Issues on GMO crops Eyhical and Medical

GMo crop trends in society

1. GMOs RELATED ISSUE (Risk and Regulation & Biosafety Issue) Presented by- Vivek Yadav Roll No- ------- - - -- - - Department of Horticulture Sikkim University Course- GP 501 (BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT)

2. Aspects Advantage/disadvantage and myths Risk and regulation International regulation Biosafety issue Regulatory in India and major country Ethical issue Legal Issue 11/12/2015 [email protected] 2

3. Risk factor 11/12/2015 [email protected] 3 Safety Potential human health implications. Potential environmental impact. Out-crossing Inevitable out- crossing of transgenic plants with naturally occurring ones. Creation of super- weeds Creation of biological weapons. Access and Intellectual Property Domination of world food production by a few companies and developing countries. 3.Ethics “Playing God” Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species. Labeling Not mandatory in some countries (e.g., Canada and the United States). Mixing GM crops with non- GM confounds labeling attempts. Society New advances may be skewed to the interests of rich countries.

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5. Advantage Improved nutritional quality Increased crop yield Insect resistance Disease resistance Herbicide resistance Salt tolerance Biopharmaceuticals Saving valuable topsoil Ability to grow plants in harsh environments 11/12/2015 [email protected] 5

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7. Disadvantage Damage to human health Allergies Horizontal transfer and antibiotic resistance Eating foreign DNA Changed nutrient levels damage to the natural environment Crop-to- weed gene flow Leakage of GM proteins into soil Reductions in pesticide spraying: are they real? Disruption of current practices of farming and food production in developed countries Crop-to- crop gene flow Disruption of traditional practices and economies in less developed countries. Lack of research on consequences of transgenic crops. 11/12/2015 [email protected] 7

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9. Controversies

10. Myths Foods produced using biotechnology has not been established as safe and are not adequately regulated. Crops produced using biotechnology will negatively impact the environme nt. The long- term effects of foods developed using biotechnology are unknown. 11/12/2015 [email protected] 10

11. Unknown Probability Rigorous Scientific Assessment Risk Mitigation Precautionary Principle Known Probability Risks 11/12/2015 [email protected] 11

12. Risk to Biodiversity 11/12/2015 [email protected] 12 Biodiversity Addition of Bt gene into plants including corn, potatoes and cotton to increase resistance to plants Bt gene obtained from Bacillus thuringiensis (a soil bacterium that produces a natural insecticide) Problem: plants producing Bt toxin are releasing toxin in pollen. Pollen from a Bt plant was dusted on to milkweed: • only 56% of young monarch butterfly larvae lived whereas pollen from organic plants dusted on the milkweed produced a survival rate of 100%. the • • Approximately half of the monarch butterfly population live in the “corn belt” of USA this new gene could have serious repercussions for this organism

13. Environmental risk assessment Hazard identification Likelihood estimation Consequence evaluation, including a baseline assessment Risk estimation Phase 1 : Consideration of each of the inserted genes and sequences individually Phase 2: Consideration of the whole plant, including potential synergistic and of possible

14. Biosafety (Indian Status) Only one crop approved 14 crops under various stages of contained field trials Include brinjal, cotton, cabbage, groundnut, pigeon pea, mustard, potato, sorghum, tomato, tobacco, rice, okra and cauliflower Traits include insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, virus resistance, nutritional enhancement, salt tolerance, fungal resistance ‘ Biosafety’ means the need to protect human and animal health and environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology 11/12/2015 [email protected] 14

15. Conclusion 11/12/2015 [email protected] 15 In sum, the field of biosafety is, above all else, area in which much activity is ongoing, even though it is extremely controversial. Proponents identify possible benefits of GMOs that are enormous, including possibilities such as hunger alleviation, and universally available medical care, within our lifetimes. Counter- arguments identify a level of possible risks well beyond anything that has ever been deemed “acceptable” in the past.67 It is essential that decision- makers and others seeking to progress beyond the current stalemate demonstrate a strong commitment to the position that, in the absence of sufficient scientific certainty surrounding the commercial application of modern biotechnology, preventive and precautionary measures based on risk assessment and management are called for at all international and national levels.

16. THANK YOU “Terminator” Seeds

17. Principles in Risk Analysis Know the audience Involve the scientific experts Establish expertise in communication Be a credible source of information Share responsibility Assure transparency. Put the risk in perspective