Beth K. GuginoDept. of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

What Growers Need to Understand about GMO’s and How Others Perceive Them

Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention30 Jan 2013

Lee Stivers,Penn State Extension

What is a genetically modified organism?

What is a gene?

Segment of DNA located on a chromosome

Codes for structure of a protein or RNA sequence

Fundamental molecular unit of heredity of a living organism

Chromosome

DNA

Gene

What is a genetically modified organism?

What is a genetically modified organism?

Vector stack: gene of interest + promotor + gene marker (allows for screening)

Event: successful transformation (determined using the gene marker)

What is a genetically modified organism?

Types of GMO’s

Herbicide resistance (Roundup Ready)

Insect resistance (Bt)

Disease resistance (Papaya ringspot virus – coat protein of virus expressed by plant)

Improved nutrition (Golden rice w/ beta carotene – Vitamin A deficiency)

Irri.org

A Brief History of GMO’s

GMO Timeline

1972: First recombinant DNA molecules produced

1977: Genentech used recombinant DNA to make insulin (replicate on an E. coli plasmid)

1980: US Supreme Court ruled genetically altered life forms can be patented

1987: First outdoor field test of GMO, “Frostban” bacteria (overload leaf surface with GMO bacteria, reduce temp frost forms, never marketed)

A Brief History of GMO’s

1992: USDA approved commercial production of “FlavrSavr” tomatoes (RNAi silencing of polygalacturonase gene that breaks down pectin in cell walls)

1996: Monsanto introduces Roundup Ready soybeans

1987: National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine concludes that GMOs pose risks similar to other domesticated crops.

1987: National Academy of Science concluded transferring genes between species poses no serious environmental hazard

Global Area of GMO Crops, 2010Rank Country Area (mill A) Crops

1 USA 165Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugarbeet, alfalfa, papaya, squash

2 Brazil 62 Soybean, corn, cotton

3 Argentina 56 Soybean, corn, cotton

4 India 23 Cotton

5 Canada 21 Canola, corn soybean, sugarbeet

6 China 8Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper

7 Paraguay 6 Soybean

8 Pakistan 5 Cotton

9 South Africa 5 Corn, soybean, cotton

10 Uruguay 2 Soybean, corn

11 Bolivia 2 Soybean

12 Australia 1 Cotton, canola

GMOs Today

are found in 80% of packaged foods in the US

GMO crops are also added to processed foods as oils, sweeteners & soy proteins and in things like amino acids, aspartame, vitamin

C, flavorings (natural & artificial), maltodextrins and more

93% 93% 86% 90%

Attitudes

Growers

Consumers Environmentalists

Seed/Product Companies

Food Industry

Attitudes of Growers

Pro: Helps me grow better crops with fewer pesticides

Enables adoption of no- and low-till practices

Genetically engineered papaya saved an industry

Con:

Will insects become resistant to Bt?

Threatens my organic crop/certification

Threats due to consolidation of seed industry

My customers don’t want it (not marketable)

Attitudes of Consumers

Pro: (silence)

Con:

Potential health risks to me

I don’t trust GMO’s

Don’t trust the science; don’t trust the regulators

I don’t like the companies that make and control them; why won’t they label them?

Unethical business tactics Consolidation of power, $, ownership of genetic

resources

Attitudes of Environmentalists

Pro:

Con:

Frankenfoods Risk to the environment

Monarch butterflies (slowed growth?, less milkweed)

Loss of genetic diversity (more monoculture)

Genes will escape into the environment and create problems

Limiting ag footprint (higher yield)

Reduced risk to environment (fewer pesticides)

Area-wide pest control (reduced corn borer in pepper)

Attitudes of Seed/Product Companies

Pro:

Con: Companies not using GMO technology at a

disadvantage?

Bullying practices of GMO companies?

Have to control the product to make money

Costs a lot to develop and test these

But we might give some away for developing countries

Attitudes of Food Industry, US and Foreign

Pro: (silence, but they are fighting labeling)

Con: Too little benefit to us compared to risk

If foreign markets reject GMOs, product separation is expensive and probably impossible

What’s in the Future?

New Developments

Genomics: shifting focus from single genes to entire genome

DNA shuffling: a technique for creating a better version of a gene that already exists by producing a large number of variants in a test tube

Pharming: turning plants into pharmaceutical factories PSU: Vaccines produced by button

mushrooms (3 mil. doses in 12 wks)

Some Sources and Further Reading

“Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money and the Future of Food.” 2001. D. Charles. Perseus Publishing.

“Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food.” 2008. P.C. Ronald and R.W. Adamchak. Oxford University Press.

“Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Food.” 2004. N. Federoff and N.M. Brown. National Academy Press.