Transcript Agriculture Today_ Genetically Engineered Agricultural Practices

Agriculture Today
Genetically Engineered
Agricultural Practices
Jennifer Kitchen
July 17, 2013
Agriculture as We Know It
• The production of crops, livestock, or
poultry.
• The cultivating of land and rearing of
crops and livestock.
• Farming!
What is Biotechnology?
• The use of microorganisms, such as bacteria
or yeasts, or biological substances, such as
enzymes, to perform specific industrial or
manufacturing processes.
– Applications include production of;
• Pharmaceuticals
• Synthetic hormones
• Foodstuffs
• Fibers
• Animal feeds
What is Genetic Engineering?
• The science of altering genes to produce a new
trait in an organism or to make a biological
substance, such as a protein or hormone.
• Involves the creation of recombinant DNA, which
is then inserted into the genetic material of a cell.
• A desired trait from one plant or animal species is
isolated and then inserted into another plant or
animal species.
• Genetically engineered organisms are also
known as genetically modified or transgenic.
Pros of GMOs
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Sustainability.
Food security.
Increased production yields.
Drought resistant crops.
Crops that use soil nutrients more efficiently.
Crops with higher nutritional content.
Plants that produce pharmaceuticals.
Herbicide tolerant crops.
Pest resistant crops.
Reduced erosion.
(Biotechnology Industry Organization, 2010)
Cons of GMOs
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Allergic reaction.
Antibiotic resistance.
Loss of nutrition.
Damage to environment.
Gene mutation.
Gene pollution.
Cross-pollination (super-weeds).
(Sustainable Table, n.d.)
Some Genetically Engineered
Foods
1. Rapeseed (canola)
2. Corn
3. Sweet corn
4. Cotton
5. Soybean
6. Rice
7. Papaya
8. Tomatoes
9. Cherry Tomatoes
10. Sugar Cane
11. Potatoes
12. Strawberries
13. Flax
14. Squash
15. Chicory
16. Tobacco
17. Peas
18. Meat
19. Dairy products
20. Honey
21. Alfalfa
22. Sugar beet
(Butcher, 2009)
Who Makes these Foods?
Corporations
• Monsanto- the makers of Roundup and
other herbicides.
• DuPont- the makers of a variety of
insecticides and herbicides
• Dow Chemical Corporation- the makers of
chemicals, plastics, oil and gas, and many
other modern products.
(Monsanto, DuPont, Dow Chemical corporation)
• 4 countries grow 99% of the world’s GM
crops…
• US (68%)
• Argentina (22%)
• Canada (6%)
• China (3%)
(Sustainable Table, 2011).
The 3 most common GM foods;
o Soybeans
o Rapeseed
o Sweet corn
(Bionet, 2011).
Who Regulates these New Foods?
• Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
(Schlenker & Roth, 2011)
Do You Know What You Are
Eating?
You may not know if you are
eating a product that contains
ingredients from a GM source.
GM food sources do not require
labeling unless the modification;
 increased the allergenicity
 reduced the nutrient content
(Schlenker & Roth, 2011).
Look for this label…
Ingredients change in products all the time.
If you do not see the Non-GMO Project label the best thing
you can do is check the ingredients list of the products you
buy.
Keep a look out for:
• Corn: corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn
starch, corn meal
• Soy: soy protein, soy lecithin, soy oil, soy sauce, soy
isolates
• Canola: canola oil
• Cotton: cottonseed oil
(Center for Food Safety, n.d.)
What Can You Do?
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Vote with your fork!
Buy organic!
Demand labeling!
Petition for a GMO-free World!
Look for foods that are labeled GMO free!
Visit
– sustanabletable.org
– truefoodnow.org
– responsibletechnology.org
References
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Bionet, (2002). Future Food. Retrieved from http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/ff_cont1.htm .
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Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), (2010). Food & Agriculture. Retrieved from
http://www.bio.org/foodag/ .
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Butcher, M. (2009). Genetically Modified Food - GM Foods List and Information. Retrieved from
http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php .
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Center for Food Safety, (n.d.). The True Food Shoppers’ Guide to Avoiding GMOs. Retrieved from
http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/
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Dow Chemical Corporation, (2011). Dow website. Retrieved from http://www.dow.com/ .
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DuPont, (2011). DuPont website. Retrieved from http://www2.dupont.com/DuPont_Home/en_US/index.html .
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Institute for Responsible Technology, (2010). Non-GMO Shopping Guide: How to avoid foods made with
genetically modified organisms. Retrieved from http://nongmoshoppingguide.com/Non-GMO-ShoppingGuide.pdf .
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Monsanto, (2011). Monsanto website. Retrieved from http://www.monsanto.com/Pages/default.aspx .
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Schlenker, E. and Roth, S., (2011). Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy. Missouri; Elsevier
Mosby.
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Sustainable Table, (n.d.). The Issues: Genetic Engineering. Retrieved from
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/ge/ .
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Pictures from Microsoft Office Program Clipart.
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Definitions from http://dictionary.reference.com/ .