1. © life_edu Lecture 17 Part IIIc. Issues, Controversies and Concerns: The Organic Food Debate Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch life edu.us Agricultural Biotechnology

2. Issues in Biotechnology: Biotechnology, Our Society and Our Future OnCampus Live BCH 190, MIC 190, AFS 190, NRS 190, PLS 190 OnLine BCH 190 A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology A Public Access College Course The University of Rhode Island Kimberly Nelson Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch life edu.us

3. © life_edu A Sweeping General Survey on Life and Biotechnology The University of Rhode Island Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch life edu.us BCH 190 Section II. The Applications of Biotechnology

4. Crop Plants Conventional farming Organic farming

5. Organic farming No Synthetic Pesticides No Synthetic Fertilizers No GMOs

6. © life_edu Is Organic Food Better for You?

7. © life_edu Is Organic Food Better for the Environment?

8. © life_edu Is Organic Food Safer?

9. © life_edu Is Organic Food Better for You?

10. Conventional Foods Processed Foods Organic Foods Natural Foods Whole Foods

11. Are Organic Foods Really Better For You? What Consumers really want is good, clean, safe food Is that too much too ask? Organic Foods promise safety from pesticides No synthetic fertilizer No GMO Natural Foods

12. Organic farming No Synthetic Pesticides No Synthetic Fertilizers No GMOs

13. “Our goal of no-GMO ingredients in our Whole Foods market brand and 365 products is focused on accessing ingredients derived from non-genetically modified seeds. Unfortunately, absolute “GMO- free” guarantees cannot be made on any manufacturer’s product. Not only is it impossible to test every container of product, but currently there is no system in the United States to guard against drift from farmers using GMO seed that could potentially contaminate non-GMO crops.”

14. © life_edu Sixty-eight percent of the respondents in a recent US poll said a product labeled “USDA Certified Organic” would indicate the food was safer than non-organic foods Sixty-seven percent believe the label would indicate food of higher quality than non-organic foods Sixty-two percent believe the label would mean the food is more healthful for consumers than non-organic food Is Organic more nutritious?

15. © life_edu The head of the U.S. Organic Trade Association recently had to admit organic food was no more nutritious than any other food and that organic food standards had nothing to do with food safety Are organic foods more nutritious?

16. © life_edu Is Organic Food Better for the Environment?

17. © life_edu Organic Advocates Argue: Wiser Land Use. Less Pesticides. More Biodiversity. Sustainable Agriculturists Argue…. Is the Organic solution viable for sustainable world agriculture?

18. © life_edu Critics argue: Feeding Humanity From Organic Fields Would Mean Cropping Twice As Much Land As We Currently Plant Is the Organic solution viable for sustainable world agriculture?

19. Are There Unknown Risks to the Environment? Gene transfer to other crops or wild plants Change in herbicide use patterns Squandering of valuable pest resistance genes Poisoning of wildlife Creation of new or worse viruses Un-assessable long term risks

20. © life_edu Pesticides Kill Insects Indiscriminately “A butterfly beats it’s wings in the Amazon… and changes the weather in Chicago.”

22. In 1962, Carson wrote: “A truly extraordinary variety of alternatives to the chemical control of insects is available. Some are already in use and have achieved brilliant success. Others are in the stage of laboratory testing. Still others are little more than ideas in the minds of imaginative scientists, waiting for the opportunity to put them to the test. All have this in common: they are biological solutions, based on understanding of the living organisms they seek to control, and of the whole fabric of life to which these organisms belong. Specialists representing various areas of the vast field of biology are contributing—entomologists, pathologists, geneticists, physiologists, biochemists and ecologists—all pouring their knowledge and their creative inspirations into the formation of a new science of biotic controls”

23. © life_edu Is Organic Food Safer?

24. © life_edu Wild-type corn variety with secondary fungal infection Bt corn resistant to corn borer damage, resulting in less secondary fungal infections Organic vs. Transgenic

25. © life_edu So while the organic standards may attempt to ensure freedom from pesticide residues, the freedom of organic foods from vermin, mycotoxins and other contamination may be less certain Mycotoxins Organic farmers are more likely to let their crops suffer rodent and insect damage, which leads to more fungal infections and more natural toxins in the food What the public wants is safe food that is good

26. © life_edu Perhaps New Organic Food Standards Could Use Warning Labels Organic Products Are Not Necessarily Tastier, Healthier Or Pesticide-Free

27. © life_edu Organic agriculture is not a food safety claim (FDA) Organic means only that the farmers use organic fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer and “natural” pesticides such as copper sulfate (broadly toxic) and sulfur (a soil contaminant)

28. Price Comparison Conventional vs. Organic

29. Price Comparison Conventional vs. Organic

30. Why is Organic Food So Expensive? Price Comparison Conventional vs. Organic

31. © life_edu Sustainable Agriculture Is Organic Production Viable on a Large Scale? Are GM crops a Threat to Biodiversity? Does Local Food Production Really lower the Carbon Footprint? Does Organic Food really lower your exposure to pesticides?

32. © life_edu Part III. Issues, Controversies and Concerns Issues in Biotechnology: The Way We Work With Life Dr. Albert P. Kausch life edu.us Agricultural Biotechnology

33. For those who are interested in taking this course for college credit through the University of Rhode Island; For those who are interested in taking this course for college credit through the University of Rhode Island; For more information please contact: Issuesinbiotechnology190@gmail.com

34. Credits Credits Lectures by: Edited by: Video Produced by: Thank You to The University of Rhode Island Thank You to The University of Rhode Island and all of the students of Issues in and all of the students of Issues in Biotechnology over the years Biotechnology over the years Dr. Albert Kausch and Kimberly Nelson Thaddeus Weaver