Environmental Sustainability & Degradation;

Organically Grown Food & GMO

Chapter 5 & 6

Points of Discussion

•Developments in Agriculture “Green Revolution”

•The “Next Green Revolution”: Using GENETIC ENGINEERING

•Know the principles behind genetic engineering and GM food; its potential benefits and hazards of GM food

Transformation of agriculture

Transformation of agriculture began in 1945The world's worst recorded food disaster occurred in 1943 in British-ruled India. Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated 4 million people died of hunger that year in eastern India (which included today's Bangladesh).

What was the Green Revolution?

Termed coined by U.S. Agency for International Development director William Gaud (March 1968)Movement to increase yields by using:

Hybrid seedsIrrigationFertilizersPesticidesmechanization

What was the Green Revolution?

A planned international effort funded by:

Rockefeller FoundationFord FoundationMany developing country governments

• An attempt by agricultural scientists to eliminate hunger by improving crop performance

When did it begin?

Began in 1943 with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation to support a group of U.S. agricultural scientists

Who invented the Green Revolution?

Norman Borlaug considered father of the Green RevolutionU.S. plant pathologist/breederJoined Rockefeller Foundation in 1944Assigned to the international maize and wheat improvement center (CIMMYT) in MexicoWon the Nobel in 1970

The crops developed during the Green Revolution were high yield varieties - meaning they were domesticated plants bred specifically to respond to fertilizers and produce an increased amount of grain per acre planted.

GREEN REVOLUTION

Adoption of new, improved varieties of grainsApplication of better agricultural techniques

IrrigationMechanizationUse of fertilizerUse of pesticides

Since 1950’sGreatest effect felt in LDCsAgricultural output outpaced population growth even without adding additional cropland

A complex of improvements which greatly increased agricultural production

WHEATMexicoEgyptTurkey

RICEThailandVietnamKoreaIndonesia

Principal Beneficiaries of the Green Revolution

§ BOTHBOTHIndiaIndia

ChinaChina

PakistanPakistan

““Green Revolution”Green Revolution”benefitsbenefits

§ Core exports high-yield “miracle” seedsCore exports high-yield “miracle” seeds

§ Needed oil-based fertilizers, pesticides Needed oil-based fertilizers, pesticides

§ Asian rice crop up 66% in 1965-85 Asian rice crop up 66% in 1965-85

§ Favored areas with good soil, weatherFavored areas with good soil, weather

““Green Revolution”Green Revolution”

““Green Revolution”Green Revolution”drawbacksdrawbacks

§ Favored farmers who could afford seeds, Favored farmers who could afford seeds, inputs, machines, irrigationinputs, machines, irrigation

§ Indebted farmers lost land, moved to citiesIndebted farmers lost land, moved to cities

§ New “monocrops” lacked resistance to New “monocrops” lacked resistance to disease/pestsdisease/pests

§ Environmental contamination, erosionEnvironmental contamination, erosion

§ Oriented to export “cash crops,” not domestic Oriented to export “cash crops,” not domestic foodfood

Impact of the Green Revolution

Praise

• Agric. Production now outpaces pop growth

• Use of fertilizers has increased food productivity in many countries

Criticisms• Poor countries cannot

always afford the machinery, seeds, and fertilizers

• Farmers in poor countries cannot afford fertilizers leading to inequalities b/ween rich and poor; fertilizers lead to ground water pollution

Impact of the Green Revolution Praise• New irrigation

processes have greatly increased crop yields

• Higher productivity is primarily responsible for reducing dependency on imports in Asia, including China and India

Criticisms• Irrigation has led to

serious ground water depletion, negatively impacting water supplies for urban population

• Green Revolution technology has not made significant impact in Sub-Saharan Africa

Impact of the Green Revolution Praise

• Use of machinery to increase productivity

• Green revolution technology and training have focused on men

Criticisms• Has decreased the

need for human labor, resulting in unemployment in some places

• Tended to exclude women who play important role in food production

• Green rev seeds may produce crops that are less nutritious

Decreased the production of biomass fuels- wood, crop residues, and dungEmphasis on monocultures has made agric more vulnerable to disease and pests

Genetic Engineering:The Next Green Revolution ?

http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_15/b3624011.htm

Next Green Revolution?

Biotechnology will help developing countries accomplish things that they could never do with conventional plant breeding”“I believe genetically modified food crops will stop world hunger.”

Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize

The Next Green Revolution?

