National position holder presentation 12th AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2015 NATIONAL ELOCUTION CONTEST

1. “GM Crops for long term food and
Nutritional Security”
SHEKH ALISHA BSc.( Ag.)

2. Genetic modification involves altering an DNA.
This can be done by
altering an existing section of DNA, or by adding
a new gene altogether.
Not only genetic modification can be used
to change animal and plant genes.
Spontaneous changes, radiation, chemicals
and traditional processing can also
alter the characteristics of a plant or
animal.
Genetically Modified FOOD CROPS
Types of genetic engineering
1. Transgenic 2. Cisgenic
3. Subgenic

4.  In 2009, countries that grew 95%
of the global transgenic crops were
the United States (46%), Brazil
(16%), Argentina (15%), India
(6%), Canada (6%), China (3%),
Paraguay (2%) and South Africa
(2%).
 In the US, by 2009/2010, 93%
of the planted area of soybeans,
93% of cotton, 86% of corn and
95% of the sugar beet were
genetically modified varieties.

5. 0.80 M Ha
3.0 M Ha
Total plantation of GMC in India = 8.0 M Ha
1.40 M Ha
0.80 M Ha Others
1.6 M Ha

6. Country GM planted area
(million hectares in 2013)
Biotech crops
India 11.0 Cotton
USA 70.1 Maize, Soybean, Cotton, Canola,
Sugar-beet, Alfalfa, Papaya, Squash
Brazil 40.3 Soybean, Maize, Cotton
Argentina 24.4 Soybean, Maize, Cotton
Canada 10.8 Canola, Maize, Soybean, Sugarbeet
Total 175.2 ----
In 2013, GM crops
were planted in 27
countries; 19 were
developing countries
and 8 were
developed countries
. 2013 was
the second
year in which
developing
countries
grew a
majority
(54%) of the
total GM
harvest.

7. Agricultural biotechnology must be made affordable to developing
world farmers.
During the Green Revolution, the new HYV seeds
and accompanying chemicals
were more expensive than the landrace seeds that
developing world
Farmers typically
had used.
Global Revenue from sales of GE seeds (in $ BILLION)
63 countries involved at various
stages
57 plants identified for development
Second generation of traits include
modifications
such as nutritional enhancement,
disease
tolerance, stress tolerance and
production of
pharmaceuticals

8. Nutrition security is different from food security as it is about a
community’s access to essential nutrients, not just calories.
Zinc, selenium, iron and all kind of vitamins should be present
in human diets.
Problems of undernutrition are intergenerational;
when under nutrition is not adequately
addressed, children will grow into undernourished
adults and their children will experience the same
problems.
Nutrition insecurity may increase the risk of food
insecurity. This can best be explained by
recognizing that there is a short- and a long-term
feed-back from malnutrition to the capacity
of providing food, health and care
NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS

9. FOOD SECURITY
• Food security is a condition related to the ongoing
availability of food.
• Number of people affected by undernourishment,
2010–12 (by region, in millions).
 Food Security four pillars
1. Food availability
2. Food access
3. Food use and
4. Food stability.

10. Bioavailable
micronutrients in the edible parts
of staple crops at
concentrations high enough to
impact on human health can be
obtained through breeding,
provided that sufficient genetic
variation for a given trait exists, or
through transgenic
approaches.
The World Health Report
identified iron, vitamin A, zinc
and iodine deficiencies as the
most serious health
constraints worldwide.

11. Sh. Prakash Javadekar ,
Hon. Environment
Minister, GoI, defended
genetically modified (GM)
crops and said "There is
no scientific evidence to
prove that GM crops
would harm soil, human
health and environment.

12.  Genetically modified crops will not
solve the problem of the hundred of
millions of people who go to bed
hungry every night. It would be far
better if the world’s foods contained
an adequate supply of vitamins.
 Shiva and other opponents of
GMC, argue that the higher
cost of patented seeds,
produced by giant
corporations, prevents poor
farmers from sowing these
GMC in their fields.
 Shiva contends that nothing less than the future
of humanity rides on the outcome.
DR. VANDANA
SHIVAEnvironmentalist Anti GMO
ist

13. Sh. Virander Chauhan, Director of
International Centre for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology, says the
GM technology is easy to adopt and
relatively inexpensive as compare to
conventional ones .
"Scientific concerns related to the GM
technology are not at all justified. There is
ample evidence in the literature and in the
fields that, scientifically, GM crops are
entirely safe,"

