Short version for the panel debate 25. 9. 2013klaus.ammann@ips.unibe.ch

Klaus Ammann, Prof. emeritus University of Bern, Switzerland

Map of history of movement of crops around the globe

Dubock, A.C. (2009)Crop conundrum. Nutrition Reviews, 67, 1, pp 17-20 <Go to ISI>://WOS:000261881200002 AND http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Golden-Rice/Dubock-Crop-Conundrum-2009.pdf

For the major crops, there is no indigenous original center of landraces existing

Defense of the Motherland...

Linden, A. & Fenn, J. (2003) Understanding Gartner's Hype Cycles, Gartner Research pp 12 Strategic Analysis Report (Report)http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Discourse/Linden-HypeCycle-2003.pdf

Linden, A. & Fenn, J. (2003) Understanding Gartner's Hype Cycles, Gartner Research pp 12 Strategic Analysis Report (Report)http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Discourse/Linden-HypeCycle-2003.pdf

Check for updates at http://www.europabio.org/filter/agricultural/type/position or contact EuropaBio for more info

1. June 2012

First homemade GE crop in Brazil approved Also the latest success of approving regulatory decisions is symptomatic for the positive biotech climate in Brazil: The first fully in Brazil developed transgenic crop has been approved for commercialization, published in 2007: (Bonfim et al., 2007), see also (Neto, 2003) . The press release of the president of AnBio (National Biosafety Association) Leila Oda emphasizes also the socio-economic importance of this approval: (Oda, 2011).

"Besides being the first 100% national transgenic technology, there will be a very positive impact on a crop that is predominantly grown by small producers," said Oda, who is also a former president of CTNBio. "Benefits are many for both farmers and for the many millions of Brazilian consumers." The seed of genetically modified (GMO) beans was developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), a public research institution linked to the federal government.

De Souza, L. (20111018), Brazilian virus-resistant beans, A homemade, high potential benefit-driven development from the public sector, Biofortified: http://www.biofortified.org/2011/10/brazilian-virus-resistant-beans/#more-7511 AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/Brazil/DeSouza-Brazilian-Virus-resistant-GM-Beans-Biofortified-20111018.pdf publ: http://www.biofortified.org/2011/10/brazilian-virus-resistant-beans/#more-7511 AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/Brazil/DeSouza-Brazilian-Virus-resistant-GM-Beans-Biofortified-20111018.pdf

NAS National Academy of Sciences, Kelman, A., Anderson, W., Falkov, S., Fedoroff, N., & Levin, S. (1987) Introduction of Recombinant DNA-Engineered Organisms into the Environment: Key Issues. National Academy Press, Washington DC, USA, pp 24http://www.ask-force.org/web/NAS/NAS-Introduction-Recombinant-DNA-Engineered-Environment-1987.pdf

NAS National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, & National Research Council (2000) Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants: Science and Regulation, Prepublication and IS: ISBN: 0-309-06930-0, def: 0-309-50467-8 pp 290http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9795.html AND prepublication: http://www.ask-force.org/web/NAS/National-Research-Council-GM-Pest-Protected-prepublication-2000.pdf http://www.ask-force.org/web/NAS/NAS-Introduction-Recombinant-DNA-Engineered-Environment-1987.pdf AND final copy: http://www.ask-force.org/web/NAS/National-Research-Council-GM-Pest-Protected-def-2000.pdf

Genomic MisconceptionClearly declared in 1987By the US National Academies

No difference betweenconventional and transgenic crops

“There is no evidence that unique hazards exist either in the use of R-DNA techniques or in the transfer of genes between unrelated organisms”, and:

“The risks associated with R-DNA engineered organisms are the same in kind as those associated with the introduction into the environment of unmodified organisms and organisms modified by other genetic techniques.” and:

“Assessment of the risks of introducing R-DNA-engineered organisms into the environment should be based on the nature of the organism and the environment into which it will be introduced, not on the method by which it was modified.”

