In
This Issue:
AFIC:
ASIANS FAVOR GM CROPS
Most Asians
have a positive attitude toward genetically modified (GM) foods.
Furthermore, majority of consumers were positive and wanted to know
more about the technology, and how it could improve the quality of
everyday foods such as rice, fruit, vegetables, soybeans and corn.
These were the results of a survey of the Asian Food Information
Center (AFIC) through ISIS Research. The survey was conducted to
get an accurate picture of what consumers in China, Thailand and
the Philippines really think about GM foods.
The study
had several key findings. Of the consumers surveyed, 66% believed
that they would personally benefit from food biotechnology during
the next five years. When they were asked to spontaneously name possible
advantages and disadvantages to biotech foods, the number of benefits
suggested was four times greater than the number of likely disadvantages.
Sixty one percent (61%) of the respondents believed they had eaten
GM foods recently and of those who believed they had eaten GM foods,
90% were satisfied with the situation and took no action to avoid
it. Over 80% of those surveyed expressed willingness to try a snack
food containing GM ingredients, if offered s sample.
AFIC conducted
a similar survey in 1999 and the results of both surveys were consistent.
Asian consumers are cautiously optimistic about the benefits that
biotechnology could bring to their diet and would like more information
about the issue.
For more
information, go to http://www.afic.org/article.asp?Searchmethod=IndexPage&
ArticleID=266&PageName=default&CollectionType=5
IFIC SURVEY
POINTS TO STEADY US VIEWS ON GM
The International
Food Information Council (IFIC) says that its latest survey "U.S.
Consumer Attitudes Toward Food Biotechnology" finds that opinions
on food biotechnology are holding steady. Nearly three quarters (71%
vs. 65% in 2001) of those surveyed said they would be likely to buy
produce that had been enhanced through biotechnology for protection
from insect damage and requiring fewer pesticide applications. In
addition, more than half (54%) of American consumers would be likely
to purchase the same produce if it had been enhanced to taste better
or fresher, a number that has remained stable since October 1999.
The survey was conducted for IFIC by Cogent Research in August 2002.
Most (61%)
of consumers still expect to benefit from biotechnology over the
next five years. Of those expecting benefits, 41% look to improved
quality, taste, and variety, 39% cite the area of health and nutrition,
and 20% expect biotech to reduce levels of chemicals and pesticides
in food production.
About
72% of Americans stated they have read or heard information about
the issue, and nearly half of consumers (48%) have heard about a
new area of biotechnology called plant-made pharmaceuticals. However,
as in previous surveys, the figures indicate that only a third of
respondents believe there is food produced by biotechnology in US
supermarkets, with a third saying this was not the case, and a further
third indicating they didn't know.
The survey
report says that a majority (59%) of Americans support the FDA's
labeling policy which requires disclosure on a food label only if
biotechnology introduces an allergen or substantially changes the
food's nutritional content. Also, when asked what information they
would like to see added to food labels, 78% of consumers said "nothing" and
just 1% cited information related to biotech ingredients. However,
this question was posed before biotech had been mentioned to the
respondents.
The details
of the survey are available at http://ific.org/relatives/17860.pdf
CIRAD SAYS
GMOS COULD HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The French
research organization CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale
en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) says that
biotech could help in addressing key constraints in the developing
world.
CIRAD
says that biotechnology can provide methods to develop plants tolerant
to dryness, salinity, harmful insects, or varieties having additional
nutritional qualities". The organization said it would be irresponsible
not to seriously explore the benefits and be unaware of the risks
or how to take precautions.
CIRAD
further said public research must evaluate the risks for food and
the environment, and specify the conditions on how to use the results
of this research. The governments and farmers of developing countries
are entitled to this independent expertise vis-a-vis the multiple
pressures of which they are the object.
CIRAD's
genetic engineering work, which represents less than 2% of their
work, focuses on rice, coffee, cotton and rubber, and various aspects
of animal health. They have two principal objectives: to look further
into the knowledge of the genetic operation of the tropical species
in order to better manage and develop their genetic resources; and
to study the application of transgenics to productions in the South
when the potential interest justifies it.
The research
organization's work on rice covers resistance to harmful insects,
and tolerance to dryness and salinity. It is also investigating expression
of traits in non-edible parts of the rice plant, and removal of marker
genes such as antibiotic resistance. With cotton, durable resistance
to insects would cut insecticide use greatly. Cotton seedlings with
two different resistance genes are currently undergoing a contained
trial in Brazil. It is also seeking to develop expression in the
rubber-producing tissue of rubber plants. Transgenic coffee tree
seedlings carrying an insect resistance gene are being assessed in
the field in Guyana.
CIRAD
adds that, the first applications which are of interest to developing
countries are now available. The organization also said that "genetic
engineering is an extremely young discipline - the first transgenic
plant was obtained only in 1983. It would be thus regrettable to
condemn the products of tomorrow based on the limitations of present
technology which is a result of yesterday's research".
