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Genetically Modified Crops and the Third World. Allison Miller. “Worrying about starving future generations won’t feed the world. Food biotechnology will.” --Monsanto advertising campaign, 1998. Genetic Modification ( rDNA Methods) Can use genes from any living organism
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Genetically Modified Crops and the Third World Allison Miller “Worrying about starving future generations won’t feed the world. Food biotechnology will.” --Monsanto advertising campaign, 1998
Genetic Modification (rDNA Methods) • Can use genes from any living organism • Can modify one gene or several genes • Traditional Plant Breeding • Can only cross with closely related species • Many genes are modified at once Genetic Modification vs. Traditional Plant Breeding Source: Lemaux 2008
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that: • 842 million worldwide are underfed • 798 million live in developing nations • World population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050 Need for GM crops and Biotechnology Source: Sairam and Prakash 2010
“The affluent nations can afford to adopt elitist positions and pay more for food produced by the so called natural methods; the 1 billion chronically poor and hungry people of this world cannot. New technology will be their salvation, freeing them from obsolete, low-yielding, and more costly production technology.” --Norman Borlaug Source: Borlaug 2000
“To feed a world of 9 billion people in 2050…Africa has to increase its food production by 300%, Latin America by 80%, and Asia by 70%. Even North America would have to increase food production by 30% to feed its own projected population of 348 million people. Without an increase in farm productivity, an additional 1.6 billion hectares of arable land will be needed by 2050” -- R.V. Sairam and C.S. Prakash Source: Sairam and Prakash 2010
Herbicide tolerant (HT) • Soybean • Corn/Maize • Cotton • Canola • Alfalfa • Pest resistant (Bt) • Cotton • Corn/Maize • Potatoes • Other traits • Increased nutrient content • Virus resistance • Drought tolerance Examples of GM Crops Source: James 2009, Lemaux 2008
Food security • Conservation of biodiversity • Alleviation of poverty and hunger • Prevention of disease and malnutrition • Reduction of agriculture’s environmental footprint • Economic benefits Contribution to Sustainable Development in Developing Nations Source: James 2009
Increases productivity • Increases yields • Lowers food prices • Decreases production cost • Fewer inputs • Less labor Food Security Source: James 2009
Decreases land required • Helps maintain plant biodiversity • Reduces environmental degradation • Deforestation • Reduces amount of pesticide used • Helps maintain insect biodiversity Conservation of Biodiversity Sources: James 2009, Lemaux 2009
Increases income for farmers • Means to purchase food • Increases availability of food • Reduces absolute hunger Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger Source: James 2009
Reduces exposure to harmful chemicals • Pesticides • Increases nutrient content of food • Decreases micronutrient malnutrition • Disease • Vitamin A Deficiency • Golden Rice Prevention of Disease and Malnutrition Source: James 2009, Lemaux 2008
Fewer inputs • Pesticides • Water • Reduces/eliminates plowing • Reduces CO2 emissions • Prevents degradation of soil Reduction of Agriculture’s Environmental Footprint Source: James 2009
Global net economic benefits • Developing nations earned $22 billion from 1996 to 2007 Economic Benefits Source: James 2009
Insect Resistant Cotton (Bt) • China • Yields increased by 10% • Pesticide usage decreased by 67% • Net profit increased by $500/hectare • India • Yields increased by 40% • Pesticide usage decreased by 50% • Net profit increased from $75/hectare to $200/hectare Case Studies Source: James 2009
Pest resistance • Fungus resistant potatoes • Agronomic performance • Rice with higher photosynthetic capacity • Abiotic stress tolerance • Tomatoes with tolerance to high salt content • Improvements in food quality • Potatoes with increased calcium levels • Tomatoes with increased folate levels • Medical applications • Potato-based Hep B vaccine The Future of GM Crops Source: James 2009
Borlaug, Norman. “Ending World Hunger: The Promise of Biotechnology and the Threat of Antiscience Zealotry.” Plant Physiology. 124.2 (2000): 487-490. James, Clive. “2009 ISAAA Report on Global Status of Biotech/GM Crops”. ISAAA Briefs No. 41. 1-9. James, Clive. “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008.” ISAAA Briefs No. 39 (2008): 1-275. Lemaux, Peggy G. “Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist's Analysis of the Issues (Part I).” Annual Review of Plant Biology. 59. (2008): 771-812. Lemaux, Peggy G. “Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist's Analysis of the Issues (Part II).” Annual Review of Plant Biology. 60. (2009): 511-559. Sairam, R. V. and C. S. Prakash. “OBPC Symposium: Maize 2004 & Beyond: Can Agricultural Biotechnology Contribute to Global Food Security?”. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant. 41.4 (2005): 424-430. References