Genetically Modified Seed Contamination: A Review of Cases of Contamination, Illegal Planting and Negative Side Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms
Ethics of GM Crop Development - Erik MillstoneSTEPS Centre
A presentation by Erik Millstone, co-convenor of the STEPS food and agriculture domain, made at the Royal Society of Chemistry on 2 December 2009. For more about STEPS work on GM and out Biotechnology Research Archive visit: http://www.steps-centre.org/ourresearch/gm.html
Presentation on biotech in agriculture for educational purposes. Thanks to Kevin Folta. I borrowed his concept of showing who benefits from various traits from one of his excellent slide sets.
Environmental Consequences of Genetically-Modified Foods, Biopharming and rBGHJack Olmsted
Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP
Portland State University
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
With thanks to Rick North, Project Director, Campaign for Safe Food
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
The Health Risks of Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Jack Olmsted
The Health Risks of Genetically Modified short presentation.
The Institute for Responsible Technology is a world leader in educating policy makers and the public about genetically modified (GM) foods and crops. This fully-scripted PowerPoint can be powerful presentation tool to share online, in front of groups or one-on-one with a laptop, tablet, smartphone or paper printout.
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/resources/powerpoint-presentation-on-gmos
Is there anything wrong with genetically modified crops?BHU,Varanasi
As per United Nation’s projection the global population expected to become between 8.3 and 10.9 billion by 2050. While food production has increased accordingly, some 800 million people, primarily in the developing world, still do not have access to sufficient food. Forty thousand people die every day from malnutrition, over half being children under the age of 5. In addition to lack of food, deficiencies in micronutrients, such as vitamins and iron, leading to illness and death are widespread. To meet this challenge over the next 50 years, we must double-to-triple the production of food on, essentially, the same area of land in the face of decreasing water supplies and with respect to the environment. This will be made more difficult by the consequences of global warming, such as increased climatic variability, changing patterns of rainfall and new pests and diseases. At the same time there must be a cessation of wilderness erosion to protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystems. Since the 1970s, the world has also seen a revolution in our understanding of how organisms function at the molecular, biochemical and physiological level. An integral part of this revolution has been the development of technologies that allow the transfer of genes from one species to another using biotechnological tools and which has become an important field in the global market. Genetically modified (GM) crops involves the deliberate modification of plants and animals' genetic material using innovative recombinant DNA technology.It is believed that the application of biotechnology to agriculture—together with plant breeding and improved agricultural practice—may provide solutions to some of the challenges outlined above without jeopardizing the environment, cliamte, biodiversity and human well being . Feeding the increasing world population in a sustainable and nutritious manner is definite and commited role and at the same time assuming responsibility for fully evaluating any technology for future generations is another important task.As with many new technologies, people are keen to embrace the benefits but reluctant to accept potential risks. The manner of introduction of GM crops onto the market has led to widespread loss of public confidence, which has been exploited by non-representative groups and activists for their own political ends. Some hypothesised threats of GM crops to the environment are elevated as being more important than the security of mankind. And the future that the critics offer is bleak: hard-won knowledge is rejected in favour of ideology. They require an absolute safety guarantee for GM crops, but such a warranty cannot be given everything cannot be known about anything. There are mixed views, confusions and confidence about GM crops and their probable effect on soil-water-plant animal continuum system. Thus, a standard of absolute certainty will effectively stop the attainment of the benefits of this or any other technology.
Impacts of genetically modified crops and seedsDebbie-Ann Hall
Genetically-modified (GM) seeds are a significant step forward in the production of agricultural crops. GM seeds are seeds that have been modified to contain specific
characteristics such as resistance to herbicides (in the case of "Roundup Ready" products)
or resistance to pests (in the case of Bt corn). But the method of modification used with GM seeds varies from the traditional method in an important respect: the genes have not been modified over generations of cross-fertilization, but rather inserted directly into the
DNA of the seed.
Although this method is more efficient, critics fear that the result — a "novel gene combination" — may have health or environmental impacts that are not
being adequately addressed. As a result, the technology is surrounded by significant
controversy.
Genetically Modified Seed Contamination: A Review of Cases of Contamination, Illegal Planting and Negative Side Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms
Ethics of GM Crop Development - Erik MillstoneSTEPS Centre
A presentation by Erik Millstone, co-convenor of the STEPS food and agriculture domain, made at the Royal Society of Chemistry on 2 December 2009. For more about STEPS work on GM and out Biotechnology Research Archive visit: http://www.steps-centre.org/ourresearch/gm.html
Presentation on biotech in agriculture for educational purposes. Thanks to Kevin Folta. I borrowed his concept of showing who benefits from various traits from one of his excellent slide sets.
