Transcript SOURCE: World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. World Bank, October 2007.

SOURCE: World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. World Bank, October 2007.
Zimbabwe and Zambia stand united on GMOs
THE HERALD (Harare) Wisdom Mdzungairi
October 11, 2005
International scientists, including those from the United
States, have praised Zimbabwe and Zambia for rejecting
genetically-modified food donations from the West to
feed scores of their rural folk facing drought-induced
food shortages.
Fears of Starlink contamination linger
regarding exports to Africa
However, Dr. Luke Mumba, chairman of the Bio-safety
Council of Zambia, said "Extreme views have tended to
confuse many African policymakers and the public
because of lack of reliable information and guidance
available to the groups."
China moves forward on GE rice with a $3.7B
investment. 'This is the only way to meet growing
food demand in China', according to the former
director of Biotechnology Research Institute of the
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
SOURCE: RiceCAP newsletter, Vol. 5, Issue 4, May 2009, p. 2.
http://www.uark.edu/ua/ricecap/Communication/newsletters/RiceCAPv5n4_May09.pdf
SOURCE: “'Super cassava' to enter field trials”, SciDev.Net, February 19, 2009. http://www.scidev.net/en/news/-super-cassava-to-enter-field-trials.html
Bt cotton gives 15% yield increase
under low to moderate pest
infestation; insecticide use reduced
2/3 in Burkina Faso
SOURCE: Vitale, J., Glick, H., Greenplate, J., Abdennadher, M. and Traoré, O. 2008. Second-Generation Bt Cotton Field Trials
in Burkina Faso: Analyzing the Potential Benefits to West African Farmers. Crop Science 48: 1958-1966.
“Genetic modification is analogous to nuclear power:
nobody loves it, but climate change has made its
adoption imperative. As Africa’s climate deteriorates, it
will need to accelerate crop adaptation. As population
grows it will need to raise yields. Genetic modification
offers both faster crop adaptation and a biological, rather
than chemical, approach to yield increases.”
Dr. Paul Collier
Professor, Economics, Oxford University
Director, Center for the Study of African Economies.
Author of “The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It.”
SOURCE: “Can Biotech Food Cure World Hunger?”, New York Times, 10/26/09
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/can-biotech-food-cure-world-hunger/?partner=rss&emc=rss#paul
SOURCE: James, C. 2009. Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2008. The First Thirteen Years, 1996 to 2008 . International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA), Publication No. 39.
Ugandan researchers successfully
transferred genes from green pepper to
bananas to enable wilt resistance
SOURCE: http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/genes_sweet_pepper_arm_banana_against_deadly_wilt_disease
China commercializes corn that reduces need
for phosphorus additive to animal feed
SOURCE: “Origin Agritech Announces Final Approval of World’s First Genetically Modified Phytase Corn”, GEN,
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem_print.aspx?name=69131238
SOURCE: Capital Press, February 19, 2010
SOURCE: “Haitian Farmers Commit to Burning Monsanto Hybrid Seeds”, Food First, 5/18/10.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2927
Use of GM insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis toxin
(Bt) cotton generated not only higher income for rural
workers but also more employment…about 424 million
additional days of employment for female earners
SOURCE: Subramanian, A., Kirwan, K., Pink, D. and Qaim, M. 2010. GM crops and gender issue. Nature Biotechnology 28, Pages: 404–406.
Philippines’ Agricultural Secretary, Proceso Alcala's
main concerns are that the rice should first be proved
safe for eating and that organic farming be given a fair
chance as an alternative to GM foods.
SOURCE: http://www.fastcompany.com/1690578/genetically-modified-rice-causing-a-scandal-in-the-philippines
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa produces too much
maize. Its neighbours not enough. But rather than feeding its
neighbours, South Africa's surplus maize may feed Chinese
chickens, due to regional worries about genetically modified crops.
SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100920/sc_afp/safricachinatradefarmfoodenvironment
More of world’s crops are genetically engineered
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
February 23, 2011
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE
AVAILABLE IN THIS TEXT BOX
The amount of land devoted to
genetically engineered crops grew
10% last year, and 7% in the year
before, as farmers in major grain and
soy exporting countries such as Brazil
and Argentina continued to adopt the
new seeds.