For more
information, see http://www.cirad.fr
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
SHOULD ADOPT BIOTECH, SAYS UN PANEL
Developing
countries should consider adopting agricultural biotechnology, which
can improve crop yields and safely provide more nutritious food at
a lower cost, according to a panel meeting, 'Global Food Security
and Sustainable Development: How to Improve Performance and Tap the
Potential of Agricultural Biotechnology,' at the United Nations headquarters.
In Southern
Africa, especially Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, more than 25 million
people face starvation, yet some officials have been reluctant to
accept food aid containing genetically modified (GM) food, they said.
Sponsored by the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa
Program and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the panel featured
scientists and economists.
Biotechnology
has the potential to help Africa achieve higher yields, improve pest
control and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, the panelists
said. Appropriate use of biotechnology could lead to an agricultural
revolution more dramatic than the "green revolution" of
the last century, it was argued. The panelists said that at a time
when a rational, international debate on the use of biotechnology
is needed, discussion has become polarized.
The issue
of genetically modified food is critical not just for Africa but
for other developing countries where more than half of the population
lives in rural areas, said Peter McPherson, chairman of the Partnership
to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa.
"We
know from history that if we're going to deal with poverty, let alone
famine and other pressures it brings, you need to increase food production," McPherson
said. "Certainly one of the options is biotechnology." McPherson
said it is important for developing countries, especially those suffering
drought and production problems, to know about recent developments
in the field of agricultural biotechnology.
Peter
Gregory, director of biotechnology international programs at Cornell
University, said agricultural biotechnology should be thought of
as a complement, not a replacement, for traditional agricultural
approaches. It is not something completely new, but a natural evolution
from traditional agricultural techniques such as cross breeding,
he said.
"I
see biotechnology fitting specific needs in specific locations rather
than a new panacea for everything," Gregory said. "It [biotechnology]
employs the tools of modern genetics to enhance specific characteristics
of crops and animals ... We expect to be able to get ... less expensive
foods from GM crops, a broader array of more nutritious and safer
foods and a lower overall cost of food because of higher productivity
and reduced losses in the marketing chain...We are expecting more
productive crops that are going to lead to higher and more stable
rural incomes, more stable yields, reduced costs, reduced post-harvest
losses", he added.
Panelists
said the global debate on biotechnology is highly polarized while
understanding of the facts is poor. They said the international community
needs to develop a shared vision of the role of GM crops in sustainable
agriculture, to generate and disseminate information from credible
sources and to foster cooperation between developing and industrialized
countries and between the private and public sectors.
CHANGING STATUS
OF GM CROPS IN EUROPE?
Following
a series of important European Union minister meetings in October,
the informal ban on genetically modified (GM) crops may be lifted.
A revised proposal will be presented, and if majority of the agriculture
ministers are satisfied, the resistance from Denmark, Greece, France,
Italy, Austria and Luxembourg will be dropped.
Meanwhile,
the Department for International Development (DFID), the UK Government
department responsible for promoting development and reducing poverty,
was reported to have funded a 13.4 million pound program to create
a new generation of GM animals, crops and drugs in developing countries.
When confronted by groups opposed to agri-biotech, Secretary of State
Clare Short said that her department was merely helping poor countries
keep pace with GM crops.
And UK
is not alone. An article by Brandon Mitchener which appeared in the
Wall Street Journal Europe last September 20, 2002, reports that
European GM research is being intended for use in other countries.
Mitchener reports that around Europe, researchers at biotechnology
companies, academic institutions and government laboratories are
inventing new and improved beans, grapes, wheat and bananas that
Europeans will probably never eat. But the research is intended for
commercial applications in developing countries or the U.S., not
the European Union, where food-labeling and other strict laws have
all but banned bioengineered crops and foods.
The online
articles are at http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=7650 and http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=333367
NSF PUTS
$10.2 M INTO CORN GENOMICS
The US
National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $10.2 million over
two years to two projects for initial sequencing of the corn genome.
One project
will be led by investigators at the Donald Danforth Center for Plant
Sciences, St. Louis, who will collaborate with co-workers at the
Institute for Genomic Research, Rockville, Maryland. The other project
will be led by investigators at Rutgers University, who will collaborate
with co-workers at the University of Arizona. The Rutgers University
team includes international collaborators from France's Genoscope
and Germany's Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences.
"This
project will give us the first snapshot view of the sequence organization
of the maize genome," said Mary Clutter, the Assistant Director
for Biological Sciences at NSF. "It will pave the way for future
whole genome sequencing efforts. It will also be the model for sequencing
other large complex genomes."
The two
projects will develop the tools needed to undertake large-scale sequencing
of corn and will point the way to cost-effective sequencing of other
large complex genomes. The resulting sequence data from both projects
will be immediately deposited into public databases such as GenBank.
For more
details, contact the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center at this
email address: info@danforthcenter.org
BRAZIL OPENS
GM FOOD ANALYSIS LAB
The Brazilian
research agency Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos has opened
new facilities to assess the food safety of genetically modified
organisms. It will also conduct analytical services for the food
and drinks market in general. The new installations of the laboratories
were recently inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture, Cattle
and Supply, Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes at Avenue of Americas
in Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro.