Environmental Consequences of Genetically-Modified Foods, Biopharming and rBGHJack Olmsted
Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP
Portland State University
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
With thanks to Rick North, Project Director, Campaign for Safe Food
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
The Health Risks of Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Jack Olmsted
The Health Risks of Genetically Modified short presentation.
The Institute for Responsible Technology is a world leader in educating policy makers and the public about genetically modified (GM) foods and crops. This fully-scripted PowerPoint can be powerful presentation tool to share online, in front of groups or one-on-one with a laptop, tablet, smartphone or paper printout.
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/resources/powerpoint-presentation-on-gmos
Is there anything wrong with genetically modified crops?BHU,Varanasi
As per United Nation’s projection the global population expected to become between 8.3 and 10.9 billion by 2050. While food production has increased accordingly, some 800 million people, primarily in the developing world, still do not have access to sufficient food. Forty thousand people die every day from malnutrition, over half being children under the age of 5. In addition to lack of food, deficiencies in micronutrients, such as vitamins and iron, leading to illness and death are widespread. To meet this challenge over the next 50 years, we must double-to-triple the production of food on, essentially, the same area of land in the face of decreasing water supplies and with respect to the environment. This will be made more difficult by the consequences of global warming, such as increased climatic variability, changing patterns of rainfall and new pests and diseases. At the same time there must be a cessation of wilderness erosion to protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystems. Since the 1970s, the world has also seen a revolution in our understanding of how organisms function at the molecular, biochemical and physiological level. An integral part of this revolution has been the development of technologies that allow the transfer of genes from one species to another using biotechnological tools and which has become an important field in the global market. Genetically modified (GM) crops involves the deliberate modification of plants and animals' genetic material using innovative recombinant DNA technology.It is believed that the application of biotechnology to agriculture—together with plant breeding and improved agricultural practice—may provide solutions to some of the challenges outlined above without jeopardizing the environment, cliamte, biodiversity and human well being . Feeding the increasing world population in a sustainable and nutritious manner is definite and commited role and at the same time assuming responsibility for fully evaluating any technology for future generations is another important task.As with many new technologies, people are keen to embrace the benefits but reluctant to accept potential risks. The manner of introduction of GM crops onto the market has led to widespread loss of public confidence, which has been exploited by non-representative groups and activists for their own political ends. Some hypothesised threats of GM crops to the environment are elevated as being more important than the security of mankind. And the future that the critics offer is bleak: hard-won knowledge is rejected in favour of ideology. They require an absolute safety guarantee for GM crops, but such a warranty cannot be given everything cannot be known about anything. There are mixed views, confusions and confidence about GM crops and their probable effect on soil-water-plant animal continuum system. Thus, a standard of absolute certainty will effectively stop the attainment of the benefits of this or any other technology.
Impacts of genetically modified crops and seedsDebbie-Ann Hall
Genetically-modified (GM) seeds are a significant step forward in the production of agricultural crops. GM seeds are seeds that have been modified to contain specific
characteristics such as resistance to herbicides (in the case of "Roundup Ready" products)
or resistance to pests (in the case of Bt corn). But the method of modification used with GM seeds varies from the traditional method in an important respect: the genes have not been modified over generations of cross-fertilization, but rather inserted directly into the
DNA of the seed.
Although this method is more efficient, critics fear that the result — a "novel gene combination" — may have health or environmental impacts that are not
being adequately addressed. As a result, the technology is surrounded by significant
controversy.
Science and technology of manipulating and improving microbial strains, in order to enhance their metabolic capacities for biotechnological applications, are referred to as strain improvement.
Genetically modified foods or GM foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, bioengineered foods, genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering.
Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic, The biological basis for the neurotoxicity of vaccinesJack Olmsted
Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic is an early career postdoctoral fellow. She was awarded a PhD in 2009 in Biochemistry, from the Comparative Genomics Centre at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. In 2010, she joined the Neural Dynamics Research Group at the University of British Columbia (Chris Shaw’s lab) and is currently researching the neurotoxic effects of aluminum vaccine adjuvants. Tomljenovic has recently become an Associate Editor of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. She values open-minded discussions on controversial topics and the pursuit of truth in research endeavors, wherever they may lead.
Panel:
Kathleen Hallal, GMO Free News Host
Rachel Linden, GMO Free News Co-Host
Zoey O'Toole, Thinking Moms Revolution
Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic
Jack Olmsted, Producer
Dr. Mercola Interview with Dr. Tomljenovic: How Vaccine Adjuvants Affect Your Brain
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/03/29/vaccine-adjuvants-brain-effects.aspx
HPV Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Issues: Dr. Tomljenovic's in Vancouver, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uu3iWA1UWw
Question List:
Dr. Tomljenovic: Regarding the questions, if there are no comments it means I will answer these questions during the show:
Which vaccines cause the antibodies to attack the brain?