Urban Myth

Genetic Engineering is fundamentally different from Natural Mutation

Wrong:Natural Mutation and Transgenesis areidentical on the molecular level

Ammann, K. (20120706)Genomic Misconception: A fresh look at the biosafety of transgenic and conventional crops, a plea for a process agnostic regulation New Biotechnology, in press, pp 32 http://www.ask-force.org/web/NewBiotech/Genomic-Misconception-20120706-names-def.pdf

Pontifical Academy of Science, Vatican

Bishop Marcelo Sanchez – Sorondo, Secretary

Prof. Dr. Werner Arber, PresidentNobel Laureate 1978

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Baudo: comparison in genomic disturbance: GM crops are less disturbed (black dots) than classic breeds

Scatter plot representation of transcriptome comparisons, Baudo et al. 2006transgenic vs. controlendosperm 14 dpa

28 dpa 8 dpg

2 conventionallinesEndosperm14 dpa

28 dpa leaf at 8 dpg

transgenic vs. conventional Endosperm14 dpa

28 dpa leaf at 8 dpg

European Biosafety and the Cartagena ProtocolThe biosafety protocol is based on the wrong Premises: See Genomic Misconception in this slides: Natural Mutationand transgenesis are the same on the molecular level.

www.strangevehicles.com

System map of the principal issues, challenges and feedback loops in the risk management component of the legislation

EPEC-SANCO (2011)Evaluation of the EU legislative framework in the field of cultivation of GMOs under Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, and the placing on the market of GMOs as or in products under Directive 2001/18/EC Final Report, pp. 137. European Commission DG Sanco

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/evaluation/docs/gmo_cultivation_report_en.pdf

Innovation in agbiotech. (a) Location and sector of organizations conducting R&D for the 558 transgenic product quality innovations identified. Private sector consists of corporate and privately held firms. Public sector consists of government research laboratories, universities and nonprofit research institutes. (b) Annual entry, exit and the numbers of innovations active in the R&D pipeline were calculated from observations of the 558 innovations tracked in the primary survey. The number of active innovations stopped growing in 1998, after which those new innovations that entered were more likely to be published and less likely to move toward commercialization. Fig.1 from (Graff et al., 2009b).

Graff, G.D., Zilberman, D., & Bennett, A.B. (2009)The contraction of agbiotech product quality innovation. Nature Biotechnology, 27, 8, pp 702-704 http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Regulation/Graff-Contraction-Agbiotech-Innovation-2009.pdf

But the world has seldom seen a greater discrepancy between the inherent hazard of a product and the level of regulatory burdenimposed on it than exists today for crops improved through biotech. It is important, here, to be very clear: there is no basis in science for regulation specific to crops and foods improvedthrough biotech or ‘GMOs’

Giddings, V., Potrykus, I., Ammann K., & Fedoroff, N. (2012)Confronting the Gordian knot, Opinion. Nature Biotechnology, 30, 3, pp 208-209 http://www.ask-force.org/web/Regulation/Giddings-Confronting-Gordian-Knot-2012.pdf

http://www.europabio.org/sites/default/files/position/120601_gm_approvals_status_may_2012.pdf#overlay-context=agricultural/positions/undue-delays-eu-approval-safe-gm-products

Gómez-Galera, S., Twyman, R.M., Sparrow, P.A.C., Van Droogenbroeck, B., Custers, R., Capell, T., & Christou, P. (2012)Field trials and tribulations—making sense of the regulations for experimental field trials of transgenic crops in Europe. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 10, 5, pp 511-523 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2012.00681.x AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/IP/Gomez-Galera-Field-Trials-Tribulatioins-2012.pdf

Milan, 16 - 17 November 2012

Destruction of 30 years of field research

Prof. Eddo Ruggini Università di Tusca http://www.freshplaza.it/news_detail.asp?id=48131

Nature Biotechnology“It can be seen as a demolition of a scientific cultural monument,an act of legal vandalism,” says Klaus Ammann from the University of Bern.“

Meldolesi, A. (2012)Destruction of transgenic olive field trial dubbed 'vandalism'. Nat Biotech, 30, 8, pp 736-736 http://www.ask-force.org/web/Fundamentalists/Meldolesi-Destruction-Transgenic-Olive-Field-Italy-2012.pdf

Gómez-Galera, S., Twyman, R.M., Sparrow, P.A.C., Van Droogenbroeck, B., Custers, R., Capell, T., & Christou, P. (2012)Field trials and tribulations—making sense of the regulations for experimental field trials of transgenic crops in Europe. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 10, 5, pp 511-523 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2012.00681.x AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/IP/Gomez-Galera-Field-Trials-Tribulatioins-2012.pdf

