Geneticallyengineeredplants?

Wh t i GM f d ? WhatisGMfoods? Thebenefitsversusrisks What do you think about? Whatdoyouthinkabout?

GeneticallyModifiedOrganisms?
F Farmersadoptedselectivebreeding t d t d l ti b di tomaintain i t i p particulartraits(size,taste,andresistancetodisease). ( , , )

Biotechnologyenabledtransferofgenes fromone organismtoanothergeneratingtransgenic organisms.

GeneticallyModifiedFoods(GM)?
ThisarefoodsderivedfromorganismswhoseDNAhas beenmodifiedthroughgeneticengineering. been modified through genetic engineering

Werefirstputonthemarketin1990s.

ManytypesofGMcropsareavailableinthemarket.

GeneticallyModifiedFoods(GM)?
Productsoftransgenicplant. Examples : soybean corn and cotton seed oil Examples:soybean,cornandcottonseedoil.

Geneticallymodifiedcrops
Goldenriceisrichincarotene. Twogeneshavebeeninserted intothericegenometoallowthe productionandaccumulationof caroteneinthegrains.

Geneticallymodifiedcrops
GM GMcornandcottonareengineeredtoproducetheir d tt i dt d th i ownbuiltinpesticide. p

BttoxininGMplants(BtfromsoilbacteriaBacillus thuringiensis) th i i i )

Geneticallymodifiedanimals

GMpigsengineeredtoproduceomega3fattyacids throughtheexpressionofaroundwormgene(2006). through the expression of a roundworm gene (2006)

GMProducts:Benefits
Enhanced taste and quality Enhancedtasteandquality. Reducedmaturationtime. Slowripeningoffruits. Increasednutrients,yields. Newproductsandgrowingtechniques.

GMProducts:Benefits
Increasedstresstolerance(draughtresistance). Improved plant resistance to disease pests and Improvedplantresistancetodisease,pests,and herbicides. Improvedanimalhealthanddiseaseresistance. Betteryieldsofmeat,eggs,andmilk. y , gg , Supply of human medicines Supplyofhumanmedicines.

GMProducts:Benefits
Increasedfoodsecurityforgrowingpopulations. Whatistheglobalpopulationin2050? Toomanymouthstofeed. y f How?

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Potential human health impacts, including allergens, Potentialhumanhealthimpacts,includingallergens, transferofantibioticresistance,unknowneffects).

Newproteinsareintroducedintothehumanand animalfoodchains(maycauseallergicreactions). i lf d h i ( ll i ti )

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Severalanimalstudiesindicateserioushealthrisks associatedwithGMfood,including: 1. Infertility 2. Immuneproblems 2 Immune problems g g 3. Acceleratedaging 4. Alteredmetabolism 5. Changesinmajororgansandbodysystems(GIT).

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Pregnantwomenandbabiesatgreatrisk. Pregnant women and babies at great risk.

WhenGMsoywasfedtofemalerats,mostoftheir babiesdiedwithinthreeweekscomparedtoa10% deathrateamongthecontrolgroupfednaturalsoy. d th t th t l f d t l

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
WhenmaleratswerefedGMsoy,theirtesticlesactually changedcolorfromthenormalpinktodarkblue.

MicefedGMsoyhadalteredyoungsperm. Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm

TheembryosofGMfedparentmicehadsignificant changesintheirDNA.

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
MicefedGMcornhadfewerbabies,whichwerealso , smallerthannormal.

BuffaloesthatateGMcottonseedhadpremature deliveries,abortions,infertility,andprolapsed deliveries abortions infertility and prolapsed uteruses.

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
GMorganismscontainnewproteinswithallergenic potentials. potentials

GMsoyhasuptoseventimesmoretrypsin inhibitora knownsoyallergen.

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Multiple animal studies show significant immune Multipleanimalstudiesshowsignificantimmune dysregulation,includingincreaseincytokines,whichare associatedwithasthma,allergy,andinflammation.

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
InasmallvillageinAndhraPradesh,buffaloesgrazedon cottonplantsforyearswithoutincident.

OnJanuary3rd,2008,thebuffaloesgrazedonBtcotton y , , g plantsforthefirsttime.

All13animalsweresickthenextday;alldiedwithin3 days. days

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Again,inIndia,thousandsofsheepdiedwhengrazeon g , , p g Btcottonplants. Postmortemsshowedsevereirritationandblack patchesinbothintestinesandliver(aswellasenlarged patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bileducts). Evidencestronglysuggeststhatthesheepmortality wasduetoatoxin(Bttoxin).

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Theonlypublishedhumanfeedingstudyrevealeda dangerousproblemfromGMfoods. ThegeneinsertedintoGMsoytransfersintotheDNAof bacterialivinginintestinesandcontinuestofunction. bacteria living in intestines and continues to function Thi ThismeansthatlongafterwestopeatingGMOs,we h l f i GMO maystillhavepotentiallyharmfulGMproteins producedcontinuouslyinside. d d i l i id

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Potentialenvironmentalimpacts,including:unintended g g p transferoftransgenes throughcrosspollination

Unknowneffectsonotherorganisms(e.g.,soilmicrobes), andlossoffloraandfaunabiodiversity. dl f fl df bi di it

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks
Thepoorestandmostvulnerablegroupsdonotbenefit. f

Intellectualpropertylaw(dominationoffewcompanies).

GMFsmightbemisusedtoonlybenefitspecificgroups.

Geneticallymodifiedfoods:Risks