Beth K. Gugino Dept. of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology What Growers Need to Understand about GMO’s and How Others Perceive Them Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention 30 Jan 2013 Lee Stivers, Penn State Extension
Beth K. GuginoDept. of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
What Growers Need to Understand about GMO’s and How Others Perceive Them
Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention30 Jan 2013
Lee Stivers,Penn State Extension
What is a genetically modified organism?
What is a gene?
Segment of DNA located on a chromosome
Codes for structure of a protein or RNA sequence
Fundamental molecular unit of heredity of a living organism
Chromosome
DNA
Gene
What is a genetically modified organism?
What is a genetically modified organism?
Vector stack: gene of interest + promotor + gene marker (allows for screening)
Event: successful transformation (determined using the gene marker)
What is a genetically modified organism?
Types of GMO’s
Herbicide resistance (Roundup Ready)
Insect resistance (Bt)
Disease resistance (Papaya ringspot virus – coat protein of virus expressed by plant)
Improved nutrition (Golden rice w/ beta carotene – Vitamin A deficiency)
Irri.org
A Brief History of GMO’s
GMO Timeline
1972: First recombinant DNA molecules produced
1977: Genentech used recombinant DNA to make insulin (replicate on an E. coli plasmid)
1980: US Supreme Court ruled genetically altered life forms can be patented
1987: First outdoor field test of GMO, “Frostban” bacteria (overload leaf surface with GMO bacteria, reduce temp frost forms, never marketed)
A Brief History of GMO’s
1992: USDA approved commercial production of “FlavrSavr” tomatoes (RNAi silencing of polygalacturonase gene that breaks down pectin in cell walls)
1996: Monsanto introduces Roundup Ready soybeans
1987: National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine concludes that GMOs pose risks similar to other domesticated crops.
1987: National Academy of Science concluded transferring genes between species poses no serious environmental hazard
Global Area of GMO Crops, 2010Rank Country Area (mill A) Crops
1 USA 165Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugarbeet, alfalfa, papaya, squash
2 Brazil 62 Soybean, corn, cotton
3 Argentina 56 Soybean, corn, cotton
4 India 23 Cotton
5 Canada 21 Canola, corn soybean, sugarbeet
6 China 8Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper
7 Paraguay 6 Soybean
8 Pakistan 5 Cotton
9 South Africa 5 Corn, soybean, cotton
10 Uruguay 2 Soybean, corn
11 Bolivia 2 Soybean
12 Australia 1 Cotton, canola
GMOs Today
are found in 80% of packaged foods in the US
GMO crops are also added to processed foods as oils, sweeteners & soy proteins and in things like amino acids, aspartame, vitamin
C, flavorings (natural & artificial), maltodextrins and more
93% 93% 86% 90%
Attitudes
Growers
Consumers Environmentalists
Seed/Product Companies
Food Industry
Attitudes of Growers
Pro: Helps me grow better crops with fewer pesticides
Enables adoption of no- and low-till practices
Genetically engineered papaya saved an industry
Con:
Will insects become resistant to Bt?
Threatens my organic crop/certification
Threats due to consolidation of seed industry
My customers don’t want it (not marketable)
Attitudes of Consumers
Pro: (silence)
Con:
Potential health risks to me
I don’t trust GMO’s
Don’t trust the science; don’t trust the regulators
I don’t like the companies that make and control them; why won’t they label them?
Unethical business tactics Consolidation of power, $, ownership of genetic
resources
Attitudes of Environmentalists
Pro:
Con:
Frankenfoods Risk to the environment
Monarch butterflies (slowed growth?, less milkweed)
Loss of genetic diversity (more monoculture)
Genes will escape into the environment and create problems
Limiting ag footprint (higher yield)
Reduced risk to environment (fewer pesticides)
Area-wide pest control (reduced corn borer in pepper)
Attitudes of Seed/Product Companies
Pro:
Con: Companies not using GMO technology at a
disadvantage?
Bullying practices of GMO companies?
Have to control the product to make money
Costs a lot to develop and test these
But we might give some away for developing countries
Attitudes of Food Industry, US and Foreign
Pro: (silence, but they are fighting labeling)
Con: Too little benefit to us compared to risk
If foreign markets reject GMOs, product separation is expensive and probably impossible
What’s in the Future?
New Developments
Genomics: shifting focus from single genes to entire genome
DNA shuffling: a technique for creating a better version of a gene that already exists by producing a large number of variants in a test tube
Pharming: turning plants into pharmaceutical factories PSU: Vaccines produced by button
mushrooms (3 mil. doses in 12 wks)
Some Sources and Further Reading
“Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money and the Future of Food.” 2001. D. Charles. Perseus Publishing.
“Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food.” 2008. P.C. Ronald and R.W. Adamchak. Oxford University Press.
“Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Food.” 2004. N. Federoff and N.M. Brown. National Academy Press.