Kevin Folta from the University of Florida presents how biotechnology stands to impact products in the bakery industry. Independent Bakers Association, Presented in Orlando, FL March 29, 2015.

1. Biotech to Bakery
Impacts of transgenic crop technology on
your industry
Kevin M. Folta
Professor and Chairman
Horticultural Sciences Department
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta
kevinfolta@gmail.com

2. Biotechnology Relevant to IBA
•What this technology is, and how it affects
products in our industry
•Why there is resistance to good technology?
•The future of biotech crops
•Your role as a food-based industry

3. Transgenic crop technology (familiar “GMO”) is a precise
extension of conventional plant breeding.
“The techniques used pose no more risk (actually less risk) than
conventional breeding.” (NAS, AAAS, AMA, EFSA many others)
In 18 years there has not been one case of illness or death related to
these products
There are several traits used in only eight commercial crops
These are the most well studied and extensively tested plant
products in history.
Take Home Messages

4. Protests and Opinions Grab Headlines
“92% of Americans demand to
know what is in their food”

5. The Science is Remarkably Clear

6. Relativenumberinpopulation
Relative scientific understanding
Nonexperts
Farmers,
scientists,
Etc.
MOST PEOPLE!!!!
FEAR FACTS
Manufactured Risk!

7. What Plant Genetic Improvement Is
More varieties
Grow better under
given conditions
Improved yields
Safer products
Improved nutrtion

8. What Plant Genetic Improvement Is
People t hink
Improved yields

9. Humans have always manipulated crop genetics

11. Ways to Create New
Traits
We know that traits are
based on information in
‘genes’
Genes can be thought of
as packets of information
found in DNA
To get variation for a trait,
we need either new DNA,
or altered DNA

12. INFORMATION
STORAGE
INFORMATION
IN TRANSIT
DOES STUFF
•Structures
•Enzymes
•Etc.

13. Ways to Create New Traits
Traditional Breeding

14. Ways to Create New Traits
From Genetic Literacy
Project, 2013

16. What are our priorities?
Farmers
The Needy
Environment
Consumers
• Improved performance grains
• More variety for consumers
• Healthier ingredients/final products
• Fortified ingredients (oils)
• Affordable ingredients
• Allergy-free ingredients (nuts/wheat)

17. What typical ingredients might comeWhat typical ingredients might come
from transgenic plants?from transgenic plants?
Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Sugar
Corn syrup
Corn starch
Cornmeal
Others?

18. GM Crops Available Now

19. This is not how its done!

20. How do the traits work?
Two main traits– Bt and glyphosate resistance

21. GMO Crops Make Pesticides

22. Bt is one of many natural anti-insect proteins

23. Bt is one of many
natural anti-insect
proteins

24. How Bt Works
bt

25. Advantages
Decrease in broad-spectrum
insecticide use on corn and
cotton
Lower fuel and labor costs for
farmers
Solid dividends in the
developing world
No effect on beneficials
Limitations
Need to plant refugia to slow
resistance
Pockets of resistance are seen
and require use of insecticides
Requires careful scouting

26. Glyphosate-Resistant (Roundup Ready) Products
A gene is inserted that
allows plants to survive in
the presence of the
herbicide. Farmers can
spray to kill non-transgenic
plants.
Used in soy, corn, sugar
beet and canola

27. What is Glyphosate?
Simple herbicide that attacks a plant-specific pathway
Sprayed at 750 ml active ingredient per acre (that’s 88 mg/m-2
)
No effects on animals when used as directed
Sprayed early in plant development, not persistent in
environment

28. Why Do Farmers Use Glyphosate?
Can spray plants and weeds when young; crops get a head
start
The chemical is safe
Cuts labor, fuel, other costs
Avoids weed control by tilling; saves topsoil

29. How Herbicide Resistance Works
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
epsps
glyphosate
X
Plants

30. How Herbicide Resistance Works
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
epsps
glyphosate
X
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
epsps
Plants
Bacteria
glyphosate

31. How Herbicide Resistance Works
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
epsps
epsps
Plants
X
glyphosate
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
Bacteria
glyphosate

32. How Herbicide Resistance Works
A B C
Amino
acids
proteins
epsps
Plants
glyphosate
Resistance!

33. Advantages
Switch to a low-toxicity
herbicide, cheap and effective
Lower fuel and labor costs for
farmers
Decreased tilling, saved
topsoil
Limitations
Weeds can evolve resistance,
requiring increased labor, lower
yields, and new control
strategies. New chemistries.

34. What typical ingredients might comeWhat typical ingredients might come
from transgenic plants?from transgenic plants?
Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Sugar
Corn syrup
Corn starch
Cornmeal
Others?

35. What typical ingredients might comeWhat typical ingredients might come
from transgenic plants?from transgenic plants?
Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil

36. What typical ingredients might comeWhat typical ingredients might come
from transgenic plants?from transgenic plants?
Soybean oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Proteins, DNA,
carbohydrates,
oil
Oil
Everything else

37. What typical ingredients might comeWhat typical ingredients might come
from transgenic plants?from transgenic plants?
Sugar from
sugar beets
Proteins, DNA,
carbohydrates,
oil
Carbohydrates
Everything else Sucrose
(table sugar)

38. The plants have a single gene that adds aThe plants have a single gene that adds a
helpful protein that helps cut farm costs,helpful protein that helps cut farm costs,
risks and inputs.risks and inputs.
The added DNA and proteins are not partThe added DNA and proteins are not part
of the final productof the final product

39. Why Is There Resistance to Good Technology?

40. Profits from Manufactured Risk
Oz Smith Shiva Adams Mercola Food Babe
Reports that get headlines, science
that can’t be trusted.

41. Technology Exists NOW
Research has been published demonstrating that
transgenic techniques can:
Help farmers save labor, fuel, water, fertilizer, other
inputs.
Biofortify foods with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients
Grow plants in marginal areas
Grow plants with fewer inputs
Efficient use of fertilizers
Insect resistance
Disease resistance

42. Golden Rice
example of biofortification
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Opposition to golden rice cost $2 billion to
farmers in developing countries and 1.4
million human years – Wesseler et al., 2014

44. Allergy-Free Peanuts
Peanut – RNAi suppression Ara h2
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

45. Non Browning Apples
Silencing a gene that leads to discoloration
X
X
Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy
Small Business!X

47. Healthier Oils
• Lasts longer in applications
• Lower off-flavors with time

49. Transgenic Wheat
• Never commercialized
• Not amenable to export
• Use of non-GM lines

51. Allergy Free WheatAllergy Free Wheat
Using RNAi to repress gliadin and glutenin levelsUsing RNAi to repress gliadin and glutenin levels

52. There are many more solutions
to pressing ag problems, yet
few are being developed.

53. Conclusions
Transgenic technology is safe
Transgenic technology has proven effective
Progress is slowed by manufactured risk
Existing products could bring great benefit to the
environment, the needy, the consumer and the farmer,
but they are not developed– or people resist their
development out of fear
We need to use all technologies available to ensure
safe and sustainable food with less environmental
impact.

54. Where do I get good information?
Warm welcome Cold facts
kfolta@ufl.edu
GMOanswers.com
Biofortified.org geneticliteracyproject.com
GMOLOL
On
Facebook

55. Thank you
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta
kevinfolta@gmail.com
"There is a path to truth and sincerity
that you must guard and defend“
-- Teruyuki Okazaki It is our mission to stand up for the truth
that science gives us.
Dr. Jack Payne
SVP UF/IFAS