Are some vaccines/adjuvants more prone to do this? Why or why not?
Comment:That is the million dollar question that no one knows the answer to because this issue has not been studied well enough. Even the pharma admits that they do not know exactly how the adjuvants work. I can give some quotes from the pharma experts.
Just wanted to let you know that I cannot answer this question any better than this.
Did you test OTHER body tissues, or just the brain?
Why would the phenomenon of mimicry only work on the brain tissue?
Comment: It does not work only on brain tissue, it can work on any tissue where there is mimicry between the antigen of the virus/bacteria and that of the host
Have you tried immunizing mice at reduced rates (fewer boosters, like they do in Scandanavian countries) and if so, do they have much fewer issues with autoimmunity?
Comment: We have not immunized the mice (we did not inject them with vaccines), we have only given the mice aluminum in the amounts equivalent to that given to children via vaccinations in the US and Scandinavia. At the time we did this study, we did not look for any autoimmune markers, only behavioral outcomes as well as gene expression in the brains of these mice. In both parameters there were abnormal changes (i.e. abnormal behavior and increased expression of certain pro-inflammatory genes in the brain as well as reduced expression of AChE = acetylcholinesterase which has anti-depression/anxiety effect. Low AChE activity is associated with deficits in neurodevelopment)
GMO Crops, Glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the USAJack Olmsted
This presentation was created from the Google Hangout panel on November 14, 2014 available on YouTube; http://youtu.be/RCGs5JHdfSo
Through an online video panel discussion, Dr. Nancy Swanson explains the per review paper she co-wrote published in the November issue of the Organic Systems Journal entitled, "GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS, GLYPHOSATE AND THE DETERIORATION OF HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Nancy L. Swanson 1, Andre Leu 2*, Jon Abrahamson 3 and Bradley Wallet 4"
Read Paper:
http://www.organic-systems.org/journal/92/abstracts/Swanson-et-al.html
The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods (Long Version)Jack Olmsted
Content of the Presentation
Regulatory Failure: It is useful to explain how such dangerous products could have made it to the market with government approval. Several slides include quotes from formerly secret FDA documents that show how government policy was at odds with more cautious scientific opinion at the agency.
Health Risks of GMOs: This section highlights many of the adverse findings revealed through laboratory experiments and reported by farmers, doctors, and investigators. It also introduces some theoretical risks based on the current state of the science.
The Consumer Tipping Point: The final section includes a discussion of a strategy to achieve the tipping point of consumer rejection of GMOs in the US, which is the basis for our Campaign for Healthier Eating in America. The key elements needed are consumer education on GMO health risks combined with clear non-GMO choices.
The Institute for Responsible Technology http://www.responsibletechnology.org/resources/powerpoint-presentation-on-gmos
Brennan LaBrie, TIME For Kids Reporter, presentation at the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Summit 2009 - New Economy, Low Budget, High Tech, Growing Trends.
NOTE: On Friday October 16, an audio track will be added to this presentation.
Acute scrotum is a general term referring to an emergency condition affecting the contents or the wall of the scrotum.
There are a number of conditions that present acutely, predominantly with pain and/or swelling
A careful and detailed history and examination, and in some cases, investigations allow differentiation between these diagnoses. A prompt diagnosis is essential as the patient may require urgent surgical intervention
Testicular torsion refers to twisting of the spermatic cord, causing ischaemia of the testicle.
Testicular torsion results from inadequate fixation of the testis to the tunica vaginalis producing ischemia from reduced arterial inflow and venous outflow obstruction.
The prevalence of testicular torsion in adult patients hospitalized with acute scrotal pain is approximately 25 to 50 percent
Ozempic: Preoperative Management of Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Saeid Safari
Preoperative Management of Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists like Ozempic and Semiglutide
ASA GUIDELINE
NYSORA Guideline
2 Case Reports of Gastric Ultrasound
micro teaching on communication m.sc nursing.pdfAnurag Sharma
Microteaching is a unique model of practice teaching. It is a viable instrument for the. desired change in the teaching behavior or the behavior potential which, in specified types of real. classroom situations, tends to facilitate the achievement of specified types of objectives.
Prix Galien International 2024 Forum ProgramLevi Shapiro
June 20, 2024, Prix Galien International and Jerusalem Ethics Forum in ROME. Detailed agenda including panels:
- ADVANCES IN CARDIOLOGY: A NEW PARADIGM IS COMING
- WOMEN’S HEALTH: FERTILITY PRESERVATION
- WHAT’S NEW IN THE TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS,
ONCOLOGICAL AND INFLAMMATORY SKIN DISEASES?
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ETHICS
- GENE THERAPY
- BEYOND BORDERS: GLOBAL INITIATIVES FOR DEMOCRATIZING LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROMOTING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
- ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN LIFE SCIENCES
- Prix Galien International Awards Ceremony
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE.pdfAnujkumaranit
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. It encompasses tasks such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. AI technologies are revolutionizing various fields, from healthcare to finance, by enabling machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.
