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Producing stable food yields for a growing world population is a major
challenge for agriculture. Soil erosion, water shortages, climate change and
shrinking farmland pose serious threats to essential resources, while human
needs continue to grow. But what is the concept behind sustainability and
can GM crops (e.g. herbicide tolerant soybeans) help us move towards a
sustainable form of agriculture?
News:
The European Commission authorized 17 GMOs
(24 Apr 2015) The
European Commission licensed 10 new GM varieties of maize, soy, oilseed rape and
cotton for import, as well as renewing seven existing licenses.
EU Commission: Proposal for the nationalization
of GM imports
(22 Apr 2015) The
College of European Commissioners published a proposal for the nationalization
of GM imports. If adopted it would give individual EU countries the right to
restrict or ban the use of GM products in their territory after they have
received EU-wide approval. The European Commission authorized 17 GMOs
(24 Feb 2015) Until now,
GM crop cultivation has focused on maize, soybeans and cotton. Although a lot of
research is conducted on other crops (new GM plants that can cope with drought,
flooding and attacks by pests, and plants that have been fortified with
nutrients are being grown in greenhouses around the world and tested in field
trials), not many have been authorized. Two French scientists have now published
an overview of the most important research projects.
Val Giddings, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Unfounded fears surrounding GMOs distorts policy
decision making
A policymaker's Guide to
the GMO Controversies by Val Giddings
(22 Feb 2015) Crops and
foods improved through biotechnology remain at the center of a maelstrom of
conflicting claims and assertions. This is evident throughout all media, but
especially on the Internet. Because bad information makes for bad policy choices
this report provides some factual information, with abundant citations from
independent third party authorities.
It examines several key
questions that have been repeatedly visible in media of late. These include
the economic
benefits of GMOs,
the U.S. rate of
adoption of GMOs,
the level of
success of the labeling movement,
the role of GMOs in
affecting weeds and human health, and
the sustainability
of GMO-based agriculture.
In all six cases the
report finds overwhelming evidence for the economic, agricultural,
environmental, and health benefits of GMOs.
Meta-analysis shows: Less pesticides, increased yields and
profits
(5 Nov 2014) The average agronomic and economic benefits of GM
crops are large and significant. This demonstrates the meta-analysis carried
out by Wilhelm Klümper and Matin Qaim from the University of Goettingen in
Germany. A meta-analysis is a statistical technique for combining the
findings from independent studies. In this case the researchers analysed 147
original studies on the agronomic and economic impact of agricultural
biotechnology worldwide. The overall conclusions are, that the adoption of GM
crops
reduced chemical use by 37%
increased crop yields by 22%
increased farmer profits by 68%.
Study
European top scientists are advocating for GM crops (30 Oct 2014) More than twenty of Europe's most
prominent plant scientists signed a joint letter warning that Europe will never
meet agricultural targets unless it starts allowing GM crops.
EU research project GRACE publishes first study findings
(15 Oct 2014)
The
GRACE research project was asked by the European Commission to test various
methods for identify the medium- and long-term health impacts of eating GM
crops. In 90-day feeding trials two GM maize MON 810 varieties tested did
not trigger any negative effects in the trial animals.
Golden Rice: Delayed approval has serious consequences (4 Mar 2014) More than 2 50,000 children go blind every year because
of Vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A intake can be enhanced by consuming Golden
Rice — a genetically engineered variety of rice. It was available for
commercialization in 2002, but approval has been delayed. A study estimates that
this delay has resulted in 600,000 to 1.2 million additional cases of blindness.
GM crops continue to boost productivity and farm incomes worldwide
28 May 2014
During the last 17
years, the adoption of GMO technology has resulted in significant socio-economic
benefits and advantages for farmers in developing and developed countries. The
income and productivity gains stem predominantly from the fact that GM crops
have enabled farmers to switch to more sustainable farming practices. This is
one of the results of the ninth annual report from PG Economics, the UK-based
agricultural economists, entitled GM Crops: global socio-economic and
environmental impacts 1996-2012.
Importing GM soybeans or expanding European
cultivation of grain legumes: which is more sustainable?
27 May 2014
The European Union’s high dependence on soy imports as a
source of animal protein feed is facing increasing resistance. One aspect of the
criticism levelled against soy imports is the negative public attitude towards
GM soy beans and meal, which make up over 90 per cent of imported soy. In
current political debates there are therefore calls to replace GM soy imports by
expanding European cultivation of grain legumes. According to calculations by
OVID, the German oil seed processors’ association, this would have disastrous
effects: the EU would produce less wheat and take up more agricultural land
outside of the EU in order to meet its demands.
