New Crops and Genetic Engineering

Chapter 11

APES 2007

Objectives:

What plants have we been using? What is the Green Revolution? What are GMO’s? Are they safe? What is Pest Resistance? How do we control weeds? What does the public think about all this?

What plants have we been using? Where are they from?

Some interesting links:

Underutilized crops

The new green revolution

Effects of the green revolution on women

What is the Green Revolution?

The term Green Revolution is used to describe the transformation of agriculture in many developing nations that led to significant increases in agricultural production between the 1940s and 1960s. This transformation occurred as the result of programs of agricultural research, extension, and infrastructural development largely funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and national governments.

What was the point?

To improve the crop yields and end world hunger.

Did it work?

Really cool site to check out:

It caused some problems..it really did.

Some facts:

The Green Revolution really involved: Better genetic crops Better technology More use of chemicals on the fields These crops and techniques spread

across the world and have allowed us to keep up with the population…but at what cost?

Norman Ernest Borlaug

From Brittanica:

(born March 25, 1914, Cresco, Iowa, U.S.) U.S. agricultural scientist and plant pathologist. He earned his Ph.D. at the

University of Minnesota. As a researcher with the Rockefeller Foundation in Mexico (1944–60), he developed strains of grain that tripled Mexican wheat production. Later his dwarf wheats raised harvests in Pakistan and India by 60%, ending the food shortages that had plagued the subcontinent in the 1960s. For

helping lay the groundwork of the Green Revolution, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970. Afterward he

worked on improving crop yields in Africa and taught at Texas A&M University.

What are GMO’s?

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics generally known as recombinant DNA technology.

From wikipedia.

GMO’s on your dinner table…

A genetically modified food is a product developed from a different genetically modified organism (GMO) such as a crop plant, animal or microorganism. Genetically modified foods produced by genetic engineering have been available since the 1990s. The principal GM foods derived from plants are soybean, maize, canola, cocoa beans, and cotton seed oil.

From wikipedia.

An angry public outcry…justified? Or not?

The public

Is split…

Links about GMO’s

Say no to gmo’s Great site on the issues

GMO free Europe Local action against GMO’s

So what are the PROS?

More yield Drought resistance Less fertilizers Insect resistance/less need for pesticides Ability to harvest more cheaply

And the cons?

Super weed potential Not enough research on the safety Expensive to produce Not a natural food source….

Others?

NEWS FLASH:

70 % of the processed foods in North America contain GMOS.

Meet (Bt) Bacillus thuringiensis

This baby is lethal…..

This little guy has genes that make it lethal to it’s predators.

Hmmmm…let’s put that gene into some plants and then we will get rid of the pesky little buggers!

Sound like a plan?

Why is this a problem?

Resistance.

SUPER BUGS!

What about friendly fire?

What if this toxin starts hitting species we actually care about?

Why worry?

Weed Control

The most popular crops are not the insect resistant but the herbicide resistant strains:

Monsato’s “Roundup Ready”

And

AgrEvo’s “Liberty Link”

So what’s the problem?

Super weeds?!

Yep. If there’s a native species that is close, these babies can “jump the fence” and cause some issues.

Terminator Genes

Is this an issue?

So what’s the deal

Should you be afraid of GMO’s?

Are you protected by buying organic?