Biotechnology helps farmers produce higher yields on less land. Technology allows us to have less impact on soil erosion, biodiversity, wildlife, forests, and grasslandsTo achieve comparable yields (1950-1999) with old farming methods, would have needed an additional 1.8 Billion hectares of land

Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize

Biotechnology CriticBiotechnology development

Same vision as chemical industry:Short term goals

Enhanced yields, profit margins

Nature should be dominated and exploited

forced to yield more

Prefer quick solutionsto complex ecological problems

Reductionist thinking about farmingInstead of integrated systems

Agricultural success means Short term profitsNot long term sustainability

-- Jane Rissler, Union of Concerned Scientists

Biotechnology: Biotechnology: Using organisms to…Using organisms to…

§ Make or modify productsMake or modify products

§ Improve plants or animals Improve plants or animals

§ Develop new microorganismsDevelop new microorganisms

§ Crossing natural divides between speciesCrossing natural divides between species§ Not just crossbreedingNot just crossbreeding

Genetically Modified Foods

Foods genetically modified using biotechnology are known as GM foods. Genetic material is altered using non-traditional, laboratory based methods;

 this is known as genetic engineering. Individual genes with specific desirable traits 

are transferred from one organism 

to another.

Genetic EngineeringGenetic Engineering

“FRANKENFOODS”

3 main types of GM food technique

1. Inserting genes: Genes are determined by different DNA sequences, when the isolated gene is inserted into a plant, it becomes part of the plant’s gene and works with its own function .This method can increase or improve the plant such as resistance to insects, which increases the yield of food afterwards.2 Removing genes:The function is reduced or stopped through genetic modification. We reduce the function of virus which causes dried and spot of the tomato by removing parts of the gene, thus that virus cannot be reproduced and tomato can grow healthily.3. Changing the process of catabolismFood can be enhanced by changing the process of catabolism, such as controlling the percentage of starch of glutinous rice, and it also includes controlling the taste, mass, colour, and usefulness of food.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

mill

ion

s o

f a

cre

s

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS - WORLDWIDE

USA, 68%

Argentina, 23%

Others, 9%

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS - 2000

BiotechnologyBiotechnologybenefits in agriculturebenefits in agriculture

§ Increase yieldsIncrease yields

§ Increase pest resistanceIncrease pest resistance

§ Grow crops in new areasGrow crops in new areas

How common is GM food?

80% of rice and wheat used nowadays.Half of the fields are used for planting GM food.40% soy bean of US are genetic modified, and 60% of soy bean’s products become GM food.71 kinds of plants and micro-organisms in US were reported until 2005.

Example of GM Food [2]

The first GM whole food, FLAVR SAVRTM tomato, was marketed in the United States in 1994.

Slower ripen rateRipen longer on vineFully developed flavors

Flavr Savr Tomato developed by Calgene (Sources: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agripedia/glossary/flavr.htm)

Other examples of GM Food

Soy beanCornPapayaPotatoTomatoMilk from GM cowPumpkin

Other examples of GM Food

McDonald’s hamburgerKFC’s Zinger burgerMaxim’s Ham-egg sandwichKFC’s Mashed potato with gravyWyeth Nursoy Soy Based Infant FormulaNissin Chicken Cup Noodles Pringles Sour Cream'N Onion

                                          

35

GM food is everywhere GM food is everywhere whenever you eat!!whenever you eat!!

Potential Benefits

1. Cure diseases or other medical uses A Singapore doctor is working on removing a

gene from mice, if it is transferred to potato’s gene, it can produce a protein abbreviated as ANF, which is used to cure hypertension, congestive heart failure, and failure of kidney.

2. Increase the yield of food If the gene of plant is altered, their life cycle can

be reduced. Compare with normal plant in same period of time, their yield is increased.

Example: Normal corn’s life cycle is half year and GM corn’s life cycle is 3 months. Each cycle can produce 500 corns. After 1 year, there are 1000 normal corns while 2000 GM corns, which is doubled of the normal one.

Potential Benefits

3. Resistance to bad living conditions In bad living conditions, the quantity and quality

of normal plant decreases a lot, changing the gene of plant can make them grow healthily under bad conditions, and it brings advantages to companies and consumers.

Besides, the plant may not be necessarily grown in original region but could be in mountains, desert or snowfield.

4. Improve the appearance and taste of food The juice of tomato can have a better taste, and

watermelon will have no seeds after genetically modified.

Example: Cubic watermelons and much larger apples which have been grown in Japan.

Potential Benefits

5.More resistance to insects The immunity towards insects is increased, hence less

insecticide is used and less production cost is needed, the price can also be reduced.

