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Genetically modified crops - Food and Agriculture ...

PART 4. Genetically modified crops Map 67: Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of technolo- gies and they can be applied for a range of different purposes, such as the genetic improvement of plant va- rieties and animal populations to increase their yields or efficiency; genetic characterization and conservation of genetic resources; plant or animal disease diagnosis;. vaccine development; and improvement of feeds. Some of the technologies may be applied to all the food and Agriculture sectors, such as the use of molecular DNA. markers or genetic modification, while others are more sector-specific, such as tissue culture (in crops and forest trees), embryo transfer (livestock) or triploidization and sex-reversal (fish).

PART 4 Genetically modified crops Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of technolo-gies and they can be applied for a range of different purposes, such as the genetic improvement of plant va-

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Transcription of Genetically modified crops - Food and Agriculture ...

1 PART 4. Genetically modified crops Map 67: Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of technolo- gies and they can be applied for a range of different purposes, such as the genetic improvement of plant va- rieties and animal populations to increase their yields or efficiency; genetic characterization and conservation of genetic resources; plant or animal disease diagnosis;. vaccine development; and improvement of feeds. Some of the technologies may be applied to all the food and Agriculture sectors, such as the use of molecular DNA. markers or genetic modification, while others are more sector-specific, such as tissue culture (in crops and forest trees), embryo transfer (livestock) or triploidization and sex-reversal (fish).

2 Higher productivity holds the key in the fight against ru- ral poverty. Biotechnology promises to boost productiv- ity and thus raise rural incomes, much in the same way that the green revolution did in large parts of Asia dur- ing the 1960s to 1980s. Productivity gains encompass essentially all factors of agricultural production. This may mean higher crop and livestock yields, lower pesti- cide and fertilizer applications, less demanding produc- tion techniques, higher product quality, better storage and easier processing, or enhanced methods to monitor the health of plants and animals. One type of technology, however, has given rise to a host of concerns and questions, namely Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

3 GMOs are those organisms that have been modified by the application of recombinant DNA No Data 0 technology or genetic engineering, a technique used for altering a living organism's genetic material. With the rapid advances in biotechnology, a number of geneti- Source: Clive James, ISAAA. cally modified (GM) crops or transgenic crops carrying Metalink: , p. 349. novel traits have been developed and released for com- mercial Agriculture production. These include, inter alia, pest resistant cotton, maize, canola (mainly Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis), herbicide glyphosate resistant soybean, cotton and viral disease resistant potatoes, papaya and squash.

4 In addition, various transgenic crops are un- der development and not yet commercially released with Almost 150 million hectares of world traits for biofortification, phytoremediation and produc- crop acreage planted with GM crops tion of pharmaceuticals, such as rice with high level of The Americas constitute the largest carotenoid for production of Vitamin A ( golden rice). and bananas with vaccines. growing region, but GM cotton area is substantial in Asia Commercial cultivation of transgenic crops started in the early 1990s. Herbicide tolerance and insect resistance are the main GM traits that are currently under com- mercial cultivation, and the main crops are: soybean, maize, canola and cotton.

5 GM crops are now commer- cially planted on about 100 million hectares in some 22. developed and developing countries. Argentina, Brazil, China and India are the largest developing-country pro- ducers of transgenic crops . The choice of GM crops varies among the developing countries, with insect resistant cotton being the most important commercially produced transgenic crop in Asian and African countries, while herbicide-resistant soybean followed by insect-resistant corn is predominant in the Latin American continent. 312. Genetically MODIFIED crops . Area under GM crops (million ha, 2010). 1 1 3 3 9 >9. Chart 118: Genetically modified crops also becoming important in developing countries Area under GM crops (1996-2010).

6 Industrial Developing 70. 60. 50. Million ha 40. 30. 20. 10. 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010. Source: Clive James, ISAAA. Metalink: , p. 350. 313. PART 4. In most cases these GM technologies are proprietary, de- Map 68: veloped by the private sector and released for commer- cial production through licensing agreements. Cultiva- tion and commercial production of GM crops are capi- tal intensive owing to high costs of seed and technol- ogy. Nevertheless, their cultivation has generally in- creased, mainly because of the benefits accrued from lower labour and production costs, reduction in use of chemical inputs and improved economic gain. The United States of America, Argentina and Canada are the major producers and exporters of GM crops and prod- ucts.

7 The four main global GM crops are among the ma- jor commodities traded on world markets. The increasing cultivation of GM crops has raised a wide range of concerns with respect to food safety, environ- mental effects and socio-economic issues. From the food and health perspective, the main concerns are related to possible toxicity and allergenicity of GM foods and products. Concerns about environmental risks include the impact of introgression of the transgenes into the natural landscape, impact of gene flow, effect on non- target organisms, evolution of pest resistance and loss of biodiversity. Adoption of GM technologies has also evoked a range of social and ethical concerns about re- stricting access to genetic resources and new technolo- gies, loss of traditions (such as saving seeds), private sec- tor monopoly and loss of income of resource-poor farm- ers.

8 The scientific evidence concerning the environmen- tal and health impacts of GMOs is still emerging, but Countries t so far there is no conclusive information on the defini- tive negative impacts of GMOs on health or the environ- ment. Nevertheless, public perceptions about GMOs in food and Agriculture are divided with a tendency toward Source: Convention on Biological Diversity avoiding GM food and products in many developed and Metalink: , p. 344. developing countries. Regarding international agreements, the Cartagena Pro- tocol on Biosafety came into force in 2003, and by Octo- ber 2011 has been ratified by 161 countries. The objec- tive of the Protocol, as stated is to contribute to ensur- ing an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms 163 countries are now party to the resulting from modern biotechnology that may have ad- "Biosafety Protocol".

9 Verse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of Notable exceptions include several of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to hu- man health, and specifically focusing on transboundary the major grain exporters, such as the movements". In a host of countries, it is also mandatory United States to label products that use GM ingredients. As a conse- quence, GM and non-GM crops must be kept separate, but as the area cultivated with GM varieties increases, this task is becoming more difficult and costly. Further reading FAO Biotechnology ( ). FAO Biotechnologies for agricultural development ( ). Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety ( ).

10 314. Genetically MODIFIED crops . Countries that have ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (number, 2011). No Data No Yes Chart 119: Many crops , among them food, have been subject to genetic modification Species Alfalfa Melon Rose Argentine Canola Papaya Soybean Carnation Petunia Squash Chicory Plum Sugar Beet Cotton Polish canola Sweet pepper Creeping Bentgrass Poplar Tobacco Flax, Linseed Potato Tomato Maize Rice Wheat Source: ISAAA. Metalink: , p. 349. 315. PART 4. Agriculture and the bio-based economy Map 69: Agriculture is playing an increasingly important role in the bio-based economy, providing feedstocks for the pro- duction of liquid fuels, chemicals and advanced ma- terials such as natural fibre composites for industry.


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