No subject
Thu Jan 29 15:54:59 PST 2009
consumers share the enthusiasm. It's as likely as not that you know GMOs
by their stock term of derision: Frankenfoods. The moniker reflects a
broad spectrum of concerns: Some anti-biotech activists argue that these
organisms will contaminate their wild cousins with GM pollen and drive
native plants extinct. Others suggest that they will foster the growth
of "superweeds"-plants that develop a resistance to the herbicides many
GMOs are engineered to tolerate. And yet others fear that genetic
alterations will trigger allergic reactions in unsuspecting consumers.
Whether or not these concerns collectively warrant a ban on GMOs-as many
(most?) environmentalists would like to see-is a hotly debated topic.
The upshot to these potential pitfalls, however, is beyond dispute: A
lot of people find this technology to be creepy.
Whatever the specific cause of discontent over GM crops, popular
resistance came to a head in 2000, when the National Organic Program
solicited public input on the issue of whether they should be included.
In response, sustainable-food activists deluged officials with a
rainforest's worth of letters-275,000, to be exact-beating the measure
into oblivion. Today, in the same spirit, environmentalists
instinctively deem GMOs the antithesis of environmental responsibility.
Many scientists, and even a few organic farmers, now believe the 2000
rejection was a fatal rush to judgment. Most recently, Pamela Ronald, a
plant pathologist and chair of the Plant Genomics Program at the
University of California-Davis, has declared herself one such critic. In
Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195301757?ie=3DUTF8&tag=3Dslatmaga-20&=
lin
k_code=3Das3&camp=3D211189&creative=3D373489&creativeASIN=3D0195301757> =
, she
argues that we should, in fact, be actively merging genetic engineering
and organic farming to achieve a sustainable future for food production.
Her research-which she conducts alongside her husband, an organic
farmer-explores genetically engineered crops that, instead of serving
the rapacity of agribusiness, foster the fundamentals of sustainability.
Their endeavor, counterintuitive as it seems, points to an emerging
green biotech frontier-a hidden realm of opportunity to feed the world's
impending 9 billion a diet produced in an environmentally responsible
way.=20
To appreciate how "responsible genetic modification" isn't an oxymoron,
consider grass-fed beef. Cows that eat grass are commonly touted as the
sustainable alternative to feedlot beef, a resource-intensive form of
production that stuffs cows with a steady diet of grain fortified with
antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, and appetite enhancers that
eventually pass through the animals into the soil and water. One
overlooked drawback to grass-fed beef, however, is the fact that
grass-fed cows emit four times more methane-a greenhouse gas that's more
than 20 times as powerful as carbon dioxide
<http://www.slate.com/id/2178595/> -as regular, feedlot cows. That's
because grass contains lignin, a substance that triggers a cow's
digestive system to secrete a methane-producing enzyme. An Australian
biotech company called Gramina has recently produced a genetically
modified grass with lower amounts of lignin. Lower amounts of lignin
mean less methane, less methane means curbed global warming emissions,
and curbed emissions means environmentalists can eat their beef without
hanging up their green stripes.=20
Another area where sustainable agriculture and genetic modification
could productively overlap involves nitrogen fertilizer. A plant's
failure to absorb all the nutrients from the fertilizer leads to the
harmful accumulation of nitrogen in the soil. From there it leaches into
rivers and oceans to precipitate dead zones so choked with algae that
other marine life collapses. In light of this problem, Syngenta and
other biotech companies are in the process of genetically engineering
crops such as potatoes, rice, and wheat to improve their nitrogen uptake
efficiency in an effort to diminish the negative consequences of
nitrogen fertilization. Early results suggest that rice farmers in
Southeast Asia and potato farmers in Africa might one day have the
option of planting crops that mitigate the harmful effects of this
long-vilified source of agricultural pollution.
