presentatio

1. GMO;AN EVIL OR SAVIOUR?
CYRUS KIMANI NDUNG’U

2. WHAT IS A GM CROP
Plant whose DNA has been modified
using genetic engineering techniques
 Transgenic, cisgenic or subgenic
New trait introduced
 Pest resistance
 Improved yield
 Disease resistance
 Improved nutritional profile

3. EVIL OR SAVIOUR
www.healingtalks.comwww.seattleorganicrestaurants.com

4. EVALUATING GM CROPS
Precautionary principle
 Zealotry
 Fear of the unknown
 Propaganda
www.farmprogress.com

5. EVALUATING GM CROPS….
Turkana case 2011
91% Soybean, 85% Corn, 88% Cotton
‘GMOs can play a very vital role in peoples'
lives. However, this must be accompanied
by political goodwill because technology
alone cannot survive without decisive
support’ Norman Borlaug

6. EVALUATING GM CROPS CONT…
Principle of Substantial equivalence
Scientific
Based on comparison of GM crop with
conventional crop
 Nutritional content
 Effect on soil
 Effect on below ground biodiversity
www.forbes.com

7. POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF GM CROPS
Increased food security
Increased income (Bt Cotton)
Increased nutritional benefits e.g. Golden
rice with vitamin A (70% children <6 have
Vitamin A deficiency, 23,500 deaths due
to micronutrient deficiency)

8. POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF GM CROPS CONT…
Biopharming e.g. Rice with rotavirus
vaccine (4500 deaths,8800 hospitalisation
and $11m)
Bioremediation

9. POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF GM CROPS CONT....
Disease prevention
 Transkei region S.A (Eastern cape 610/100k,
Limpopo (350/100k)
 Fumonisin Oesophagal cancer
 Equine leukoencephalomalacia
 Porcine pulmonary edema
 Hear failure and liver damage in swine
 Bt Maize reduce fumonisin by 40%

10. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GM CROPS
Allergens
Negative environmental impact
Unknown diseases/ long term effects?

11. REFERENCES
1. Rotavirus statistics:
Tate et al., J Infect Dis. (2009) 200(Supplement 1): S76-
S84.doi: 10.1086/605058
2. Rotavirus rice based vaccine
Daisuke et al., J Clin Invest. 2013 Sep 3; 123(9): 3829–
3838. doi: 10.1172/JCI70266
3.Bt Cotton,Bt Maize and Oesophaghal cancer
Genetically modified crops in Africa: economic and policy
lessons from countries south of the Sahara, International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC,
USA

12. REFERENCES CONT…
4. Vitamin A deficiency
Angela Mwaniki (2007). Case Study #3-7, "Biofortification
as a Vitamin A Deficiency Intervention in Kenya". In: Per
Pinstrup-Andersen and Fuzhi Cheng (editors), "Food
Policy for Developing Countries: Case Studies." 11 pp.
5. Golden rice
www.irri.org

13. www.geneticliteracyproject.org

14. ASANTENI SANA
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