Pulmonary Thromboembolism - etilogy, types, medical- Surgical and nursing man...VarunMahajani
Disruption of blood supply to lung alveoli due to blockage of one or more pulmonary blood vessels is called as Pulmonary thromboembolism. In this presentation we will discuss its causes, types and its management in depth.
The prostate is an exocrine gland of the male mammalian reproductive system
It is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system and is located in front of the rectum and just below the urinary bladder
Function is to store and secrete a clear, slightly alkaline fluid that constitutes 10-30% of the volume of the seminal fluid that along with the spermatozoa, constitutes semen
A healthy human prostate measures (4cm-vertical, by 3cm-horizontal, 2cm ant-post ).
It surrounds the urethra just below the urinary bladder. It has anterior, median, posterior and two lateral lobes
It’s work is regulated by androgens which are responsible for male sex characteristics
Generalised disease of the prostate due to hormonal derangement which leads to non malignant enlargement of the gland (increase in the number of epithelial cells and stromal tissue)to cause compression of the urethra leading to symptoms (LUTS
Recomendações da OMS sobre cuidados maternos e neonatais para uma experiência pós-natal positiva.
Em consonância com os ODS – Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável e a Estratégia Global para a Saúde das Mulheres, Crianças e Adolescentes, e aplicando uma abordagem baseada nos direitos humanos, os esforços de cuidados pós-natais devem expandir-se para além da cobertura e da simples sobrevivência, de modo a incluir cuidados de qualidade.
Estas diretrizes visam melhorar a qualidade dos cuidados pós-natais essenciais e de rotina prestados às mulheres e aos recém-nascidos, com o objetivo final de melhorar a saúde e o bem-estar materno e neonatal.
Uma “experiência pós-natal positiva” é um resultado importante para todas as mulheres que dão à luz e para os seus recém-nascidos, estabelecendo as bases para a melhoria da saúde e do bem-estar a curto e longo prazo. Uma experiência pós-natal positiva é definida como aquela em que as mulheres, pessoas que gestam, os recém-nascidos, os casais, os pais, os cuidadores e as famílias recebem informação consistente, garantia e apoio de profissionais de saúde motivados; e onde um sistema de saúde flexível e com recursos reconheça as necessidades das mulheres e dos bebês e respeite o seu contexto cultural.
Estas diretrizes consolidadas apresentam algumas recomendações novas e já bem fundamentadas sobre cuidados pós-natais de rotina para mulheres e neonatos que recebem cuidados no pós-parto em unidades de saúde ou na comunidade, independentemente dos recursos disponíveis.
É fornecido um conjunto abrangente de recomendações para cuidados durante o período puerperal, com ênfase nos cuidados essenciais que todas as mulheres e recém-nascidos devem receber, e com a devida atenção à qualidade dos cuidados; isto é, a entrega e a experiência do cuidado recebido. Estas diretrizes atualizam e ampliam as recomendações da OMS de 2014 sobre cuidados pós-natais da mãe e do recém-nascido e complementam as atuais diretrizes da OMS sobre a gestão de complicações pós-natais.
O estabelecimento da amamentação e o manejo das principais intercorrências é contemplada.
Recomendamos muito.
Vamos discutir essas recomendações no nosso curso de pós-graduação em Aleitamento no Instituto Ciclos.
Esta publicação só está disponível em inglês até o momento.
Prof. Marcus Renato de Carvalho
www.agostodourado.com
- Video recording of this lecture in English language: https://youtu.be/lK81BzxMqdo
- Video recording of this lecture in Arabic language: https://youtu.be/Ve4P0COk9OI
- Link to download the book free: https://nephrotube.blogspot.com/p/nephrotube-nephrology-books.html
- Link to NephroTube website: www.NephroTube.com
- Link to NephroTube social media accounts: https://nephrotube.blogspot.com/p/join-nephrotube-on-social-media.html
Explore natural remedies for syphilis treatment in Singapore. Discover alternative therapies, herbal remedies, and lifestyle changes that may complement conventional treatments. Learn about holistic approaches to managing syphilis symptoms and supporting overall health.
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Title: Sense of Smell
Presenter: Dr. Faiza, Assistant Professor of Physiology
Qualifications:
MBBS (Best Graduate, AIMC Lahore)
FCPS Physiology
ICMT, CHPE, DHPE (STMU)
MPH (GC University, Faisalabad)
MBA (Virtual University of Pakistan)
Learning Objectives:
Describe the primary categories of smells and the concept of odor blindness.
Explain the structure and location of the olfactory membrane and mucosa, including the types and roles of cells involved in olfaction.
