or no GM is a false issue Sustainability is the real issue Through science and through ethics we have come to the realization that we are bound by the laws of Nature We must obey those laws to make agriculture (and civilization) sustainable Our agricultural practices must reflect our new awareness that many practices threaten sustainability Food production must be equitable and just, and sustainable, for all the peoples of the Earth [...]... the main food issues in the US? The # 1 safety issue is bacteria (6000 deaths per yr.) The # 1 health issues are fat, sugar and salt Are GM foods safe and nutritious? 1 All GM foods have been extensively tested and they are as safe as other foods in the market place 2 GM crops can be made into convenience and “junk” food just like organic crops and other crops! 3 Nutrition depends on the food, not... apples anywhere! Is food labeled this way nutritious? How to Label? Conventionally grown Pesticides, twice a week GMO Pesticide free Should foods from GM crops be labeled? Perhaps! The US takes the view that if foods are “substantially equivalent”, the method of producing them need not be on the label Farmers use a variety of techniques, and keeping production streams separate from plow to plate”... preservation” Who should pay for this? Voluntary labeling works in the US for Kosher and Organic foods Europe requires that all food that has any ingredient that is more than 1% GM be labeled as “GM containing” So, what’s the bottom line? 1 GM foods are as safe and there is promise for more nutritious food 2 For some crops, environmental impacts are similar or less than conventional agriculture 3 GM is an... organic crops and other crops! 3 Nutrition depends on the food, not the method of crop breeding Every year 250,000 children become blind because of vitamin A deficiency Some GM crops will improve the nutritional quality of foods Such foods are now in the pipeline A GM soybean line, developed as a collaboration between the USDA and DuPont, is hypoallergenic in humans The approach is to down regulate the... Leonard, LSU Agricultural Center Dr Ronald Smith, Auburn University Accrues $168 million in economic benefits from lower production costs and increased cotton yield Stewardship Consumer Benefit Reduces pesticide exposure risk Produces fiber equivalent to that found in all consumer products derived from cotton Preserves beneficial insect populations Creates wildlife benefits Gives cotton producers more... 2001 Monsanto Company Some GM crops have the potential to mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture: less pesticide, less dust, more biodegradable herbicides “Roundup” tolerant soybeans can be Planted with no-till procedures, which eliminate plowing (dust), Save water and use a biodegradable herbicide Hmm… I wonder if there could be gene flow? Gene flow occurs when crops cross with wild relatives... Agriculture requires land clearing Worldwide, 40 % of our food production depends on irrigation Depletion of aquifers is occurring at twice the re-charge rate Salinization is a major consequence of irrigation Agriculture has narrowed the gene pool and caused a loss of biodiversity Wild Progenitors and Relatives Land Races Elite Lines Environmental Hazards from Pesticides • Substantial health impacts on workers... bound by the laws of Nature We must obey those laws to make agriculture (and civilization) sustainable Our agricultural practices must reflect our new awareness that many practices threaten sustainability Food production must be equitable and just, and sustainable, for all the peoples of the Earth ... they are as safe as other foods in the market place GM crops can be made into convenience and “junk” food just like organic crops and other crops! Nutrition depends on the food, not the method of... are no GM apples anywhere! Is food labeled this way nutritious? How to Label? Conventionally grown Pesticides, twice a week GMO Pesticide free Should foods from GM crops be labeled? Perhaps! The... this food safe? • Should food be labeled? • Are there adverse environmental effects? • Patenting of seeds • Discrimination against the poor • Who benefits? All of these concerns apply to food