Kuntz, M. (2011)Academic and governmental research on GMOs has been the target of numerous acts of vandalism in Europe. In OGM, environnement, santé et politique. Prof. Marcel Kuntz, Grenoblehttp://www.marcel-kuntz-ogm.fr/article-news-55055856.html , news in English, French and Spanish AND http://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/1/39/38/37/public-research-vandalized.pdf AND http://www.marcel-kuntz-ogm.fr/article-news-55055856.html AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/Field-Destruction/Kuntz-Public-Government-Research-Vandalism-Europe-2011.pdf

Kuntz M. (2012)Destruction of public and governmental experiments of GMO in Europe. GM Crops & Food, 3, 4, pp 1-7 http://www.es.landesbioscience.com/journals/gmcrops/article/21231/?nocache=470501470 AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/Fundamentalists/Kuntz-Field-Trial-Destruction-GM crops-2012.pdf

European Safety Attitude: let not the Europeans decide aboutBiosafety in Africa and the Near East, do your own safety assessment

European safety attitude: a problem for many countries in the developing world

Urban Myth

Herbicide resistant weeds are caused bytransgenic soybeans

Wrong:Herbicide resistant weeds are an old problemin agriculture, still less severe with transgeniccrops.

Development of resistant weedswith herbicide use

Urban Myth

Crop varieties have diminished dueto modern biotechnology breeding

Wrong:A new worldwide market study shows the contrary:

Crop varieties have steadily grown innumbers since WW II

van de Wouw, M., van Hintum, T., Kik, C., van Treuren, R., & Visser, B. (2010)Genetic diversity trends in twentieth century crop cultivars: a meta analysis. TAG Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 120, 6, pp 1241-1252 http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Biotech-Biodiv/van-de-Wouw-Genetic-Diversity-Trends-2010.pdf

Fig. 4 Wheat genetic diversity (a) and crop genetic diversity (excluding wheat) (b) in the twentieth century based on a weighted meta analysis of 20 publications. The diversity in the decade with the lowest diversity was set to 100

Ammann, K. (20120317)Biodiversity and the debate on GM crops - Can GM crops help to enhance biodiversity? . In ASK-FORCE AF-11, Vol. AF-11, pp. 103. K. Ammann, Neuchâtel http://www.ask-force.org/web/AF-11-Biodiversity/AF-11-Biodiversity-Biotechnology-20120317-numbered.dochttp://www.ask-force.org/web/AF-11-Biodiversity/AF-11-Biodiversity-Biotechnology-20120317-web.dochttp://www.ask-force.org/web/AF-11-Biodiversity/AF-11-Biodiversity-Biotechnology-20120317-web.pdfhttp://www.ask-force.org/web/AF-11-Biodiversity/AF-11-Biodiversity-Biotechnology-20120317-opensource.dochttp://www.ask-force.org/web/AF-11-Biodiversity/AF-11-Biodiversity-Biotechnology-20120317-opensource.pdf

Source: National Geographic, July 2011

A Century Ago

In 1930 commercial seed houses offered hundreds of

varieties as shown in this sampling of ten crops

80 Years Later By 1983 few of those varieties were found in

the National Seed Storage Laboratory

with completelywrong numbersbased on the old RAFI study

Fowler, C. & Mooney, P., R., (1990) US: Shattering : food, politics, and the loss of genetic diversity GB: The threatened gene: Food, politics and the loss of genetic diversity US: The University of Arizona PressGB: Lutterworth Press P.O. Box 60 Cambridge CB12NTPrinted Billing & Sons Ltd, Worcester, US: Tucson GB: Cambridge, IS: ISBN 0 7188 2830 5. , pp xvi, 278 p http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816511810/sr=1-1/qid=1320748094/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1320748094&sr=1-1&seller= AND from the etc Group: http://www.ask-force.org/web/Biotech-Biodiv/Fowler-Mooney-The-threatened-Gene-1990.pdf

Heald, P.J. & Chapman, S. (2011)Veggie Tales: Pernicious Myths About Patents, Innovation, and Crop Diversity in the Twentieth Century. SSRN eLibrary, pp http://www.ask-force.org/web/IP/Heldt-Veggie-Tales-Pernicious-Myths-2011.pdf