The amount of land devoted to genetically engineered crops grew 10% last year, and 7% in the year before, as
farmers in major grain and soy exporting countries such as Brazil and Argentina continued to adopt the new seeds.
These so-called biotech crops, often bred with genes that allow them to tolerate weed killers or generate their own
insecticides, now cover 10% of the world's farmland, up from nothing just 15 years ago.
The figures are in this year's International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications report, out
Tuesday. Of the four most commonly planted biotech crops, a rising percentage of the total of all plantings are
biotech. In 2010, 81% of all soybeans, 64% of cotton, 29% of corn and 23% of canola globally were from biotech
seeds, the ISAAA says.
The most common modification is herbicide tolerance, where plants are given a gene that allows farmers to spray
them with the weed killer glyphosate, known to most home gardeners as Roundup, without harming them. Sixty-one
percent of biotech crops carry this gene.
The other commonly used trait is the addition of a gene from a soil bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis that allows
plants to produce their own insecticide. About 17% of biotech crops carry this trait. About 22% contained both
genes.
Genetically engineered crops have been commercially planted since 1996. Major crops are soy, corn, cotton and
canola, then small amounts of sugar beets, alfalfa, papaya, summer squash, poplar, potato, tomato and sweet
pepper.
A total of 29 countries worldwide now plant GM crops, with the United States planting the most, at 165 million acres,
Brazil with 63 million acres,and Argentina with 56 million. But debate over use of these crops continues.Genetically
engineered seed can cost more than conventional seed, but for many farmers, especially larger and more
technologically savvy ones, the savings they represent in time and diminished insecticide and pesticide use makes
them economical. Opponents, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, charge that the crops could represent
unknown hazards to animals and humans who eat them, including possibly adding new allergens and toxins to
foods.
These so-called biotech crops, often
bred with genes that allow them to
tolerate weed killers or generate their
own insecticides, now cover 10% of
the world’s farmland, up from nothing
just 15 years ago.
The so-called "Roundup Ready" crops that can tolerate glyphosate are a problem because they're so popular, says
the Union's Doug Gurian-Sherman. He says it's destroying the efficacy of Roundup, an important herbicide because
it's "effective, breaks down quickly and is inexpensive." Resistant weeds are beginning to emerge, he says, in part
because "we're not managing it well," he says.
Other groups feel the biotech crops favor richer farmers over poor ones because of their costs and are a threat to
biodiversity. The crops have been enthusiastically embraced by farmers in the United States, Canada, Brazil,
Argentina and China. Much of Europe is opposed to them.
Others, looking towards 2050, when the world's population is expected to peak at 9 billion, see the promise of higher
yields from biotech varieties as key to dealing with the shrinking availability of land to feed those two billion more
mouths.
Genetic modification will be crucial as the world's climate changes, says Clive James, chair of ISAAA's board.
"Speeding the breeding as you get more frequent and more severe changes in climate, whether it's temperature or
water level, we need a technology that allows you to develop improved varieties more rapidly."
Some who feel genetic engineering can be positive worry that the benefits won't be used to help the poorest
farmers.
Peggy Lemaux, at the University of California, Berkeley's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, says "because
of the expenses involved, creating engineered crops for developing countries requires humanitarian contributions by
philanthropists like (Bill) Gates and the Rockefeller Foundation, or perhaps by companies who see value in such
endeavors."
Peggy Lemaux, at the University
of California, Berkeley's
Department of Plant and
Microbial Biology, says
“because of the expenses
involved, creating engineered
crops for developing countries
requires humanitarian
contributions by philanthropists
like (Bill) Gates and the
Rockefeller Foundation, or
perhaps by companies who see
value in such endeavors.”
SOURCE: “More of world’s crops are genetically engineered”, USA Today, February 23, 2011.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/biotech/2011-02-22-biotech-crops_N.htm
SOURCE: http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/printable_news.lasso?id=10021&table=news