14. Flavr Savr
Tomato Bt. COTTON

15. ore
10 years of GM development in rice – what will
the next ten years bring?
Golden Rice produced through genetic modification
to biosynthesize the precursors of beta-carotene
Golden rice was created by incorporating rice
with two beta carotene biosynthesis genes.
:Psy (Phytoene synthase)
:Lyc (lycopene cyclase)
In 2005, a new variety called golden rice-2 was
announced which produces up to 23 times more
beta carotene than the original variety of golden
rice.
GOLDEN RICE

16. More Food Per
Acre
We will need to double
the food we grow to feed
the world in 2050, but we
can’t double the amount
of farmland. There just
isn’t that much arable
land left, and we also
want to preserve natural
habitats and biodiversity.
Over the past 50 years,
more productive crops
have spared millions of
acres of wilder- ness
around the world from
becoming farms. GM
plants may help increase
food production so that
we can produce the food
we need without taking
up more land. We may
have plants that need less
water for irrigation so we
preserve our limited
water supplies. Someday,
crops may grow where it
is too dry, too cold, or too
salty for anything to grow
now.
More Rice in the Bowl Golden rice
may be more nutritious, but soon
there simply may not be enough rice
of any kind to feed the growing
populations in Asia. These countries
will need to grow 40% more rice by
the year 2020. They bred a rice with a
sturdier stalk that didn’t flop down
into the waters of the rice paddy and
rot. This simple change increased
yield by reducing waste turning to
genetic engineering.

17.  Pest resistant Crop losses from insect pests
 Herbicide tolerance
 Cold tolerance Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings.
 Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance
 Phytoremediation
 Allows greater precision in selecting characteristics
 Reduces risk of random occurrence of undesirable traits.
 Improved agricultural performance (yields) with less
labour input and less cost input
 Benefits to the soil of “notill” farming practice
 Prevention of loss of species to endemic disease
ADVANTAGES
 Production of biofuels

18. Negative Impacts
 Environmental hazards:
 Unintended harm to other organisms
 Excessive toxin use reduce soil fertility
 Health:
 Unintended health impacts from GMOs
 concern allergens, antibiotic resistance, decreased nutrients,
and toxins.
 Markets:
 Unintended market impacts include lower prices and higher
costs for farmers, as well as lost premiums and markets.

19. Moral Issues
"Moving genes from animals to plants gets you
into a whole moral,
religious, and political firestorm..."
This statement illustrates the primary contention
point for the most common
Ethical moral argument against GMOs.

20. Fight
Hunger:
Walk the
World
campaign
is a United
Nations
World Food
Programme
initiative

21. Crop Properties of the
genetically modified
variety
Modification Percent
modified in
US
Percent
modified in
world
Corn Resistance
to glyphosate or glufosinate her
bicides. Insect resistance via
producing Bt proteins, some
previously used as pesticides in
organic crop production. Added
enzyme, alpha amylase, that
converts starch into sugar to
facilitate ethanol production.
New genes, some from the
bacteriumBacillus thuringiensis,
added/transferred into plant
genome.
86% 26%
Cotton (cottonseed
oil)
Kills susceptible insect pests gene for one or more Bt crystal
proteins transferred into plant
genome
93% 49%
Papaya (Hawaiian) Resistance to the papaya
ringspot virus.
New gene added/transferred into
plant genome
80%
Rice Golden Rice: genetically
modified to contain beta-
carotene(a source of vitamin A)
The version of Golden Rice under
development in 2014 contained
genes from maize and a common
soil microorganism.
Forecast to be
on the market
in 2015 or 2016
Soybeans Resistance
to glyphosate (see Roundup
Ready soybean)
or glufosinate herbicides; make
less saturated fats;]Kills
susceptible insect pests
Herbicide resistant gene taken from
bacteria inserted into soybean;
knocked out native genes that
catalyze saturation; gene for one or
more Bt crystal proteins transferred
into plant genome
93% 77%
Tomatoes Suppression of the
enzyme polygalacturonase (PG)
, retarding fruit softening after
harvesting, while at the same
time retaining both the natural
color and flavor of the fruit
A reverse copy (an antisense gene)
of the gene responsible for the
production of PG enzyme added into
plant genome
Taken off the
market due to
commercial
failure.
Small quantities
grown in China

22. For all the potential that GM technology holds, there are
many challenges to be overcome if GM crops are to truly
introduce a “Gene Revolution” worldwide.
CONCLUSION
Scientific advancement, no doubt, is welcome, but
the basis of science is reasoning. Therefore, it is
pertinent to question each and every aspect of GM
foods especially since they have not been proven to
be much of benefit in the 15 years of their
existence. A lot of research needs to be put to allay
the environmental and human safety concerns,
which appear so very genuine at present with the
advent of GM foods. GM foods are a major
advancement, but they have to be evaluated in the
right perspective