Lost Opportunities in Plant Biotechnology Gerard Barry International Rice Research Institute Los Banos, Philippines The Consequences of Unexamined Fear as a Driver for Public Health Protection January 24, 2012-2:00-5:30 ILSI Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona Organized by International Food Biotechnology Committee (IFBiC), and ILSI Research Foundation Center for Risk Science Innovation and Application (ILSI RF RSIA)
Outline The successes of GM crops Why successful? Bt crops Ending on a positive note
Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2010: Industrial and Developing Countries (M Has, M Acres) M Acres 395 160 346 296 247 198 148 99 49 0 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Total Industrial Developing 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source: Clive James, 2010
Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2010: By Crop (Million Hectares, Million Acres) M Acres 198 173 148 124 99 80 70 60 50 40 Soybean Maize Cotton Canola 74 30 49 20 25 10 0 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source: Clive James, 2010
Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2010: By Trait (Million Hectares, Million Acres) M Acres 100 222 198 173 148 124 99 74 49 25 0 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Herbicide Tolerance Insect Resistance (Bt) Herb Tolerance/Insect resistance 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source: Clive James, 2010
M Acres Global Adoption Rates (%) for Principal Biotech Crops 2010 (Million Hectares, Million Acres) 445 395 346 296 180 160 140 120 Conventional Biotech 158 247 100 90 198 80 148 99 60 40 33 31 49 20 0 0 81% Soybean 64% Cotton 29% Maize 23% Canola Source: Clive James, 2010
Biotech Crop Countries and Mega-Countries, 2010
Why have farmers adopted GM crops? Reason Increase yields Decrease pesticide input cost Save management time and make other practices easier Other % of reason 60-80% 9-17% 6-26% 3-7% The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States/EIB-11 Economic Research Service/USDA
Why/How are GM crops so successful? How have industries and countries benefited? India: With Bt cotton, initially in hybrids from #1 cotton importer #5 producer to #1 cotton exporter #2 producer!
Bt - Bacillus thuringiensis toxin: a natural product 35 years on the market Typical insect damage: yield loss quality damage, fungal poison levels higher Commercial Bt product: made from dried bacteria used widely (organic and conventional ag) limited effect Effect of Bt protein only specific insects are effected. Adapted from a presentation by T. Alfonso
Using Bt in a new way and better results Dead larva on Bt corn Lady bug Spider The Bt gene is now in the plant only the pest insects that feed on the plant are controlled Adapted from a presentation by T. Alfonso
Advantages of using Bt corn Better yield Less use of pesticides Highly specific to insects attacking the plant Improved quality (less insect damage) Reduced fumonisin levels (USA, Spain, France, S. Africa) Non-Bt Bt corn Non-Bt Bt corn
GM Crop Database (CERA.org) Approved GM Crops: 144 records from 22 countries, the Russian Federation, and the European Union. Creeping Bentgrass Sugar Beet Canola Papaya Chicory Melon Squash Carnation Soybean Cotton Sunflower Lentil Flax Linseed Tomato Alfalfa Tobacco Rice Plum Potato Wheat Maize
Stein A.J., Rodríguez-Cerezo E. (2009). The global pipeline of new GM crops: implications of asynchronous approval for international trade. Technical Report EUR 23486 EN. Luxemburg: European Communities. http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/
Current and future events: by region of origin Commercial in 2008 Commercial pipeline Regulatory pipeline Advanced dvlmnt Total by 2015 USA & Europe 24 7 10 26 67 Asia 9 0 11 34 54 Latin America 0 0 2 1 3 Stein A.J., Rodríguez-Cerezo E. (2009). The global pipeline of new GM crops: implications of asynchronous approval for international trade. Technical Report EUR 23486 EN.
Bt protein has been exhaustively studied The Cry 1Ab Bt protein has been reviewed by numerous food, feed, and environmental safety agencies (CERA.org GM Crop Database; accessed Jan 23, 2012). The protein has been reviewed in 17 Bt maize products by Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay. MON 810: Food/Feed Safety in 14 countries and the EU MON 810: commercialization for 7 countries and the EU The Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab proteins: in 31 GM crops products in cotton, maize and tomato
Bt has been exhaustively studied Are Bt crops safe? The US EPA's analysis of Bt crops finds that they pose no significant risk to the environment or to human health." Health conclusions. None of the products registered at this time, all of which have tolerance exemptions for food use, show any characteristics of toxins or food allergens. (Mendelsohn et al. Nature Biotech. 21 2003)
Examples of lost opportunities Bt Maize and the Monarch Butterfly US research group claimed that Bt pollen killed Monarch butterflies in a forced feeding experiment Immediate ban on Bt maize in Europe and intensified scrutiny world-wide Seven PNAS papers showed the flaws in the work Bt pollen was not fed to the larvae in the first report The ecology of maize and milkweed and the feeding behavior of the larvae were not taken into consideration Monarch Butterfly population numbers have dramatically increased since the introduction of Bt maize
Bt an allergen! The claim. There are strong warning signs that this GE Bt rice could cause allergenic reactions, as it did when tested on mice. Leading activist organization commenting on Bt rice developments in China This charge has been repeated a number of times in the Chinese and international press (China Daily, IHT)
The FACTS This charge misrepresents: Cry1Ac (Bt) is being investigated as an adjuvant to boost vaccine titers for rare, human diseases (Moreno-Fierros et al. 2000. Microbes and Infection 2: 885-890). These same authors explicitly advocate Cry1Ac as a SAFE adjuvant because "Cry1Ac...is nontoxic to vertebrates." Rojas-Hernandez et al. 2004 Infection and Immunity 72: 4368-4375.
Bt Brinjal (eggplant) in India India Regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) - Approves First GM Vegetable 14-Oct-2009 Agence France-Presse By Pratap Chakravarty Transgenic aubergines (eggplant) put on ice - Indian minister delays approval of GM crop. 19 October 2009 Nature doi:10.1038/4611041a P. PARANJPE/REUTERS/CORBIS Then the road-show started Public consultations around the country Free-for-all for activists Public spectacles for unproven charges Voices of the smaller number of scientists drowned out by well-organized activists
Bt Brinjal (eggplant) in India - 2 The report of the consultation: Activist misinformation was accepted by the Minister Accepted almost all claims by anti-gmo activists as truth Data submitted by scientists were ignored Also: The moratorium was extended The A in GEAC changed to Appraisal New regulations formulated - Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill but slow progress in enactment.
France upholds ban on Monsanto GM maize Fri Jan 13, 2012 The French ecology and agriculture ministers to uphold ban on GM maize (MON 810) developed by Monsanto. France's highest court had overturned the 2008 ban: the government had not produced enough evidence of a significant risk to health or the environment. The European Court of Justice : ban was based on the wrong EU legislation. President Sarkozy had invoked the need to defend farmers' health. Adapted from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/13/france-monsanto-idusl6e8cd4gk20120113
Example of opportunities to be gained Brazil and biofuel Ethanol produced from the most efficient source: sugarcane Estimates a doubling in demand by 2020 Wants to meet demand on current acreage of sugarcane GM sugarcane in advanced development (public, local and international private) Drought, insect, and herbicide tolerance; increased sugar production Adoption of GM crops and traits and acreage growing rapidly in Brazil
Thank you! www.irri.org/goldenrice g.barry@cgiar.org