1. Genetically Modified Crops and the Third World Allison Miller “Worrying about starving future generations won’t feed the world. Food biotechnology will.” --Monsanto advertising campaign, 1998

2. Genetic Modification vs. Traditional Plant Breeding Genetic Modification (rDNA Methods) ◦Can use genes from any living organism ◦Can modify one gene or several genes Traditional Plant Breeding ◦Can only cross with closely related species ◦Many genes are modified at once Source: Lemaux 2008

3. Need for GM crops and Biotechnology Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that: ◦842 million worldwide are underfed ◦798 million live in developing nations ◦World population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050 Source: Sairam and Prakash 2010

4. “The affluent nations can afford to adopt elitist positions and pay more for food produced by the so called natural methods; the 1 billion chronically poor and hungry people of this world cannot. New technology will be their salvation, freeing them from obsolete, low-yielding, and more costly production technology.” -- Norman Borlaug Source: Borlaug 2000

5. “To feed a world of 9 billion people in 2050…Africa has to increase its food production by 300%, Latin America by 80%, and Asia by 70%. Even North America would have to increase food production by 30% to feed its own projected population of 348 million people. Without an increase in farm productivity, an additional 1.6 billion hectares of arable land will be needed by 2050” -- R.V. Sairam and C.S. Prakash Source: Sairam and Prakash 2010

6. Examples of GM Crops Herbicide tolerant (HT) ◦Soybean ◦Corn/Maize ◦Cotton ◦Canola ◦Alfalfa Pest resistant (Bt) ◦Cotton ◦Corn/Maize ◦Potatoes Other traits ◦Increased nutrient content ◦Virus resistance ◦Drought tolerance Source: James 2009, Lemaux 2008

7. Global Area of GM Crops By Crop

8. Source: James 2009

10. Contribution to Sustainable Development in Developing Nations 1) Food security 2) Conservation of biodiversity 3) Alleviation of poverty and hunger 4) Prevention of disease and malnutrition 5) Reduction of agriculture’s environmental footprint 6) Economic benefits Source: James 2009

11. Food Security Increases productivity ◦Increases yields ◦Lowers food prices Decreases production cost ◦Fewer inputs ◦Less labor Source: James 2009

12. Conservation of Biodiversity Decreases land required ◦Helps maintain plant biodiversity ◦Reduces environmental degradation  Deforestation Reduces amount of pesticide used ◦Helps maintain insect biodiversity Sources: James 2009, Lemaux 2009

13. Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger Increases income for farmers ◦Means to purchase food Increases availability of food ◦Reduces absolute hunger Source: James 2009

14. Prevention of Disease and Malnutrition Reduces exposure to harmful chemicals ◦Pesticides Increases nutrient content of food ◦Decreases micronutrient malnutrition  Disease ◦Vitamin A Deficiency ◦ Golden Rice Source: James 2009, Lemaux 2008

15. Reduction of Agriculture’s Environmental Footprint Fewer inputs ◦Pesticides ◦Water Reduces/eliminates plowing ◦Reduces CO 2 emissions ◦Prevents degradation of soil Source: James 2009

16. Economic Benefits Global net economic benefits ◦Developing nations earned $22 billion from 1996 to 2007 Source: James 2009

17. Case Studies Insect Resistant Cotton (Bt) ◦China  Yields increased by 10%  Pesticide usage decreased by 67%  Net profit increased by $500/hectare ◦India  Yields increased by 40%  Pesticide usage decreased by 50%  Net profit increased from $75/hectare to $200/hectare Source: James 2009

18. The Future of GM Crops Pest resistance ◦Fungus resistant potatoes Agronomic performance ◦Rice with higher photosynthetic capacity Abiotic stress tolerance ◦Tomatoes with tolerance to high salt content Improvements in food quality ◦Potatoes with increased calcium levels ◦Tomatoes with increased folate levels Medical applications ◦Potato-based Hep B vaccine Source: James 2009

19. References Borlaug, Norman. “Ending World Hunger: The Promise of Biotechnology and the Threat of Antiscience Zealotry.” Plant Physiology. 124.2 (2000): 487- 490. James, Clive. “2009 ISAAA Report on Global Status of Biotech/GM Crops”. ISAAA Briefs No. 41. 1-9. James, Clive. “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008.” ISAAA Briefs No. 39 (2008): 1-275. Lemaux, Peggy G. “Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist's Analysis of the Issues (Part I).” Annual Review of Plant Biology. 59. (2008): 771-812. Lemaux, Peggy G. “Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist's Analysis of the Issues (Part II).” Annual Review of Plant Biology. 60. (2009): 511-559. Sairam, R. V. and C. S. Prakash. “OBPC Symposium: Maize 2004 & Beyond: Can Agricultural Biotechnology Contribute to Global Food Security?”. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant. 41.4 (2005): 424-430.