Animals, of course, are just as modifiable as plants. Livestock farmers
have been genetically tinkering with their beasts for centuries through
the hit-or-miss process of selective breeding. They've done so to
enhance their animals' health, increase their weight, and refine their
fat content. Breeding animals to reduce environmental impact, however,
hasn't been a viable option with the clunky techniques of conventional
breeding. But such is not the case with genetic engineering.=20
Case in point: Canadian scientists have recently pioneered the
"enviropig," a genetically modified porker altered to diminish the
notoriously high phosphorous level of pig manure by 60 percent. Like
nitrogen, phosphorous runoff is a serious pollutant with widespread
downstream consequences. But with the relatively basic insertion of a
gene (from E. coli bacteria) that produces a digestive enzyme called
phytase, scientists have provided farmers with yet another tool for
lessening their heavy impact on the environment.=20
When commercial farmers hear about GM grass, increased nitrogen uptake,
and cleaner pigs, they're excited. And when they hear about other
products in the works-genetically modified sugar beets that require less
water and have higher yields than cane sugar; a dust made from
genetically modified ferns to remove heavy metals from the soil;
genetically modified and edible cotton seeds that require minimal
pesticide use-they're also excited. And they're excited not only because
these products have the potential to streamline production, but also
because GM technology allows them to play a meaningful role in reducing
their carbon footprint.=20
However, with the exception of the modified sugar beets, the GMOs
mentioned in this article are not currently on the market. The
cutting-room floors of research laboratories all over the world, in
fact, are littered with successful examples of genetically engineered
products that have enormous potential to further the goals of
sustainable agriculture. Demand for these products remains high among
farmers-it almost always does-but food producers fear the bad publicity
that might come from anti-GMO invective.=20
Given the potential of these products to reduce the environmental impact
of farming, it's ironic that traditional advocates for sustainable
agriculture have led a successful campaign to blacklist GMOs
irrespective of their applications. At the very least, they might treat
them as legitimate ethical and scientific matters deserving of a fair
public hearing. Such a hearing, I would venture, would not only please
farmers who were truly concerned about sustainability, but it would
provide the rest of us-those of us who do not grow food for the world
but only think about it-a more accurate source of scientific information
than the back of a miso jar.
James E. McWilliams is the author of American Pests: Our Losing War on
Insects From Colonial Times to DDT and an associate professor of history
at Texas State University.
Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2209168/
=20
Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC
=20
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<div class=3DSection1>
<h1>The Green Monster<o:p></o:p></h1>
<h2>Could Frankenfoods be good for the environment?<o:p></o:p></h2>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3Dauthor1><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>By James
E. McWilliams</span></span><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;color:#CC0000'><br>
<span class=3Ddateline1>Posted Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009, at 6:58 AM ET =
</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'>
<hr size=3D2 width=3D"100%" align=3Dcenter>
</div>
<p>I'm sitting at my desk examining a $10.95 jar of South River Miso. =
The stuff
is delicious, marked by a light, lemony tang. The packaging, by =
contrast, is a
heavy-handed assurance of purity. The company is eager to tell me that =
the
product I've purchased is certified organic, aged for three weeks in =
wood
(sustainably harvested?), unpasteurized, made with "deep well =
water,"
handcrafted, and—the designation that most piques my =
interest—<em>GMO
free</em>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>GMO refers to "genetically modified organisms." A =
genetically
modified crop results from the laboratory insertion of a gene from one =
organism
into the DNA sequence of another in order to confer an advantageous =
trait such
as insect resistance, drought tolerance, or herbicide resistance. Today =
almost
90 percent of soy crops and 80 percent of corn crops in the United =
States
sprout from genetically engineered seeds. Forty-five million acres of =
land
worldwide contain genetically engineered crops. From the perspective of
commercial agriculture, the technology has been seamlessly assimilated =
into
traditional farming routines. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>From the perspective of my miso jar, however, it's evident that not =
all
consumers share the enthusiasm. It's as likely as not that you know GMOs =
by
their stock term of derision: <em>Frankenfoods</em>. The moniker =
reflects a
broad spectrum of concerns: Some anti-biotech activists argue that these
organisms will contaminate their wild cousins with GM pollen and drive =
native
plants extinct. Others suggest that they will foster the growth of
"superweeds"—plants that develop a resistance to the =
herbicides
many GMOs are engineered to tolerate. And yet others fear that genetic
alterations will trigger allergic reactions in unsuspecting consumers. =
Whether
or not these concerns collectively warrant a ban on GMOs—as many =
(most?)
environmentalists would like to see—is a hotly debated topic. The =
upshot
to these potential pitfalls, however, is beyond dispute: A lot of people =
find
this technology to be creepy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Whatever the specific cause of discontent over GM crops, popular =
resistance
came to a head in 2000, when the National Organic Program solicited =
public
input on the issue of whether they should be included. In response,
sustainable-food activists deluged officials with a rainforest's worth =
of
letters—275,000, to be exact—beating the measure into =
oblivion.
