Agricultural Biotechnology

 

Agricultural Biotechnology

With increase in population and concern about the quality of food, the bio-agriculture has gained focus in the recent past in India. The farmers in India are looking at the GM seeds, biofertilizers, biopesticides from which they can expect more return on their investments and also increase productivity. The farmers are now getting a premium for the organic produce. With this now they are able to export their produce at much higher price. Lot of research initiatives are also being undertaken in the field to explore new technologies and new tie ups and joint ventures are being set up and are getting approvals from government for exploiting the technologies for the betterment of farmers and obtaining decent returns. (Via 123biotech)

The Ecological Impacts of Agricultural Biotechnology

-Miguel Altieri

HIghlights:

Biotechnology may someday be considered a safe agricultural tool but studies suggest it may have harmful ecological consequences, such as:

  • spreading genetically-engineered genes to indigenous plants
  • increasing toxicity, which may move through the food chain
  • disrupting nature’s system of pest control
  • creating new weeds or virus strains

 altieriphoto.jpg

The cassava makes up part of the diet of nearly 600 million people worldwide. By inserting a bacterial version of the gene for starch production, scientists have come up with a super-sized cassava. Photo: David Monniaux.

 

Agricultural biotechnology

Technological progress has been rapid, but companies can no longer afford to ignore public concerns.

It has been said that the genetic manipulation of plants is the reason why the genomics revolution—touted as the third technological revolution following the industrial revolution and the computer revolution—will have a major global impact1. Genomics will certainly influence new drug discovery to treat human diseases, but through its application to agricultural biotechnology, a proportion of our needs for fuel, fiber, food, and some medicines will one day be obtained from genetically modified plants.

Global sales from transgenic crops were estimated at $1.6 billion in 1998, and rose by more than a third to an estimated $2.1 to $2.3 billion in 1999, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA)2. It is not surprising, therefore, that with such a large market, agricultural biotechnology is a centerpiece of major industrial efforts. Large chemical and pharmaceutical companies, including Rohm and Haas, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Monsanto, and Novartis have invested heavily in agbiotech—specifically, genetic engineering of plants—both in-house and through major collaborations with genomics companies. (Via NATURE)

 

The American Enterprise
By C.S. Prakash and Gregory Conko
March 01, 2004

 

Today, most people around the world have access to a greater variety of nutritious and affordable foods than ever before, thanks mainly to developments in agricultural science and technology. The average human life span--arguably the most important indicator of quality of life--has increased steadily in the past century in almost every country. Even in many less developed countries, life spans have doubled over the past few decades. Despite massive population growth, from 3 billion to more than 6 billion people since 1950, the global malnutrition rate decreased in that period from 38 percent to 18 percent. India and China, two of the world's most populous and rapidly industrializing countries, have quadrupled their grain production. (Via AGBIOWORLD)

 North Carolina Biotechnology Continues to GROW

March/April 2011

Eric Goldston, a fuel mixer with Piedmont Biofuels, holds a sample of biofuel at the company’s Pittsboro plant. How critical is biotechnology to North Carolina agriculture whether you’re a grower cultivating soybeans or cotton or a farmer raising hogs or cattle? Amber Shipley, director of biotechnology crops development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“It’s been the fastest piece of technology adopted in history, and we know farmers are very receptive to any kind of technology that helps them reduce costs and improve return on their investment,” Shipley says.

To stake North Carolina’s claim to leadership in agricultural biotechnology, leaders in farming, research and policy set a goal of 30 in 10: adding $30 billion to North Carolina’s economy during the next 10 years by combining traditional agriculture and new technology strengths, while focusing attention on agricultural biotechnology.

 

Genetic Engineering and Agriculture


OTA’s Position:

OTA endorses the National Organic Standards Board’s recommendation that the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their derivatives be prohibited in organic production and handling systems. The use of GMOs is an unproven technology and one that an organic agricultural system does not need in order to grow high quality and nutritious food. Furthermore, there is insufficient scientific data regarding the long-term effects GMOs may have on the environment or on human health. Due to concerns about the impact of GMOs on the environment and organic production, OTA has called for a moratorium on their use in all agriculture. (Via OTA)

  The Problem: Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.  These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non-"GE" environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way. (Via GP)

 Agricultural Biotechnology for Africa. African Scientists and Farmers Must Feed Their Own People

Jesse Machuka

Few would disagree that the many claims and counterclaims concerning what biotechnology can or cannot do to solve Africa's food insecurity problem have mainly been made by non-Africans. It is no wonder that Florence Wambugu's (1999) excellent article titled “Why Africa needs agricultural biotech” is now widely cited by those who support the view that developing countries, particularly in SubSaharan Africa (SSA), stand to gain the most from modern biotechnology applications. The article explained in a nutshell some of the potential benefits Africa stands to gain by embracing biotechnology. (Via PLANTP)

 

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.

Podborer larvae infest legume pods. Inset, Podborer larva on cowpea callus in bioassay to test efficacy of cowpea pest resistance characters.

This free website was made using Yola.

No HTML skills required. Build your website in minutes.

Go to www.yola.com and sign up today!

Make a free website with Yola