Describe the pathway and mechanisms of olfactory signal transmission from the olfactory receptors to the brain.
Illustrate the biochemical cascade triggered by odorant binding to olfactory receptors, including the role of G-proteins and second messengers in generating an action potential.
Identify different types of olfactory disorders such as anosmia, hyposmia, hyperosmia, and dysosmia, including their potential causes.
Key Topics:
Olfactory Genes:
3% of the human genome accounts for olfactory genes.
400 genes for odorant receptors.
Olfactory Membrane:
Located in the superior part of the nasal cavity.
Medially: Folds downward along the superior septum.
Laterally: Folds over the superior turbinate and upper surface of the middle turbinate.
Total surface area: 5-10 square centimeters.
Olfactory Mucosa:
Olfactory Cells: Bipolar nerve cells derived from the CNS (100 million), with 4-25 olfactory cilia per cell.
Sustentacular Cells: Produce mucus and maintain ionic and molecular environment.
Basal Cells: Replace worn-out olfactory cells with an average lifespan of 1-2 months.
Bowman’s Gland: Secretes mucus.
Stimulation of Olfactory Cells:
Odorant dissolves in mucus and attaches to receptors on olfactory cilia.
Involves a cascade effect through G-proteins and second messengers, leading to depolarization and action potential generation in the olfactory nerve.
Quality of a Good Odorant:
Small (3-20 Carbon atoms), volatile, water-soluble, and lipid-soluble.
Facilitated by odorant-binding proteins in mucus.
Membrane Potential and Action Potential:
Resting membrane potential: -55mV.
Action potential frequency in the olfactory nerve increases with odorant strength.
Adaptation Towards the Sense of Smell:
Rapid adaptation within the first second, with further slow adaptation.
Psychological adaptation greater than receptor adaptation, involving feedback inhibition from the central nervous system.
Primary Sensations of Smell:
Camphoraceous, Musky, Floral, Pepperminty, Ethereal, Pungent, Putrid.
Odor Detection Threshold:
Examples: Hydrogen sulfide (0.0005 ppm), Methyl-mercaptan (0.002 ppm).
Some toxic substances are odorless at lethal concentrations.
Characteristics of Smell:
Odor blindness for single substances due to lack of appropriate receptor protein.
Behavioral and emotional influences of smell.
Transmission of Olfactory Signals:
From olfactory cells to glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, involving lateral inhibition.
Primitive, less old, and new olfactory systems with different path
2. What is “GE”?
• Genetically engineered (GE)
plants and animals (also called
genetically modified organisms
(GMOs)) are altered with
inserted genetic material to
exhibit a desired trait.
• Examples: herbicide-tolerant
corn, insect-resistant cotton,
Golden Rice, rBGH in milk, GE
salmon.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
3. Who’s Regulating It?
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) share regulatory oversight of GE plants and animals.
• The agencies do not conduct safety testing of their own.
Biotechnology companies, like Monsanto, submit safety data and the
agencies review it prior to making an approval.
• There is no labeling requirement of foods containing GE ingredients.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
4. Approved Genetically Engineered Crops
Source: USDA
Since GE corn was first commercialized in 1996, 89 GE crops have been
approved for commercialization.
Herbicide-
Tolerant Insect-Tolerant Other In the Pipeline
RR Corn Bt Corn Amylase Corn Golden Rice 2
High Oleic Acid Freeze-tolerant
RR Soybean Bt Cotton Soybean Eucalyptus
Virus-resistant
RR Alfalfa Bt Soybean Papaya Non-browning Apple
Virus-resistant 2,4-D tolerant
RR Canola Squash Soybean
Virus-resistant Dicamba-tolerant
RR Sugarbeet Potato Soybean
Delayed-ripening
RR Cotton Tomato
LibertyLink Corn Drought-resistant
Corn
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
*Data from the USDA Petitions for Non-regulated Status Granted or Pending by APHIS as of January 10,
LibertyLink Rice
2012; Golden Rice Humanitarian Board
5. GE Sweet Corn
• Monsanto's sweet corn, expected to be planted in 2012,
combines genetically engineered traits that were
approved in 2005 and 2008.
• The "stacked" combination of these traits for herbicide
tolerance and pesticide production has never been
through a safety evaluation of any kind.
Why is this issue so important?
• These traits have never been engineered into a food that
1. This is the first GE crop
will be consumed directly by people — most of the GE
that Monsanto is marketing
corn that is currently grown is eaten by animals or for direct human
processed into corn ingredients that show up in processed consumption.
food.
2. It will not be labeled.
3. It hasn't been tested for
human safety.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
6. GE Animals
Source: USDA
GE Animal Pipeline Includes:
GE Salmon (Aquabounty) Enviropig (University of GE Mosquito (Oxitec)
Guelph, Canada)
• As of the beginning of 2012, no GE animals have been approved
for human consumption in the United States.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
13. GE Myths Debunked (cont.)
GE crops do not yield more than non-
GE crops.