Today, in the same spirit, environmentalists instinctively deem GMOs the
antithesis of environmental responsibility.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Many scientists, and even a few organic farmers, now believe the 2000 =
rejection
was a fatal rush to judgment. Most recently, Pamela Ronald, a plant =
pathologist
and chair of the Plant Genomics Program at the University of =
California-Davis,
has declared herself one such critic. In <em><a
href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195301757?ie=3DUTF8&tag=3Ds=
latmaga-20&link_code=3Das3&camp=3D211189&creative=3D373489&am=
p;creativeASIN=3D0195301757"
target=3D"_blank">Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the =
Future of
Food</a></em>, she argues that we should, in fact, be actively merging =
genetic
engineering and organic farming to achieve a sustainable future for food
production. Her research—which she conducts alongside her husband, =
an
organic farmer—explores genetically engineered crops that, instead =
of
serving the rapacity of agribusiness, foster the fundamentals of
sustainability. Their endeavor, counterintuitive as it seems, points to =
an
emerging green biotech frontier—a hidden realm of opportunity to =
feed the
world's impending 9 billion a diet produced in an environmentally =
responsible
way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>To appreciate how "responsible genetic modification" isn't =
an
oxymoron, consider grass-fed beef. Cows that eat grass are commonly =
touted as
the sustainable alternative to feedlot beef, a resource-intensive form =
of
production that stuffs cows with a steady diet of grain fortified with
antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, and appetite enhancers that =
eventually
pass through the animals into the soil and water. One overlooked =
drawback to
grass-fed beef, however, is the fact that grass-fed cows emit four times =
more
methane—a greenhouse gas that's more than <a
href=3D"http://www.slate.com/id/2178595/" target=3D"_blank">20 times as =
powerful as
carbon dioxide</a>—as regular, feedlot cows. That's because grass
contains lignin, a substance that triggers a cow's digestive system to =
secrete
a methane-producing enzyme. An Australian biotech company called Gramina =
has
recently produced a genetically modified grass with lower amounts of =
lignin.
Lower amounts of lignin mean less methane, less methane means curbed =
global
warming emissions, and curbed emissions means environmentalists can eat =
their
beef without hanging up their green stripes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Another area where sustainable agriculture and genetic modification =
could
productively overlap involves nitrogen fertilizer. A plant's failure to =
absorb
all the nutrients from the fertilizer leads to the harmful accumulation =
of
nitrogen in the soil. From there it leaches into rivers and oceans to
precipitate dead zones so choked with algae that other marine life =
collapses.
In light of this problem, Syngenta and other biotech companies are in =
the
process of genetically engineering crops such as potatoes, rice, and =
wheat to
improve their nitrogen uptake efficiency in an effort to diminish the =
negative
consequences of nitrogen fertilization. Early results suggest that rice =
farmers
in Southeast Asia and potato farmers in Africa might one day have the =
option of
planting crops that mitigate the harmful effects of this long-vilified =
source
of agricultural pollution.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Animals, of course, are just as modifiable as plants. Livestock =
farmers have
been genetically tinkering with their beasts for centuries through the
hit-or-miss process of selective breeding. They've done so to enhance =
their
animals' health, increase their weight, and refine their fat content. =
Breeding
animals to reduce environmental impact, however, hasn't been a viable =
option
with the clunky techniques of conventional breeding. But such is not the =
case
with genetic engineering. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Case in point: Canadian scientists have recently pioneered the
"enviropig," a genetically modified porker altered to diminish =
the
notoriously high phosphorous level of pig manure by 60 percent. Like =
nitrogen,
phosphorous runoff is a serious pollutant with widespread downstream
consequences. But with the relatively basic insertion of a gene (from E. =
coli
bacteria) that produces a digestive enzyme called phytase, scientists =
have
provided farmers with yet another tool for lessening their heavy impact =
on the environment.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>When commercial farmers hear about GM grass, increased nitrogen =
uptake, and
cleaner pigs, they're excited. And when they hear about other products =
in the
works—genetically modified sugar beets that require less water and =
have
higher yields than cane sugar; a dust made from genetically modified =
ferns to
remove heavy metals from the soil; genetically modified and =
<em>edible</em>
cotton seeds that require minimal pesticide use—they're also =
excited. And
they're excited not only because these products have the potential to
streamline production, but also because GM technology allows them to =
play a
meaningful role in reducing their carbon footprint. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>However, with the exception of the modified sugar beets, the GMOs =
mentioned
in this article are not currently on the market. The cutting-room floors =
of
research laboratories all over the world, in fact, are littered with =
successful
examples of genetically engineered products that have enormous potential =
to
further the goals of sustainable agriculture. Demand for these products =
remains
high among farmers—it almost always does—but food producers =
fear
the bad publicity that might come from anti-GMO invective. =
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Given the potential of these products to reduce the environmental =
impact of
farming, it's ironic that traditional advocates for sustainable =
agriculture
have led a successful campaign to blacklist GMOs irrespective of their
applications. At the very least, they might treat them as legitimate =
ethical
and scientific matters deserving of a fair public hearing. Such a =
hearing, I
would venture, would not only please farmers who were truly concerned =
about
sustainability, but it would provide the rest of us—those of us =
who do
not grow food for the world but only think about it—a more =
accurate
source of scientific information than the back of a miso =
jar.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><em><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>James E.
McWilliams is the author of </span></em>American Pests: Our Losing War =
on
Insects From Colonial Times to DDT <em><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>and
an associate professor of history at Texas State =
University.</span></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>Article URL: <a href=3D"http://www.slate.com/id/2209168/"
target=3D"_blank">http://www.slate.com/id/2209168/</a></strong><o:p></o:p=
></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=3DMsoFooter>Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive =
Co. LLC<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
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