Are GE Crops part of aSustainable Future?

Robert WagerVancouver Island University

A billion people experience hunger and another billion lack essential vitamins and minerals in their diet

The global population is predicted to be 9 billion by 2050

FAO 2010

The Problem

>90% Soy

70% Corn

98% Sugar beet

95% Canola

North American Adoption of GE Crops

The environmental and human health benefitsfrom adopting Bt cotton have also been extensively documented.

24% increase in cotton yield per acre 50% gain in cotton profit among smallholders Triple yield from 2002 (first year of Bt

cotton)

Over 90% of all Indian cotton is Bt today

Indian Experience

Bollgard II® accounts for up to 95% of cotton planted in Australia and its adoption has resulted in a decrease of 85% in the amount of conventional insecticides used during cotton production

Australian Experience

GM Crop Adoption Reduces Pesticide Use and Environmental Impact (1996-2009)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Perc

en

tag

e c

han

ge 1

996-2

009

*Values are for biotech crop areas only, not total global cropping area – GM crops account for ~10% of total global cropping area

Source: Brookes and Barfoot (2011) GM Crops: Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts 1996-2009. PG Economics, Dorchester UK

20091996

8.7% 17.1%

17 million farmers

15 are in Developing

World Grow 400 Million acres

Developing world

Grows 52% of All GE crops

20 of 28 countries that

Grow GE crops in

Developing World

grows 52%

17million farmers of which 15 are in developing world

52% of all GM crops grown in developing world

20/28 countries are in developing world

PRSV still can cause severe damage

2011: Transgenic papaya about 85% of production

NonTransgenic

Transgenic

Greening Disease of Oranges

“The WHO, the AMA, the U.S. NAS, the British Royal Society, and every other respected organization that has examined the evidence has come to the same conclusion:

Consuming foods containing ingredients derived from GM crops is no riskier than consuming the same foods containing ingredients from crop plants modified by conventional plant improvement techniques.”

(AAAS 2012)

Global Scientific Opinion

Controversies about the impact of genetically modified (GM) crops have

too often been based on

contested science

EASAC 2013

“The reported work from the Rowett is flawed in many aspects of design, execution and analysis and that no conclusions should be drawn from it.”

“Found no convincing evidence of adverse effects from GM potatoes.”

Royal Society Rebuke of Pusztai1999 GM potato paper

Health Canada Canadian Food Inspection Agency European Food Safety Authority Food Standards Australia New Zealand German Federal Institute of Risk Assessment German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food safety France- ANSES (Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety) France- HCB (High Counsel for Biotechnology)-                            Six Academies of Science (France) Denmark- DTU National Food Institute Netherlands- Bureau for Risk Assessment   (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) Brazil- CTNBio (Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety)-   Belgium- BAC (Biotechnology Advisory Council) Romania (Food Safety Authority) Belgium- VIB (Life Sciences Institute) French Society of Toxicological Pathologists (SFPT) European Federation of Biotechnology AFBV (French Association for Biotechnology Vegetables) ABNE (African Biosafety Network of Expertise) ACB (African Center for Biosafety) European Society of Toxicological Pathology

Partial List of World Food Safety Authorities that are critical

about Seralini et al 2012

Fig. 1. Mortality of rats fed GMO treated or not with Roundup. Rats were fed with NK603 GM maize at three different doses (11, 22, 33% in their diet: thin, medium and bold lines, respectively) compared to the substantially equivalent closest isogenic non-GM maize (control, dotted line). Lifespan during the experiment for the control group is represented by the vertical bar ± SEM (grey area). In bar histograms, the causes of mortality before the grey area are detailed in comparison to the controls (0). In black are represented the necessary euthanasia because of suffering in accordance with ethical rules (tumors over 25% body weight, more than 25% weight loss, hemorrhagic bleeding, etc.); and in hatched areas, spontaneous mortality.

Diet with maize (transgenic vs. conventional isogenic)

In some cases high doses seems to be protecting. In other cases, they are less harmful than lower doses!

Control group

Swiss NSF (2012), reviewing more than 2000 studies,

No health or environmental risks

Italian Study (2013) reviewed 1783 studies

No health or environmental risks

European Research

There is no validated evidence that GM crops

have greater adverse impact on health and the

environment than any other technology used in

plant breeding.

EASAC 2013

European National Academies of Science (2013)

17 years, >3,000,000,000,000 meals containing ingredients from GE crops

Zero documented cases of harm

Safety Record

Countries not Corporations

Brazil, China and India

Over 70 countries have active Biotechnology R&D programs

The next “Big” players

Micro-nutrient enhanced Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A

Fungal resistance-wheat, potato, banana

Viral resistance-many crops Bacterial resistance-banana, grapes, orange

Enhanced Nitrogen efficiency

Drought tolerance Salt tolerance Frost tolerance

Pharma crops

The Next Generation of GE Crops

Micro-nutrient enhanced Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A

Fungal resistance-wheat, potato, banana Viral resistance-many crops Bacterial resistance-banana, grapes, orange

Enhanced Nitrogen efficiency

Drought tolerance Salt tolerance Frost tolerance

Pharma crops

The Next Generation of GE Crops

GE Crops in Development

Black Sigatoka Fungus Virus Diseases of Cassava

“There is compelling evidence that GM crops

can contribute to sustainable development

goals with benefits to farmers, consumers, the

environment and the economy.”

EASAC 2013

European National Academies of Science (2013)

GE crops are part of a

more Sustainable

Future