GMO's: Dispelling Myths and Misconceptions for. Rene Van Acker Ontario Agricultural College

Transcription

1 GMO's: Dispelling Myths and Misconceptions for Food Consumers Rene Van Acker Ontario Agricultural College

2 1.Do you eat genetically modified foods? yes or no

3 2. Do you support labeling of genetically modified foods and food ingredients? yes or no

4 3. How important do you think genetically modified crops are in terms of our ability to feed the world? 1 = very important...5 = not important at all

5 Genetically Modified - Terms GM = genetically modified = GE = genetically engineered GMO = genetically modified organism Genetic engineering*: techniques by which the genetic material of an organism is changed in a way that does not occur naturally by multiplication and/or natural recombination. Examples of the techniques used in genetic engineering include but are not limited to the following: recombinant DNA (rdna) techniques that use vector systems techniques involving the direct introduction into the organism of hereditary materials prepared outside the organism cell fusion (including protoplast fusion) or hybridization techniques that overcome natural physiological, reproductive, or recombination barriers, where the donor cells/protoplasts do not fall within the same taxonomic family *Voluntary Labelling and Advertising of Foods that are and are not Products of Genetic Engineering National Standard of Canada - Canadian General Standards Board - CAN/CGSB

6 Biotechnology The Promise

7 Species

8

9 Adoption

10 Total world cropped area = 1.5B ha GM = 12% of Total world cropped area

11

12

13

14

15 The New Acres? -Cereals C l? (Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice) -Produce? (Fruits and Vegetables S. East Asia)

16

17

18

19

20 Safety

21 October 6, 2014 Simcoe Research Station Long-Term Safety Testing Trials

22 Summary feeding trials: GRACE and G-TwYST MON810 NK603 In vitro assays with primary cell lines Longitudinal metabolomic study (90 days) Carcinogenicity (2 years) Chronic toxicity (1 year) Subchronic toxicity (90-days) Omics Subchronic toxicity (90-days) Combined carcinogenicity/ chronic toxicity

23 Acceptance

24

25

26

27

28 Activism and GM - EU societal engagement in 90 s political l engagement followed - North America - No societal engagement - Social media happens - Issue shown to raises funds for NGO s - Rapid rise in societal engagement in 2010 s

29 Labeling -EU labeling above 0.9% threshold (for de- regulated events) - EC No 1829/2003 -Canada/US Voluntary

30

31 Monsanto s new Corporate Engagement Initiative - Science is not enough - Let employees tell their stories - Engage Moms, Millennials and the Food Minded

32

33 Trade

34 Trade -Ongoing Asynchronous Approvals

35

36 (Vipera Corn)

37 Metapopulations fragmented population across the landscape with genetic connections between sub-populations. Sub-populations may be cropped, volunteer and feral

38 Crop Volunteers Feral Metapopulation

39 Van Acker and Bagavathiannan 2011 Potential Trait Movement in Agriculture

40 Challenges in controlling trait movement at receiving end - Traits invisible - Self replicating platform - Self disseminating platform - Persistence in environment - Receiver is non-adopter - (No) Containment Requirement? - (No) Enforcement or Recourse?

41

42 Technology

43 Technology (Examples) -RNAi interfering RNA no foreign DNA -Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN) no antibiotic resistance required in transforming vector (reduced foreign DNA and no use of anitibiotic Resistance genes) -Selective Base Pair Change Technology - no foreign DNA, not-detectable in supply chain. (e.g. Oligonucleotide Directed Mutagenesis, RNA dependant DNA methylation, Cisgenesis)

44 Bigger Issues?

45 Consumer Specialized livestock production Specialized grain farming

46 Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate Model Available Servings According to 2011 FAO Food Balance Data Meat & Alternatives 20% Milk & Milk Products 8% Vegetables 49% Meat & Alternatives 10% Oils & Fats 9% Milk & Milk Products 6% Sugar 24% VEG OIL Oils & Fats 3% VEG OIL Vegetables 10% Cereals 20% Limit Cereals 41% Fraser et al. in Prep.