Issue Enquiry on Farming System

Group B3 7A Jenny Wong 7B Michelle Choy 7B Cleo Wong 7S Eva Lee 7S Kelly Leung

What is biotechnology?

Application of scientific and technical advances in life science to develop commercial products Living organisms are being modified according to human purposes The concept is widely applied

Use of biotechnology in agriculture

Agriculture fits the definition of "using a biotechnological system to make products" First forms of biotechnology Altered the genetics by Introducing the crops to new environments Breeding the crops with other plants

Time line for the development of biotechnology

Earlier development

Before 8000 BC --> Collecting of seeds for replanting 1919 --> First uses the word biotechnology
Later development

Early 1990s --> GM food was first put on the market 2003 --> First biotech pet, GloFish, in the North American market

Genetically modified food

DNA of the organisms specifically altered in laboratories for different particular purposes Tolerate specific herbicide Resistant to specific plant diseases and pests More adoptable to environments Nutritionally-enriched Better food quality Longer-lasting

Ecological impacts Potential Benefits

A) Minimize tillage practices

Because production is facilitated Including fewer uses of tractors Energy consumption can be reduced 8.25 million farmers practicing biotechnology --> carbon dioxide reduced by 8.9 tonnes From U.S. National Academy of Sciences --> soil erosion is reduced

B) Reduced dependence on agrochemicals

Many of the agrochemicals are toxic Improper use would cause ... --> Soil degradation --> Water pollution and eutrophication --> Ecosystems altered due to pesticides killing not only one specific insect and pest

B) Reduced dependence on agrochemicals

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn Control corn borer (a kind of insect) and replace spraying GM insect-resistant cotton Significant reduction in the use of pesticides

Reduced agrochemicals, Benefits the environment

C) Phytoremediation

Plants detoxify pollutants in the soil, or Absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil Harvested and disposed of safely
(being environmentally friendly)

Soil quality at a polluted site can be improved

D) Help in weed control

Herbicide-tolerant Enable use of herbicides, which break down more quickly in soil, and are non-toxic

Multiple applications to control a wide

range of weed species detrimental to crops

D) Help in weed control

Particularly compatible with no-till or reduced tillage agriculture systems Help preserve topsoil from erosion Environmentally-friendly Increased yield less crop injury

E) Help in diseases control

Protect crops from devastating diseases US industry was saved thanks to resistance to Papaya ringspot virus by genetic engineering Without resistance to diseases Very difficult to control the spread

F) Increase biological knowledge

Help understand the basic biology of living organisms Identified the complete genetic structure of several strains of the bacteria leading to major outbreaks of food-borne illness Improve the safety of food supply Get to know more about the ecology

Ecological impacts Potential Harms

A) Genetic contamination

Novel genes in crops due to biotechnology Exchange traits through pollination with relatives plants placed near Wild or weedy relatives of crop plants able to thrive in unwanted places Disturbing the natural ecosystems

A) Genetic contamination

Gene changing the oil composition Enable the seeds of nearby weedy relatives to survive the winter Become a weed or might intensify weedy properties

A) Genetic contamination

Engineering crop plants, such as tobacco or rice Produce plastics or pharmaceuticals

Fish engineered Contain metal-sequestering proteins

Endanger other animals in the food chain

B) Increased weediness

Due to mainly purposeful introductions Accidental introduction of alien plants In unmanaged environments upset whole ecosystems the Everglades, invading trees displace natural flora

B) Increased weediness

In agriculture weeds can severely inhibit crop yield

In the United States Rice plant engineered to be salt-tolerant escaped cultivation invaded nearby marine estuaries

C) Loss of valuable pest susceptibility genes

In natural populations of insects Pest susceptibility genes predominate Allow pesticides to remain as effective pestcontrol tools

C) Loss of valuable pest susceptibility genes

Bt GM crops Pests constantly exposed to the toxin produced Selects for the rare resistance genes in the pest Make the Bt pesticide useless

D) Viruses infection

virus-tolerant crops Produced by engineering components of viruses Resistant to subsequent infection Infecting a wider range of hosts More virulent than the parent viruses