GE crops do not reduce costs for
farmers.
GE crops are not more sustainable and
often require even more herbicide use.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
14. GE Myths Debunked (cont.)
• Glyphosate use on Roundup Ready crops has grown steadily.
Between 2001 and 2007, annual U.S. glyphosate use doubled to
185 million pounds.
• Ubiquitous Roundup application has spawned glyphosate-resistant
weeds, driving farmers to apply even more toxic herbicides and
more intensive management practices.
• Farmers may resort to other herbicides to combat superweeds,
including 2,4-D (an Agent Orange component) and atrazine,
which have been associated with health risks including
endocrine disruption and developmental abnormalities.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
15. Fighting Back -
First stop: Walmart
We’re calling on U.S. consumers and
grocery stores to reject Monsanto’s GE
sweet corn – starting with Walmart.
Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and General
Mills have already agreed not to sell GE
sweet corn.
Whether you shop at Walmart or not, they
are the largest U.S. food retailer, and if they
won’t sell GE sweet corn, it’s likely that
farmers won’t plant it.
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
16. Goal:
• Get Walmart to commit to not sell GE Sweet
Corn by April 1st
• (this is when sweet corn would start to be planted)
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
17. Tactics:
What does Walmart care most about? Their image. We’re
going to make them feel the pressure with targeted, public
actions to they’ll reject Monsanto’s GE corn.
• Petition deliveries to Walmart stores
• Call-in days to customer service
• Parking lot/ in-store actions
• Media/social media campaigns to raise visibility
www.foodandwaterwatch.org
Editor's Notes
- Herbicide-tolerant crops are designed to withstand specific herbicides. Co-branded herbicides designed to work with specific herbicide-tolerant seeds kill weeds without damaging GE crops. Most of these crops are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (sold commercially as Roundup and produced by the agrichemical company Monsanto).-Insect-resistant crops contain genes that deter insects. The most common variety contains a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) soil bacterium gene that is designed to repel the European corn borer and several cotton bollworms.- Some GE crops alter the nutritional quality of a food and are promoted by the biotech industry as solutions to malnutrition and disease. “Golden Rice” — rice enhanced with the organic compound beta-carotene — has been engineered to reduce the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in the developing world.- Other GE crops contain genes that are useful for the energy and pharmaceutical industries. The USDA has approved amylase corn, which produces an enzyme that is suitable for producing ethanol, a key biofuel.Genetically engineered animals and biotechnology livestock treatments are designed either to boost production or to insert traits that may compensate for the negative impacts of factory-farmed livestock.rBGH in milk: In 1993, the FDA approved the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), also known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), to increase milk production in cows.Cows injected with rBGH can have significant health problems, including higher rates of mastitis, an udder infection that requires antibiotic treatment.rBGH injections also increase the production of the pasteurization-resistant growth hormone called IGF-1. The European Commission found that consumption of milk from rBGH-treated cows increases human intake of IGF-1. IGF-1 has been linked to breast and prostate cancer.
Main point here is that these agencies were not designed to handle this type of technology and so have tried to work its regulation into existing frameworks that simply do not work. This leads to the green-lighting of nearly all crops submitted for agency approval. This occurs since the general consensus is that GE products are “substantially equivalent” to their natural counterparts, thus do not need separate evaluation once it is determined that they are reasonably similar to their analogs. And who is submitting the data to show that these crops pose no risks? The company with a profit motivation who designed the technology in the first place.USDA: The USDA is responsible for protecting crops and the environment from agricultural pests, diseases and weeds, including biotech and conventional crops. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) oversees the entire GE crop approval process, including allowing field testing, placing restrictions on imports and interstate shipping, approving commercial cultivation and monitoring approved GE crops. The USDA reviews permit applications and performs environmental assessments to decide whether GE plants will pose environmental risks before field trials may begin. The USDA has approved most of the applications for biotech field releases it has received, giving the green light to 92 percent of all submitted applications between 1987 and 2005. Once field trials are complete, the USDA can deregulate a crop, allowing it to be grown and sold without further oversight. By 2008, the USDA had approved nearly 65 percent of new GE crop deregulation petitions. EPA: The EPA regulates pesticides and herbicides, including GE crops that are designed to be insect resistant.The EPA also sets allowable levels of pesticide residues in food, including GE insect-resistant crops. Between 1995 and 2008, the EPA registered 29 GE pesticides engineered into corn, cotton and potatoes.The EPA must approve and register new GE insect-resistant crop traits, just as the agency does with conventional pesticides. Biotech companies must apply to field test new insect-resistant GE crop traits, establish permissible pesticide trait residue levels for food and register the pesticide trait for commercial production.FDA: The FDA is responsible for the safety of both conventional and GE food, animal feed and medicines. The agency regulates GE foods under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, which also gives the FDA authority over the genetic manipulation of animals or products intended to affect animals. GE foods, like non-GE foods, can pose risks to consumers from potential allergens and toxins. The FDA does not determine the safety of proposed GE foods; instead, it evaluates whether the GE product is similar to comparable non-GE products.NO GE LABELING: Because FDA views GE foods as indistinct from conventional foods, it does not require the labeling of GE food products as such. The FDA does permit voluntary GE labeling as long as the information is not false or misleading. Food manufacturers can either affirmatively label GE food or indicate that the food item does not contain GE ingredients (known as “absence labeling”). Virtually no companies disclose that they are using GE ingredients under this voluntary scheme. Consumer Demand for Labeling: For consumers to have the opportunity to make informed choices about their food, all GE foods should be labeled. A 2008 CBS/New York Times poll found that more than half of American consumers would choose not to buy GE foods, and 87 percent wanted all GE ingredients to be labeled. A 2010 Consumers Union poll found that 95 percent of U.S. consumers favor mandatory labeling of meat and milk from GE animals.
