Crop Alteration

1
Crop Alteration

• William Nguyen
• Metages Sisay
• Mario Zapien
• Lesley Miller

2
What It Is

• Genetic alteration is a process in which the DNA
  from one organism is inserted into the DNA of
  another organism, allowing the traits of one
  organism to be realized in the other.
• This technology has allowed such things as
  strawberries that grow in the winter, tomatoes
  that fully ripen on the vine without rotting, and
  crops that are resistant to bugs and herbicides.

3
How It Works

• Genetic Alteration can be explained most
  basically as a process of cutting and pasting.
• First a gene segment is removed, or cut, from a
  chain of DNA .
• The gene segment is then inserted, or pasted,
  into the DNA of another organism.

4
Background

• Crop alteration has been present in agricultural
  societies for the past 4000 years.
• First modern crop alteration occurred in 1994
  with the development of the Flavr Savr Tomato.
• Currently over 22 percent of crops worldwide are
  genetically altered.

5
Background

• Currently, over 145 million acres world wide are
  growing genetically altered crops. Most of which
  are in the United States.
• Crops are most often altered to be pest or
  herbicide resistant.

6
Background

• Today the most common genetically altered crops
  grown in the United States and world wide are
  corn, soybeans, and cotton.

7
Why alter crops?

• Genetically altered crops can produce greater
  yields.
• Pest and herbicide resistant crops can
  dramatically reduce the need for chemicals and
  thus benefit the environment.
• Crops can be altered to be healthier and more
  beneficial to humans. Example golden rice.

8
Case Study Bt Crops

• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a common soil
  bacterium that produces crystals that are toxic
  to insects.
• First discover in Japan in 1901 in dead silkworm
  larvae.
• First commercially used in the U.S. in 1958. Used
  by 95 of the market by 1989.
• Today, 34 different subspecies and 800 strains
  are used.
• Most commonly used on corn, potato, and cotton
  crops.

9
Case Study Bt Crops

• Benefits
• Kills off insects without the use of pesticides.
• Only requires one time application.
• Not harmful to humans.
• Farmers found a 7 yield increase.
• Reduces on-farm costs (92 million in 1998).

10
Case Study Bt Crops

• Costs
• Insects may develop a resistance to Bt sooner.
• Beneficial animals may become sick due to
  ingested infected insects.

11
Case Study Bt Crops

• In 1995, the first Bt crops were approved by the
  EPA.
• In 2002, The EPA reassessed BT crops and
  continued to approve Bt crops.
• Current laws require the registration of Bt
  crops.

12
Case Study Bt Crops

• Conclusions
• Bt crops are cheaper and have better yields than
  traditional pesticides.
• Bt crops are extremely safe.
• The costs are the same as with any other
  pesticide.
• Bt crops is the best option.

13
Ethical Issues

• Does Genetic engineering respect the intrinsic
  right of other creature?
• Are the risks to the environment and human health
  from genetic engineering serious enough to
  warrant a moratorium on deliberate release of
  genetically modified organisms at this time?
• What happens to the gap between our contemporary
  rich and poor world?
• How about respecting the rights of a third wold
  people who have promoted bio-diversity over
  thousands of years?
• Is it proper to claim ownership over a living
  organism?

14
Legal Issues

• Products dont require pre-market approval
  process, public notifications, or labeling.
• Companies conduct safety test for their own
  bio-engineered products, notifying the FDA only
  if they suspect a problem.
• No way to trace who or what is responsible should
  a problem occur.
• FDA policy forfeit consumers right to know how
  their food has been manufactured, and also the
  publics right to safe and tested food products,
  by allowing the companies to decide if and when a
  product is hazardous.

15
Legal Issues (cont.)

• High ranking personnel from the corporate would
  move into critical position in the FDA and then
  back to the industry.
• A revolving door between the US government and
  the biotech industry.
• Heavy lobbing to rewrite World Food Safety
  standards in favor of biotechnology.
• New laws protecting the US food industry from
  criticism.

16
Professional Issues

• Making sure everybody works to a maximum benefits
• Technological advancement
• Jobs of genetic engineers

17
Professional Issues (cont.)

• Advantage
• improve the yield of crops in a cost effective
  way.
• produce high quality crops.
• decrease of pesticides being used which will
  decrease damage of our environment.
• avoiding of meaning less chemicals being digested
  by people.
• Disadvantage
• initial cost of the procedure as glasshouses.
• training for the maintenance of Bt genes
• it can escape into another agriculture
• food could be harmful to both animal and human
  health
• not knowing what we are messing with

18
Stakeholders

• Consumers
• Animals
• Insects
• Farmers
• Engineers
• Companies
• Government agencies
• Environmental groups

19
Possible Actions

• Use unaltered crops
• Conventional farming
• Use altered crops but with regulations
• Use labels and enforce tolerance limits of how
  much BT is used

20
Utilitarianism

• Hypothetical risks are weighed against future
  benefit
• Even though it has an enormous benefit in the
  future, the customers have the right to know what
  they are getting which will help both sides.

21
Rights Perspective

• The consumer has the right to know what they are
  purchasing
• Choose between GM and Organic
• We all have the right to adequate food
• Farmers have the right to protect their crops
• Tolerance limits?
• Who will in force it?
• GM better than general insecticides

22
Fairness/Justice Perspective

• GM can produce higher yield
• More product ? less expensive
• Keep the work environment healthier
• Not to be exposed to insecticides
• Higher cost for seed
• Fair to the smaller farmer?

23
Common Good Perspective

• Lower cost ? more affordable
• End world hunger?
• End malnutrition
• Improve amino acid balance
• Improve iron and vitamin A intake
• Potential to lower the use of insecticides
• Insects can build a resistance
• SUPER BUG

24
Virtue Perspective

• Honesty
• Have to trust those that produce the crops
• Safety of the public is more important than money
• Respect
• Care for the land
• Try not to destroy surrounding ecosystems and not
  to harm non targeted wildlife within the
  production land

25
Consequences Perspective

• If GM crops are not used than the cost will
  increase
• Poor will not be able to afford
• Frankenstein Foods
• Random gene insertion
• Can produce new allergens
• Eating DNA!!!

26
Kantian Perspective

• Right to adequate food
• Right to a safe environment
• Right to know what is contained in the crops
• Right to protect ones property

27
ConclusionThere are risks inherent in any
technological intervention. Human beings down the
centuries have learned to weigh the perceived and
real risks against the benefits of emerging
technologies, and have responsibly integrated
these to foster progress. For instance, the use
of electricity, automobiles, air travel, and even
immunization all involve some risks, but this has
not prevented humankind from benefiting from
them.-C.S. Prakash
28
References

• Facts on crop alteration
• http//pewagbiotech.org/resources/factsheets/displ
  ay.php3?FactsheetID2
• http//www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.htm
  l
• http//www.monsanto.co.uk/primer/how.html
• Issues
• http//www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/GEFood.asp
• http//www.thecampaign.org/issues.php
• http//www.foodmarketexchange.com/datacenter/laws/
  detail/dc_lr_reference_GMOfarm.htm