Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World? A Scientific Perspective Peggy G. Lemaux,...
-
Upload
amberlynn-spencer -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
0
Transcript of Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World? A Scientific Perspective Peggy G. Lemaux,...
Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World?
Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World?
A Scientific PerspectiveA Scientific Perspective
Peggy G. Lemaux, Ph.D.University of California, Berkeley
Some Limitations on Biotechnology Applications
in DEVELOPED Countries
Intellectual property rights
Regulatory costs
Economic incentives
Scientific hurdles
Limited ability of public sector to
participate effectively
Some Limitations on Biotechnology Applications
in DEVELOPING Countries
Legal issues
Lack of funding for public sector to participate effectively
Scientific and infrastructure insufficiencies
Unique political and economic hurdles
Societal inequalities
“Complex problems of hunger and agricultural development will not be solved by technological silver bullets” Peter Rosset, Food First
Agricultural biotechnology is
more than just GMOs
Marker-assisted breeding led to new millet hybrid with downy mildew resistance
Tissue Culture Used To Remove Diseases of Banana in Philippines
Tissue cultured banana plantation in Philippines
PCR for pest disease detection for bananas and papaya
Productivity: Evidence for Bt Cotton Gains
Bt cotton in:
• United States: yield effect 0 – 15%
• China: yield effect 10%
• South Africa: yield effect 20%-40%
• India: yield effect 60 – 80 %
SOURCE: David Zilberman (UC Berkeley), Gregory Graff (UC Berkeley), Matin Qaim (University of Bonn) and Cherisa Yarkin (UC Berkeley)
Won’t intellectual property issues interfere?
Insect Resistant Maize for Africa - IRMASyngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture
GE crops will not address small farmers’ needsOnly large agrochemical companies will benefit
Farmers will be dependent; seed diversity will be lost
Environmental risks - gene flow, insect resistance
Insufficiency of biosafety regulations
Should African farmers and consumers make their own decisions on these issues?
How?
Participatory Rural Appraisals
Involving 900 Kenyan farmers from 43 villages
IRMA with Kenyan regulatory system did tests on corn for Bt-medicated stem borer resistance in laboratories and soon in biosafety greenhouses
Patent issues do not preclude local use
Bt maize can be commercialized locally
Bt is dominant; seed can be recycled; moved into local varieties
NO MAGIC BULLET
Bt maize
Is this the only way to address the problems?
No, problems are different
Different ecology
Different health issues
Different agronomic limitations
Sorghum – a staple food in parts of
Africa
USAID grant to address nutritional deficiencies
Digestibility
Amino acid imbalance
Are there potential problems?
Releasing GE varieties near wild relatives or weeds?
Working with U.S. and African sorghum breeders
Intellectual property rights?
Why did I become involved?
Part of my mandate as public sector scientist and CE
specialist
Is this the only answer?
Is this the best answer?
No, but it is something I want to and can do!