GMOFriend or Foe?

Genetically Modified Organisms

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What are genetically modified foods?

• Also called genetically modified organisms (GMO), or GE foods (Genetically engineered).

• Created by inserting DNA from one organism into another (I.e. fish genes into apples) OR modifying an organism’s DNA to attain a desirable trait. (I.e. a tomato with reversed DNA to slow down ripening).

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Examples of GMO’s

• In 1994, the Flavr SavrFlavr Savr tomato was introduced as the first GM food. It is supposed to be“tastier, firmer and fresher” than the average tomato.

• Golden riceGolden rice – enriched rice containing beta-carotene (Vitamin A). This vitamin is not found in normal rice.

• Bt cornBt corn – corn containing a chemical normally found in bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis). This is toxic to insects, not humans. Insects try to eat the plant and die.

• Herbicide resistant plants (roundup ready corn). These plants are immune to a certain herbicide, so they live while all the other plants in the field are killed.

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GMO foods…are common

According to Greenpeace, up to 70% of processed foods in the USA contain GM ingredients. Most common are corn, soy, canola and cotton.

Image credit:http://www.usda.gov: US Dept of Agriculture

What is grown globally?

• In 2009 the area of genetically modified crops grown globally was 331 million acres. That is an area the size of France or Spain. This includes food and non-food crops (I.e.cotton)– 4 countries produced 99% of the world's genetically modified crops.

These are:• USA (68%) • Argentina (22%) • Canada (6%) • China (3%)

• More than 80% of canola grown in the U.S.A. and a high proportion of the country’s soybean and corn crops are genetically modified.

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From ( U.S. Dept. Agriculture 2001)

From ( U.S. Dept. Agriculture 2001)

Benefits #1• Increased crop productivityIncreased crop productivity

– This includes herbicide tolerance,

– pest and disease resistance

– E.g. “Roundup ready” crops, and BT corn.

– Could mean using less spray

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Benefits #2• Cold tolerance Cold tolerance

– plants developed to tolerate cold temperatures

– & withstand unexpected frost • could destroy seedlings

• Drought & salinity toleranceDrought & salinity tolerance– currently inhospitable regions can

now be cultivated

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Benefits #3

• Improved nutritionImproved nutrition – crops like rice are a staple in

developing countries • nutritionally inadequate!

– GM "golden rice" is high in beta-carotene (vitamin A)• Reduces eye-related problems like

blindness due to malnutrition

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Benefits #4

• PhytoremediationPhytoremediation (fī'tō-rĭ-mē'dē-ā'shən)

– plants like poplar trees clean up the heavy metal soil contamination

– GM plants with higher tolerance for heavy metals like mercury.

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Benefits #5

• Future benefitsFuture benefits might include: – food without allergens; (I.e. anyone could eat nuts)

– grains, fruit & vegetables with improved nutrition (multi-vitamin potatoes=healthy fast food french fries!)

– longer shelf life and better taste (reduced food waste due to spoilage)

– rice enhanced with iron (prevent anemia)

– foods used as vaccines (bye-bye needles)

– Many more possibilities

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Challenges #1• EnvironmentalEnvironmental – possibility of unintended harm to

other organisms: – potential risk of harm to non-target organisms, e.g. a

pest resistant crop that produces toxins that may harm

both crop-damaging and non crop-damaging insects • E.g. The pollen of BT corn on milkweed is thought

to affect (slow or kill) the larvae of Monarch butterflies. Further studies are underway.

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Challenges #2

• pesticides become less effectivepesticides become less effective as pests become resistant to modified crops.– Different varieties and strengths of pesticides will be

needed once weeds have adapted to the existing effective pesticides.

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Challenges #3• ““Superweeds”Superweeds”

– gene transfer to non-target species where herbicide tolerant plants crossbreed with weeds potentially creating herbicide resistant weeds.• Some Western Canadian farmers are calling

Monsanto’s round-up ready canola a superweed.

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Challenges #4• Human health risksHuman health risks

– introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals

– For example, inserting genes from a nut into another plant could be dangerous for people who are allergic to nuts

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Challenges #5

• Economic HazardsEconomic Hazards• Elimination of competition

– GM seeds are patented (must buy each year)• This presents problems for poor farmers in both the developed and

developing worlds.

– Large companies like Monsanto have resorted to suing small farmers found to be using their seed without paying.

• Suicide seeds– Plants with sterile seeds that are infertile are created– Farmers are forced to buy seeds every year

• However, some companies have reduced costs or donated GM seeds to impoverished nations.

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Impacts of Genetic Modification

• 1.4 billion farmers in developed countries depend on “saved seeds” and seed exchanges (50% of crops)

• 1998 Monsanto sued 100 US soybean growers and hired “Pinkerton” agents to track down “seed savers

• “Pineland Seed Company” was granted patent in 1998 for “terminator technology”– seeds do not germinate if planted for second time

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Image credit: Greenpeace Canada http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

Image credit: Greenpeace Canada http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

Image credit: Greenpeace Canada http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

Image credit: Greenpeace Canada http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

About the previous picture…..

• Greenpeace activists have created a 61-metre crop circle in a corn field in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The field contains Monsanto’s NK603 genetically engineered (GE) corn, which scientists recently linked with liver and kidney toxicity in rats. Greenpeace is calling for mandatory labelling of GE foods across the United States.

• We are one of the top producers of GE worldwide along with Canada, Argentina, and Brazil. Forty countries around the world already have mandatory GE labelling in place.

Image credit: Greenpeace Canada http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/

References

• Information:

• http://www.cpma.ca/en_gov_biotech_factsheet.asp

• http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/big-question-marks-on-genetica

• http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/sr-sr/biotech/food-aliment/index_e.html

• http://www.bionetonline.org

• http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2006/11/runaway_gm_crop.html

• http://www.exploratorium.edu/theworld/gm/test.html

• Pictures from:• Greenpeace Canada (verbal permission via phone conversation June 2008)

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/• www.microsoft.com

• http://www.public-domain-photos.com/• http://www.usda.gov

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