RR=Roundup Ready (Monsanto)- Tolerant to the herbicide, glyphosate.Bt (bacillus thuringiensis): Is a naturally occuring soil bacteria that has been historically applied to crops as an insecticide but is now being engineered into crops so that they are able to produce the pesticide on their own.2,4-D and Dicamba tolerant soybeans: Ubiquitous application of Roundup has spawned glyphosate-resistant weeds, a problem that is driving farmers to apply more toxic herbicides (2,4-D was one of the components of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War). Now biotech companies are engineering plants to be stacked (have multiple traits) with resistance to a variety of insects and herbicides to allow for more broad chemical treatments.High Oleic Acid Soybean: Soybean oils are manipulated to have lower polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and higher monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid) content. In 2010, the USDA approved a Pioneer-brand soybean that is modified to produce more oleic acid. Because soybean oil is the most commonly consumed vegetable oil in the United States, the industry maintains that the reduced-fat oil could provide significant health benefits.**In 2011 alone, USDA approved 9 GE crops and issued 2,500 field trial permits.**Herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant commodities — corn, canola, cotton and soybeans — make up the overwhelming majority of GE crops. Other GE crops that have been approved for field trials but are not commercially available include rice, sugar beet, melon, potato, apple, petunia, millet, switchgrass and tobacco. GE papaya, flax, tomatoes, potatoes and squash have made it through the field trial approval process, although they are not necessarily currently commercially available.
THE CORN:-In August, Monsanto announced that its Seminis Performance Series Sweet Corn would be available for planting in spring 2012.-The three traits engineered onto this corn are: corn borer resistance, rootworm resistance, and glyphosate-tolerance (Roundup Ready).-Monsanto hopes to grow its sweet corn on 250,000 acres (roughly 40 percent of the sweet corn market).-Like all other GE crops, will be unlabeled in grocery stores.THE CAMPAIGN:-FWW campaign is asking Walmart (biggest food retailer- selling $129 billion worth of food a year) to refuse to sell Monsanto’s GE sweet corn by April 1,2012 which is near the beginning of the planting season. We hope that if they do refuse to stock the sweet corn, other retailers will follow suit and farmers won’t feel the need to plant the GE seeds.-Trader Joes, General Mills and Whole Foods have already agreed not to sell GE sweet corn.-Although this is not the first GE vegetable or even the first GE sweet corn to be planted, this new product is Monsanto’s way of trying to take over another department in our grocery stores.
Regulation: Since there was no clear pathway for the regulation of GE animals, The FDA decided to regulate them as veterinary medicines. In 2009, the agency decided that the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act definition of veterinary drugs as substances “intended to affect the structure of any function of the body of man or other animals” includes genetically altered animals. As of the beginning of 2012, only GE salmonand Enviropig have been considered for commercial approval, but no transgenic animals have been approved to enter the food supply.GE Salmon:combines genes from the ocean pout (a member of the eel family) and the chinook salmon to create an Atlantic salmon which the company claims reaches market size in twice the time. In its submission to the FDA, Aquabounty acknowledges that it cannot guarantee that its transgenic fish will not escape from salmon farms.Although the biotech salmon purportedly would be sterile, the large, voracious GE salmon could out-compete wild fish for food, habitat and mates but then fail to successfully reproduce, effectively driving wild salmon to extinction. Moreover, carnivorous farmed fish eat pellets made from wild fish, among other ingredients. GE salmon would require more wild-caught fishmeal feed than non-GE fish, putting more strain on ocean fish populations to provide feed. Enviropig:As an attempt to mitigate the problems of manure pollution from factory farms, hogs were engineered to produce the phosphorus-absorbing enzyme phytase as a way to decrease the phosphorus levels from manure that commonly pollutes waterways. Yet changing the chemical content of the Enviropig’s manure would not reduce total manure discharges from factory farms. An alternative solution to achieve the same phosphorus reduction in manure would be to use phytase as a feed supplement. In reality, the only beneficiaries of Enviropigswould be factory farms. **Engineering livestock to fit the factory farm model fails to address the systemic problem of overcrowded, poorly regulated livestock operations that overwhelm the land’s ability to utilize manure for crop production**Mosquito:Males engineered to carry a lethal gene so that when mated with wild females, the offspring will die before reaching adulthood. This is an effort to control Dengue fever in certain parts of the world, releases have occurred in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Brazil and Oxitec plans to release their mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, regulatory approval pending. Obviously not a food animal, but an interesting case study in the release of transgenic organisms into the wild without a specific regulatory framework.
