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| Biotechnology is one of the most highly-charged and controversial issues in the world of food today, and no assessment of its strengths and weaknesses is likely to satisfy all parties. |
| Not long ago, biotechnology companies such as Monsanto were trumpeting the biotechnology as a sort of silver bullet to end hunger. Their critics, on the other hand, warned of "Frankenfoods" that would harm people, pollute the environment and lead to sterile crops and other agriculture catastrophes. |
| The jury is still out about biotechnology. Many scientists continue to believe in its promise. Improvements in our understanding of the molecular makeup of plants and the pests and diseases that attack them have proved undeniably useful in assisting conventional agricultural breeding. Such research generates little opposition. |
| The controversy is over "genetically engineered organisms," whereby genes are taken from one organism and inserted in the DNA of another-flounder genes have been put in tomatoes, for example. So far, there is little evidence that such GEOs (genetically-engineered organisms -- the term GMO/genetically modified organisms is a misnomer as virtually all modern food crops have been genetically modified through conventional breeding) are dangerous for human consumption. But their potential danger to the environment is still unclear. |
| Up to this point, genetic engineering has been used primarily in rich countries to the advantage of farmers and not consumers to produce insect-resistant varieties, or, more commonly, to produce crops that are resistant to herbicides, which can then be sprayed to keep weeds down without destroying the crops. |
| As to future applications, advocates of biotechnology as a tool to fight hunger believe it can be used to produce vitamin and micronutrient-enriched crops and to increase disease and pest resistance, or drought and salt tolerance. |
| If safety can be guaranteed and issues involving IPR (intellectual property rights) can be resolved, biotechnology could prove a useful anti-hunger tool. Nonetheless, it is an expensive science and critics say that it often takes much-needed resources away from less complicated, equally effective ways of increasing crop productivity, such as biological control. Even representatives of Monsanto and other biotechnology companies now admit to overstating biotechnology's power to end hunger and now recognize it as only one tool among many. |
You can see video clips and read related interviews with Kinyua M'Mbijjewe, Monsanto representative for Africa and Florence Wambugu, plant pathologist and advocate of use of biotechnology for solving hunger, Raoul Adamchak, organic farmer, Pat Mooney, hunger activist and author, Rebecca Nelson, plant pathologist, Pam Ronald, plant scientist and biotechnology specialist, and Anthony Shelton, entomologist and pest management specialist, on this Web Site . For more information about the potential and the uncertainties of biotechnology, check out these sites:
- FAO - BIOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD
AND AGRICULTURE
FAO's comprehensive site offers documents, activities, and even an electronic forum on biotechnology.
www.fao.org/biotech/index.asp?lang=en
- UNEP - THE CONVENTION
ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
This is the website of the Secretariat of the Convention on biological diversity of the UN. It provides background information and updates about the status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity, which seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organism resulting from modern biotechnology.
www.biodiv.org/biosafety/about.aspx
- ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) - BIOTECHNOLOGY
This website provides publications, documents, reports, statistics and information by country on biotechnology.
www.oecd.org/topic/0,2686,en_2649_37437
_1_1_1_1_37437,00.html
- INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH
INSITUTE (IFPRI)
Essays from the 2000-2001 Annual Report of the IFPRI explore the two perspectives, the great promises as well as the questions and problems, of biotechnology.
www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/ar2000/ar2000_essays.htm
- COUNCIL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
The Council for Biotechnology Information communicates science-based information about agricultural and food biotechnology. Its members are the leading biotechnology companies and trade associations.
www.whybiotech.com/
- A HARVEST
A Harvest is dedicated to using biotechnology to fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Africa and the developing world by increasing agricultural yields and incomes. A Harvest's founder and CEO is Florence Wambugu; Dr. Wambugu appears in SILENT KILLER.
www.ahbfi.org/
- THE INDEPENDENT SCIENCE PANEL (ISP)
The Genetic Modification Group of the ISP consists of scientists working in genetics, biosciences, toxicology and medicine, and other representatives of civil society who are concerned about the harmful consequences of genetic modifications of plants and animals.
www.indsp.org/gm.php
- THIRD WORLD NETWORK
The Third World Network is an independent non-profit international network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, the Third World and North- South issues.
www.twnside.org.sg/bio.htm
- ECT - ACTION GROUP ON EROSION,
TECHNOLOGY AND CONCENTRATION
ETC group supports socially responsible developments of technologies useful to the poor and marginalized and it addresses international governance issues and corporate power. A video clip and an interview with
Pat Mooney, ETC executive director, can be found on this Web Site.
www.etcgroup.org/
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