Biotechnology & Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Food Technology
How is Biotechnology being used in Agriculture?
• Provides farmers with tools to make production cheaper and manageable
• Crop production options can help countries keep pace with demands for food while reducing cost of production
How is Biotechnology being used in Agriculture?
• Other types of crops are in research and development stages
• Advances may provide foods with:– Nutritionally-Enriched Foods– Longer Lasting Foods– Contain lower levels of naturally occurring
toxicants
What are the benefits of Agricultural Biotechnology?
• Has helped make both insect pest control and weed management safer and easier while safeguarding against disease
• Herbicide-tolerant crops are compatible with no-till or reduced tillage agriculture systems that help reduce erosion
What are the roles of Government in Agriculture Biotechnology?
• Regulatory
• Market Facilitation
• Research
What are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOS) ?
• GMOs are an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics
• Term generally does not cover organisms whose genetic makeup has been altered by conventional cross-breeding
GMOs Today
• In 2010 about 331 million acres grown world wide
• Biotechnology plantings as a percentage of total crop plantings in the United States were about 86 percent for corn, 93 percent for cotton, and 93 percent for soybeans.
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Benefits– Crops
• Enhanced Taste and quality• Reduced maturation time• Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance• Improved resistance to disease, pests and
herbicides • New products and growing techniques
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Benefits– Animals
• Increased resistance, productivity, hardiness, and feed efficiency
• Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk• Improved animal health and diagnostic methods
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Benefits– Environment
• “Friendly” bioherbicides and bioinsecticides• Conservation of soil, water, and energy• Better natural waste management• More efficient processing
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Benefits– Society
• Increased food security for growing populations
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Controversies – Safety
• Potential human impact
– Access and Intellectual Property• Domination of world food production by a few
companies• Increasing dependence on Industralized nations
by developing countries
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Controversies– Ethics
• Violation of natural organisms’ intrinsic values• Tampering with nature by mixing genes among
species• Objections to consuming animal genes in plants
and vice versa• Stress for animals
GMOs Benefits and Controversies
• Controversies– Labeling
• Not mandatory in some countries (e.g. United States)
• Mixing GM crops with non-GM confounds labeling attempts
– Society• New advances may be skewed to interests of rich
countries