GE crops were first commercially approved in 1996. In 1996, 7 percent of soybeans and 1 percent of corn acres were GE, now 94 percent of soybeans, 88 percent of corn and 90 percent of cotton acres are GE.The U.S. has the most acreage dedicated to GE crops in the world with 165 acres, half of 2010’smore than 365 million acres of GE crops cultivated in 29 countries. 2nd is brazil. 3rd is argentina.Few companies have patents for these crops (Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, BASF), Monsanto is the leader. By 2009, nearly all (93 percent) of the soybeans and four-fifths (80 percent) of the corn cultivated in the United States were grown from seeds covered by Monsanto patents.
The swift spread of GE crops can be attributed, in part, to the propaganda and false promises of the biggest biotechnology companies. They claim that the technology will help farmers yield more for less money, in an environmentally-friendly way to help feed the world. Yet these promises have remained illusory.The power of these companies, both through marketing and lobbying is enormous. Between 1999 and 2009, the top agricultural biotechnology firms spent more than $547 million on lobbying and campaign contributions to ease GE regulatory oversight, push for GE approvals and prevent GE labeling.
Although biotechnology companies claim that their products strengthen farm productivity, since the introduction of GE crops in 1996, the gains in long-term yield trends in corn and soybean have been limited.A 2009 Union of Concerned Scientists survey found that herbicide-tolerant corn and soybeans showed no yield increase over non-GE crops, and insect-resistant corn had only a slight advantage over conventional corn.A 2007 Kansas State University study found that non-GE soybeans had 10 percent higher yields than biotech soybeans.
GE Technology doesn’t work=more inputs=more cost for farmers!As more crops are engineered to have Roundup tolerance, farmers are using more and more of an increasingly expensive herbicide. And with more use of the same herbicide, rampant weed resistance has become a problem in the United States, adding an additional cost of weed control for farmers. - At least eight weed species in the United States (and 15 worldwide) have been confirmed to be resistant to glyphosate, including aggressive crop weeds such as ragweed, mare’s tail and waterhemp. - A 2009 Purdue University study found that glyphosate-tolerant mare’s tail could “reach staggering levels of infestation in about two years after it is first detected.” - Even biotech company Syngenta predicts that glyphosate-resistant weeds will infest one-fourth of U.S. cropland by 2013. - Research shows that higher densities of glyphosate-resistant weeds reduce crop yields. - Purdue University scientists found that Roundup-resistant ragweed can cause 100 percent corn-crop losses.
The cost of GE seeds can be prohibitive due to the cost of using a patented seed. Farmers pay licensing fees and sign contracts for limited permission to plant GE seeds. The licenses typically prohibit farmers from saving the seeds from harvested crops to plant the next season. Farmers must buy new seeds every year because they face patent infringement suits if they run afoul of GE seed-licensing agreements by saving seed.Farmers depend on the few firms that sell seeds, and these companies have raised the prices of seed and affiliated agrochemicals as the market has become increasingly concentrated. High levels of concentration can raise seed prices for farmers. Biotech corn seed prices increased 9 percent annually between 2002 and 2008, and soybean seed prices rose 7 percent annually. Between 1996 and 2007, Monsanto acquired more than a dozen seed companies. The two largest firms sold 58 percent of corn seeds in 2007 and 60 percent of soybean seeds in 2005.**As seen in this chart, in 2008, GE corn seed cost nearly 60 percent more than non-GE seed**
Although biotech companies claim that glyphosate-tolerant crops ensure that farmers can invest in no-till or conservation tillage systems, weed resistance has resulted in more intensive tillage practices being utilized by farmers. These practices involve: using more (quantity and types of) herbicides and pesticides, abandoning conservation tillage and going back to more intense tillage which can lead to erosion and runoff into surrounding soil and waterways, more intense use of fertilizers to boost lost production which can be environmentally degrading.