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Organic Tomatoes:No better quality

There is scientific proof of the following

1. Tomato quality differs heavily on environmental conditionsChassy, A.W., Bui, L., Renaud, E.N.C., Van Horn, M., & Mitchell, A.E. (2006)Three-year comparison of the content of antioxidant microconstituents and several quality characteristics in organic and conventionally managed tomatoes and bell peppers. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54, 21, pp 8244-8252 http://www.ask-force.org/web/Organic/Chassy-AW-Three-Year-Comparison-Tomatoes-2006.pdf

2. The claim that organic tomatoes have higher content of antioxidants is falseMitchell, A.E., Hong, Y.J., Koh, E., Barrett, D.M., Bryant, D.E., Denison, R.F., & Kaffka, S. (2007)Ten-Year Comparison of the Influence of Organic and Conventional Crop Management Practices on the Content of Flavonoids in Tomatoes. J. Agric. Food Chem., pp http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Mitchell-tenyears-tomato-2007.pdf AND http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Mitchell-2007-Fig-4.ppt AND rebuttal Hudson Institute http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Tomato-Flavonoids-Hudson-2007.pdf

3. The claim that organic food has higher quality has been falsified by several studiesDangour, A.D., Dodhia, S.K., Hayter, A., Allen, E., Lock, K., & Uauy, R. (2009)Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review, including controversy. Am J Clin Nutr, 90, pp ajcn.2009.28041 and 680-685 http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Dangour-Nutritional-Quality-Organic-2009.pdf AND http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Benbrook-Methodological-Flaws-Dangour-2009.pdf AND http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Gibbons-Reply-Dangour-2009.pdf AND http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Organic/Dangour-Reply-to-Gibbon-Benbrook2009.pdf

unfortunately, planning problems in the field of green biotechnology have now evolved into wicked problems with complex structures and no obvious causal chains

Solving wicked problems needs new, second generation system approaches in communication and decision making

Operation Research(Simon)

Systems Approach(Rittel)

Separation of Problem Definitionand Problem Solution

Problem Definition and Problemsolution cannot be separated

Objectivity of Solution Political nature of solution

Classification (Taxonomy) of planning problems

Every planning problem is basically unique

Expertise alone Symmetry of ignoranceDifferent kinds of Knowledge

Ill- and wellstructured problemsdepends on completeness of problemdescription

Wicked and Tame Problems are two different classes, no commondenominator

Every scientific or technical problem is a social problem. We can call it wicked, complicated or wild…depending on how we operate in society

Elements of second generation communication and decision making:reduce hidden agendasencourage collaborative learning atmosphereSymmetry of ignorancedifferent kinds of knowledge:

to respect different kinds of knowledge is better than the stakeholder concept

factual knowledgedeontic knowledgeexplanatory knowledge instrumental knowledgeprocedural knowledgeconceptual knowledgetraditional knowledge

only those should Participate who are part of the problemand who are ready foractive listening and readyfor an open end debate

piss off !!

Always saywhat you think!

you can only die once

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Genepeace,

Not Greenpeace

Lynas Mark (20130826), The True Story About Who Destroyed a Genetically Modified Rice Crop, in: Slate, 6, Washington Post, Washington DC, http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/26/golden_rice_attack_in_philippines_anti_gmo_activists_lie_about_protest_and.html AND http://www.ask-force.org/web/Golden-Rice/Lynas-Golden-Rice-attack-Anti-GMO-activists-lie-20130826.pdf

Forgot what we are protesting

http://www.nearlygood.com/

We are programmed inmillions of years of evolution to be alarmed and act accordingly

What helps: Constant framingAnd moral self-licensing

Merritt, A.C., Effron, D.A., & Monin, B. (2010)Moral Self-Licensing: When Being Good Frees Us to Be Bad. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 5, pp 344-357 http://www.ask-force.org/web/Fundamentalists/Merritt-Moral-Self-Licensing-2010.pdf

                                                             

bye bye Heliotisbye bye pesticides

Percentage GM cottonin the USA

Bt-toxin may be hazardous to your health, don‘t swallow and keep away from children

The Euro-Bills are made out of transgenic Bt - cotton