E) Antibiotic Resistance

In most biotech food Carry fully functioning antibiotic-resistance genes Effectiveness of antibiotics to fight disease reduced Transferred to human or animal pathogens, making them impervious to antibiotics

F) Environmental toxicity

Herbicides-resistant crops Changes in the pattern of chemical herbicides used Differ in their environmental toxicity Rapid evolution of resistance to herbicides in weeds Detrimental to the environment overall

F) Environmental toxicity

Produce toxic substances for protection Addition of new genetic material Increase in the levels of toxic substances within the plants

F) Environmental toxicity

New genes remove heavy metals from the soil and concentrate them in the plant tissue For the use of municipal sludge as fertilizer for the useful plant nutrients

Potential health risks in the food Environmental risks associated with the handling and disposal

F) Environmental toxicity

Removal of genes Enhance the environment for toxic fungi Caffeine help protect coffee beans against fungi Decaffeinated coffee bean by genetic engineering Coated with fungi Produce toxins

Economic impacts Potential Benefits

A) Increase in food supply

Add and preserve the preferable traits Take away the unwanted ones Crop yield will increase Biotechnology will feed population of 7 million people by 2050 Due to the reduced vulnerability of crops to environmental stresses

A) Increase in food supply

Soybeans Resistant to herbicides Cotton(cottonseed oil) Pest-resistant Genetically modified cotton in India increased yields by 60% over the period 19982001

B) Improved product quality

Increased nutritional qualities Proteins transformed to provide amino acids Corn, field Vitamin-enriched (beta carotene, vitamin C, folate) Golden Rice Beta-carotene (a source of vitamin A) Help solve the problem of malnutrition in third world countries

B) Improved product quality

Improved taste, texture or appearance of food Slow down the process of spoilage Expand the market Better use of resources Add enzymes to the flour Stays fresher longer Expand to make a lighter loaf, or alter the loaf

C) Decrease in production cost and Increase in profit margins

Tillage practices can be minimized Reduce energy consumption Efficient use of resources

Better adoptions to the environment Potentially increase production (improving crop yield and expanding the market) lower the average cost

C) Decrease in production cost and Increase in profit margins

A 2010 study by US scientists Economic benefit of Bt corn $6.9 billion over the previous 14 years in five mid-west states

Since killing European Corn Borers that attack crops nearby

C) Decrease in production cost and Increase in profit margins

Due to the use of some of biotech crops simplify work improve safety for farmers

Spend less time managing crops More time on other profitable activities

D) Increase in product diversity

Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc. in Canada Using biotechnology in agriculture to help develop entirely different species of fruit trees Unique attributes can now be introduced into existing or hybrid fruit trees

Economic impacts Potential Harms

A)Dominance of food market

Most genetic engineering in agriculture is being done by large transnational corporations Need to cover the cost of research Seeds are sold with an added technology fee Applied to crops only important to the industrialized world Farmers in Africa cannot afford

A)Dominance of food market

In the long run Market prices of GM farm products decrease as the supply in the market increases

MDCs possess capital and the human resources Able to apply the latest technologies Higher yield or faster growth rate large share of MDCs GM farm products in the market

A)Dominance of food market

LDCs low capital and low skills GM farm production need to be sold at a higher price and within a limited market Market share of GM farm products from MDCs expands and gradually displacing the farm products from LDCs

B) Changes in other markets

Markets of pesticides and herbicides will shrink Herbicide resistant gene widely inserted into soybean in the US

Instabilities of the markets

Conclusion

Significant increase in the global area of biotech crops for 2004 over 2003 Produce stronger crops that will flourish in even the harshest environments Decrease the pressures on land and wildlife habitats Using resources in a sustainable way

Conclusion

Know too little about the organism and the environment around Should ensure Biotech crops pose no significant risks More productive crops are only part of the solution to the world hunger problem and transgenic crops are not uniquely capable of increasing food production

Conclusion
At this time, it is not wise to invest excess sums in biotechnology, especially at the expense of the economy and the ecology.

Thank you for listening !