German Bundestag votes for national self-determination on GMO cultivation
22 May 2014
The German Bundestag is
calling for self-determination of Member States in relation to the cultivation
of genetically modified plants. On 21 May, it asked the German government to
“create legal options for national opt-outs”. Germany will therefore speak out
in favour of national cultivation bans at the meeting of the EU Council of
Ministers scheduled for June. This will remove the blocking minority at EU level
that has so far prevented the adoption of an opt-out clause.
With the growth in
global demand for soybeans comes an increasing need for responsible soy
production. Laura Foell, a director of the United Soybean Board, has been
farming soybeans for more than two decades. In her experience, transgenic crops
are an important tool for making soybean production more sustainable.
Peer Review – Where you thought it ended? That’s just the beginning!
22 July 2013
A Guest Article by Dr.
L. Val Giddings, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
“This is a peer-reviewed study!”
In the increasingly heated battles waged lately by crusaders against
innovation in agriculture, such assertions are increasingly thrown down like
a gauntlet. The intent is to negate findings by regulators and scientists
around the world that crops and foods improved through biotechnology are
safe. These advocates argue passionately that “paper X”, published in a
scientific journal after being reviewed by anonymous scientists and an
editor, is sufficient to overturn the findings of hundreds of previously
published reports to say nothing of the vast experience accumulated through
the consumption of trillions of meals derived from biotech improved crops
since they first entered the marketplace in the mid 1990s. When these papers
are criticized by scientists post-publication, cries of censorship and
persecution inevitably arise, and are routinely coupled with claims that the
critics are bought and paid for by vested corporate interests. But the
noisemakers overlook something fundamental about the culture of science:
where they thought peer review ended -is really where it gets going ...
Africa is facing huge challenges through population growth,
land-scarcity and climate change. But instead of relying on outside
help, African countries are increasingly focusing on their own
strengths.
An important aspect of this development is the focus on the research and cultivation of genetically-modified crops. Many African countries see these crops as an opportunity to deal with domestic pests, diseases and drought, and as an opportunity to increase the agricultural output significantly. Therefore, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and other countries in Africa are investing in biotechnology to find creative solutions for future challenges.
Without GM crops European agriculture will not
achieve sustainability goals
30 April 2013
The European Union cannot meet its goals in agricultural
policy without genetically engineered crops (GMOs). That's
the conclusion of UK and Spanish scientists who published in
Trends in Plant Science. Based on several case studies the
report shows that the EU is undermining its own
competitiveness in the agricultural sector as well as that
of its humanitarian activities in the developing world.
Although agricultural sustainability is a key program of the
common agricultural policy (CAP) the current strategies in
fact hamper the development of key technologies to achieve
those objectives. As a consequence, European agriculture
will become almost entirely dependent on the outside world
for food and feed and scientific progress.
Genetic Roulette is Jeffrey Smith’s second self-published
book in which he makes claims against biotechnology. In it, he details 65
separate claims that the technology causes harm in a variety of ways. On this
website each of those claims are stacked up against peer-reviewed science.
Numerous studies have addressed the potential impacts of genetically modified (GM) plants. Yet the existing evidence on the effects of GM plants is often contradictory and the quality of scientific research varies widely.
Therefore, the GRACE project will establish new tools for assessing the quality of existing studies and
will conduct comprehensive reviews to identify health, environmental and
socio-economic impacts of GM plants.
At Germany's Institute for the Chemical and
Veterinary Analysis of Food (CVUA) in Freiburg they use the PCR method to test
food for traces of GM plants.
Jenny asks: How does Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer work?
Agrobacteria are a naturally occurring species of soil
bacteria, which are able to transfer genes to plant cells. But how does this
work? Jenny asks Thorsten Manthey of RLP AgroScience.
GM
CROPS:
Promise and Reality
A
Nature special issue
"The introduction of the first
transgenic plant 30 years ago heralded the start of a second green revolution,
providing food to the starving, profits to farmers and environmental benefits to
boot. Many GM crops fulfilled the promise. But their success has been mired in
controversy with many questioning their safety, their profitability and their
green credentials. A polarized debate has left little room for consensus.
In this special issue, Nature explores
the hopes, the fears, the reality and the future."
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