EMBRAPA
invested R$ 1.2 million (US$320,000) in the new facility. Visit http://www.embrapa.br for
more information on the Brazilian research agency.
PHILIPPINE SEMINAR
ON SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF BIOTECH
A seminar
entitled "Social Acceptance of Biotechnology-Myths and Facts" was
held last 26 September 2002 at the Skytop, Hotel Intercontinental
Manila, Makati City, Philippines. The seminar aimed to share and
exchange latest information and developments on consumer attitudes
concerning biotechnology products as well as provide an opportunity
for consultation among stakeholders on educational programs that
would promote understanding and appreciation of plants and foods
derived from modern biotechnology. It featured three speakers representing
different sectors.
The first
was Atty. Jose Maria Ochave of the National Committee on Biosafety
of the Philippines and Director, S and T Law Center. He reiterated
his primary thesis that the major issues in agricultural biotechnology
are ownership and access. Primarily, he recommended that for agricultural
biotechnology to move forward in the Philippines, it must:
* Recognize
agricultural biotech and biosafety as an indispensable strategic
investment.
* Support publicly-funded research
* Encourage scientists to focus on relevant crops./plants and exploit available
technology information
* Decrease the transaction costs for biotech research and development
* Engage the single-issue interest groups; and
* Provide greater public education.
The second
speaker was Mr. Edwin Paraluman, a leader of the South Cotabato,
Sarangani Province and General Santos City (SOCSARGEN) Provincial
Farmers Action Council who shared his experiences on planting Bt
corn. After witnessing the field trials of Bt corn in his province,
he saw the benefits of the technology particularly in reducing pesticide
use. However, he expressed frustration of not being able to avail
of the technology yet.
Likewise,
Dr. Thomas Jefferson Hoban IV, Professor of Sociology and Food Science
of North Carolina State University, USA spoke on public concerns
about biotechnology. He discussed several surveys which reveal that
Asians have a positive attitude towards GM crops. To enhance market
acceptance of agri-biotech in the market, Dr. Hoban suggests the
following:
* Speed
up the development of products with clear consumer benefits;
* Provide balanced information through a variety of credible sources;
* Improve and maintain confidence in science and the government regulatory
system;
* Work to develop a cost-effective and efficient identity preservation system;
and
* Address global policy challenges (e.g., the nonsense of traceability).
He said
that "our key responsibility is to ensure that society has enough
knowledge and foresight and continue to confirm safety before products
are introduced into the environment and food supply".
KEY SAR
PLANT DEFENSE MESSAGE IDENTIFIED
Researchers
from the John Innes Centre (JIC) Norwich, University of Edinburgh,
University of Toronto and the Noble Foundation have identified a
key step in the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) pathway which
could lead to new ways of engineering protection against plant disease.
DIR1 is
involved in the transmission of a warning signal from plant cells
infected by disease. The signal alerts cells, in areas remote from
the infected site, that the plant is under attack and switches on
defense mechanisms that prevent the disease establishing further
infection sites.
"As part of their defense against disease attack plants use internal communication
systems to transmit warning signals around the plant", said Chris Lamb,
JIC Director and leader of the research team at the JIC. "The protein we
have discovered is essential to this warning system. It enables cells attacked
by disease to transmit a signal that alerts other parts of the plant to the presence
of infection. The signal stimulates cells, remote
from the attack site, to activate defenses that render them resistant to disease
infection and this prevents the disease spreading through the plant".
The results
of the research are presented in a paper "A putative lipid transfer
protein involved in systemic resistance signalling in Arabidopsis" by
Ana M. Maldonado, Peter Doerner, Richard A. Dixon, Chris J. Lamb
and Robin K. Cameron which appears in Nature 419 (6905), 399-403.
Contact
the John Innes Centre for more information at this email address: arabidopsis@bbsrc.ac.uk
BT WITHOUT
THE MARKERS
Efforts
are now underway to produce second-generation transgenic plants that
contain "clean events" without marker genes. As the name
implies, marker genes are used to mark gene sequences when transferring
desired traits to a host plant. They are used to provide a unique
fingerprint of the DNA profile of an organism. Since marker genes
are usually antibiotics, they have come under fire because of the
possibility that they might confer antibiotic resistance to the host
organisms and later on to humans.
Following
extensive screening of over 3,000 initial transgenic plants, nine "clean
events" were identified. Six contained the cry1B gene and three
contained the cry1Ab gene. The nine transgenic lines were tested
for Cry protein expression in root, leaf and whorl tissue by the
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center's (CIMMYT) Applied
Biotechnology Center. Each event had a range of expression in the
different tissues. Event 127 (cry1B) had the highest levels of Cry
protein in the leaves and whorl with low levels in the roots.
The information
is being gathered prior to further evaluation in Biosafety Greenhouses
in Kenya. For further details go to http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=333367 |