As no insecticide is used, it is safer to eat as insecticide is harmful to human.

6. Enhance the nutrition of food The nutrition value increases by changing the genes of food, thus consumer will gain advantages from it. Example: GM rice produce more protein. GM tomatoes have more vitamin.

Potential Benefits7. Alter the properties of food so that it is

easier for food processing The production cost is reduced as it is easier to

process the food, which leads to a lower price of that food hence it is economical.

As there are fewer processes, less raw materials are wasted and it protects the environment.

8. Remove the parts causing allergy The substances causing allergy can be removed,

and things that have never been eaten by human before can be genetically modified so that it is suitable for eating, hence there are more choices of food.

Potential Hazard

1 Affect the ecosystem There are cycles among different food chains, they relies on

each other to form a steady and stable condition. GM food will affect this equilibrium seriously and it may cause extinction of certain species as many GM food is resistant towards insects.

2 Super-germs may exist GM plant with immunity towards insect may develop super

germs that have immunity towards GM plant. GM food may suffer from some new diseases and pass them to human through food chain.

GM food’s pollen grain or seed will be pollinated to other farmlands which cause the change of tradition species. When grass gain the new genes, it may become super grass which affect the ecosystem and cause hazard towards food production. It also leads to the more frequent use of grass remover and brings hazard towards the land.

Example: GM soybean’s pollen grain cross with grass to form super grass that will not be killed easily.

Potential Hazard

3. Cause allergy As the structure of GM food is altered, it may cause

allergy and the affected area may spread seriously.

4. Cause failure of antibiotics When genes are inserted to cells, scientists will

add some antibiotic to determine whether it is successful or not. If it is a success, new cells will gain immunity towards antibiotic and increase the strength of germs.

As many plants have gained immunity towards insect, when people suffer from the disease or eat the plants, the antibiotics will become useless. And there may be no ways to fight against the super germs.

Potential Hazard

5.Alter the nutrition of food One of the uses of GM food is to increase the yield

by shortening the life cycle, however, as the growing period is shorten, the nutrition value may decrease.

6.Produce toxin and fatal disease The process of making GM food may produce toxin

and fatal disease which may cause death after eating the food.

7. Transfer harmful substance to other organisms

As virus is used to transfer gene for making GM food, and the gene transfer process cannot be controlled easily, it is possible for virus to gain harmful substance and harm other animals since.

Potential Hazard

8. Extinct of certain genes Companies want to earn as much as possible

hence they insert genes to their food so that no further generation can be produced, this causes extinction of food.

When new genes are used commonly, the old ones will be abandoned and face extinction.

9. Indistinguishable between GM and non-GM food

Soy bean from USA resist the insecticide hence 40% soybean were imported to Europe, however, both GM and non-GM soy bean are mixed and USA claims that there is no difference between GM soybean and normal one.

Evidence of hazard

The evolution of bacteria

German scientist has discovered and shown GM food’s gene has been passed onto organisms, and change the structure of gene of micro organism living in ileum. This proves that it will affect the human’s health, and it makes us worry as our genes may also be altered.

An experiment was set up as follows:Genetic modified pollen grains were fed to young bees for a period of time, and the bacteria found in the bees’ ileum contains genes of GM pollen grain.

Evidence of hazard

Another example was introduced, the GM potato were fed to mice, and it thickens the wall of stomach, this shows that the chance of having cancer increases. Besides, the mice become weaker in fighting against disease and the brains of the mice wither. Other bad effects were found in kidney, intestine and spleen. GM potato will harm the liver and immune system.A person who is allergic to Brazil’s walnut ate some soybean that contains gene of the Brazil’s walnut showed same allergic symptoms in1991.

Agricultural ‘Success’?

Our incredible successes as a species are largely derived from this choice, but the biggest threats to our existence stem from the same decision.”

Jared Diamond, 1999

Basics you should know

Refer to the PLU: Price Lookup Code!

Pesticide was used

If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides. The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit. An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of 4011.

Genetically Modified Food

If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8”, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable.  A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011

Organically Grown

If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9”, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified. Example: An organic banana would be: 94011

Creating a balance

So are GM foods a good or bad thing?It depend on each individual case.Consumers, the government and scientists should be responsible for weighing the benefits against the costs.

Improved Nutrition

Resistance to disease

Reduced use of chemicals

Environmental risks

Health risks

Economic risks

Solutions: Sustainable Agriculture

Low-input agriculture

Organic farming

Profitable

Increasing funding for research in

sustainable techniques

Hope you were enlightened by

our topic today!

Dr. Djonde