could gm foods contain new toxins? part ii: are gm foods safe to eat could gm foods cause...
TRANSCRIPT
Could GM foods contain new toxins? Could GM foods contain new toxins?
Part II: Are GM foods safe to eatPart II: Are GM foods safe to eat
Could GM foods cause allergies? Could GM foods cause allergies?
Is DNA safe to eat? Is DNA safe to eat?
Could antibiotic resistance genes transfer? Could antibiotic resistance genes transfer?
Could genes escape from crops to cause problems? Could genes escape from crops to cause problems?
What kinds of problems does gene flow cause? What kinds of problems does gene flow cause?
Part II: Are GM crops safe to grow?Part II: Are GM crops safe to grow?
Will GM crops reduce crop diversity? Will GM crops reduce crop diversity?
Will GM crops reduce biodiversity? Will GM crops reduce biodiversity?
Are GM foods safe to eat?Are GM foods safe to eat?
Is DNA safe to eat? Is DNA safe to eat?
All foods contains DNA -- about a teaspoon of DNA in a pound of food All foods contains DNA -- about a teaspoon of DNA in a pound of food
Adding one gene adds roughly 1 part in a million or ~0.0001%Adding one gene adds roughly 1 part in a million or ~0.0001%
DNA is digested starting in your mouth DNA is digested starting in your mouth
Tiny fragments gets through the digestive processTiny fragments gets through the digestive process
This is always happening when we eat food This is always happening when we eat food
It doesn’t change our genes It doesn’t change our genes
Are GM foods safe to eat?Are GM foods safe to eat?
Could antibiotic resistance genes get into people? Could antibiotic resistance genes get into people?
No, DNA is broken down into tiny pieces in our digestive tracts No, DNA is broken down into tiny pieces in our digestive tracts
Could they get into other bacteria in the gut? Could they get into other bacteria in the gut?
Bacteria take up DNA very rarely Bacteria take up DNA very rarely
Transfers to gut bacteria have been looked for, but not foundTransfers to gut bacteria have been looked for, but not found
Are GM foods safe to eat?Are GM foods safe to eat?
Could GM foods contain new toxins? Could GM foods contain new toxins?
The FDA requires chemical analyses and toxicity studies The FDA requires chemical analyses and toxicity studies
GM foods are better analyzed than any in human history GM foods are better analyzed than any in human history
Plants contain chemicals that are toxic -- in large amounts Plants contain chemicals that are toxic -- in large amounts
Are GM foods safe to eat?Are GM foods safe to eat?
Could GM foods cause allergies? Could GM foods cause allergies?
Allergy facts Allergy facts
Most food allergies are caused by about half a dozen proteins Most food allergies are caused by about half a dozen proteins
Foods contain more than 100,000 different proteins Foods contain more than 100,000 different proteins
The FDA requires developers to identify allergenicity potential The FDA requires developers to identify allergenicity potential
Could genes escape from crops to cause problems? Could genes escape from crops to cause problems? Gene transfer from crops to other plants is now called “gene flow” Gene transfer from crops to other plants is now called “gene flow”
Gene flow occurs between members of the same species Gene flow occurs between members of the same species
What kinds of problems does gene flow cause? What kinds of problems does gene flow cause?
Gene flow is not a new problem in agriculture Gene flow is not a new problem in agriculture
It depends on the crop It depends on the crop
Are GM crops safe to grow?Are GM crops safe to grow?
http://www.scu.edu/cas/research/images/smecology.jpghttp://www.scu.edu/cas/research/images/smecology.jpg
The monarch butterfly incidentThe monarch butterfly incident
http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/images/releases/997_0.jpghttp://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/images/releases/997_0.jpg
Bt genes in Mexican land racesBt genes in Mexican land races
Will GM crops reduce crop diversity? Will GM crops reduce crop diversity?
Are GM crops safe to grow?Are GM crops safe to grow?
Will GM crops reduce biodiversity? Will GM crops reduce biodiversity?
“To assert that GM techniques are a threat to biodiversity is to state the exact opposite of the truth.”
“To assert that GM techniques are a threat to biodiversity is to state the exact opposite of the truth.”
“The less focused and productive this agriculture is, the more destructive its effects will be.”
“The less focused and productive this agriculture is, the more destructive its effects will be.”
“Nothing has driven more species to extinction or caused more instability in the world’s ecological systems than the development of an agriculture sufficient to feed 6.3 billion people.”
“Nothing has driven more species to extinction or caused more instability in the world’s ecological systems than the development of an agriculture sufficient to feed 6.3 billion people.”
Peter RavenDirector of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Peter RavenDirector of the Missouri Botanical Garden h
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Rapid acceptance of GM crops Rapid acceptance of GM crops
http://www.isaaa.org/default.asphttp://www.isaaa.org/default.asp
Kernel rot (aflatoxin)Kernel rot (aflatoxin)
Fusarium ear rot (fumonisins)
Fusarium ear rot (fumonisins)
GM crop statistics 2008
GM crop statistics 2008
GM crops were grown on 125 million hectares in 25 countries in 2008 GM crops were grown on 125 million hectares in 25 countries in 2008
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GM crops were grown on 125 million hectares in 25 countries in 2008GM crops were grown on 125 million hectares in 25 countries in 2008
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tm There are 25 million cases of pesticide poisoning/year There are 25 million cases of pesticide poisoning/year
Pesticides kill both beneficial and harmful insects Pesticides kill both beneficial and harmful insects
Biological pest control is better than using chemical pesticides Biological pest control is better than using chemical pesticides
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www.greenpeace.org/raw/image_full/france/www.greenpeace.org/raw/image_full/france/
Resistance to molecular crop enhancementResistance to molecular crop enhancement
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Rob PaarlbergRob Paarlberg
Indirect effects of anti-biotech attitudes Indirect effects of anti-biotech attitudes
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Zambia’s President Levy MwanawasaZambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa
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Famine areas high-lighted in yellowFamine areas high-lighted in yellow
Resistance to molecular crop enhancementResistance to molecular crop enhancement
Molecular methods of crop improvement: why the resistance?
Molecular methods of crop improvement: why the resistance?
A cartoon about smallpox vaccination from 1802 by British satirist James Gillray A cartoon about smallpox vaccination from 1802 by British satirist James Gillray
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A GM food is no more likely to cause a
problem than the same non-GM food
A GM food is no more likely to cause a
problem than the same non-GM food
What’s the bottom line?What’s the bottom line?
Are GM foods safe to eat?Are GM foods safe to eat?
A GM crop is no more likely to cause a
problem than the same kind of non-GM
crop
A GM crop is no more likely to cause a
problem than the same kind of non-GM
crop
What’s the bottom line?What’s the bottom line?
Are GM foods safe to grow?Are GM foods safe to grow?