1 / 19

Genetically Modified Crops and the Third World

Explore how genetically modified crops can alleviate global hunger by increasing productivity, lowering food prices, and preserving biodiversity. Learn about the benefits of biotechnology for food security, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability.

rosie
Download Presentation

Genetically Modified Crops and the Third World

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  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 (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 Genetic Modification vs. Traditional Plant Breeding Source: Lemaux 2008

  3. 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 Need for GM crops and Biotechnology 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. 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 Examples of GM Crops Source: James 2009, Lemaux 2008

  7. Global Area of GM Crops By Crop

  8. Source: James 2009

  9. Source: James 2009

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

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

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

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

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

  15. Fewer inputs • Pesticides • Water • Reduces/eliminates plowing • Reduces CO2 emissions • Prevents degradation of soil Reduction of Agriculture’s Environmental Footprint Source: James 2009

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

  17. 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 Case Studies Source: James 2009

  18. 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 The Future of GM Crops Source: James 2009

  19. 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. References

More Related