Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World?

Do We Need Genetically Modified Foods to Feed the World?

A Scientific PerspectiveA Scientific Perspective

Peggy G. Lemaux, Ph.D.University of California, Berkeley

Some Limitations on Biotechnology Applications

in DEVELOPED Countries

Intellectual property rights

Regulatory costs

Economic incentives

Scientific hurdles

Limited ability of public sector to

participate effectively

Some Limitations on Biotechnology Applications

in DEVELOPING Countries

Legal issues

Lack of funding for public sector to participate effectively

Scientific and infrastructure insufficiencies

Unique political and economic hurdles

Societal inequalities

“Complex problems of hunger and agricultural development will not be solved by technological silver bullets” Peter Rosset, Food First

Agricultural biotechnology is

more than just GMOs

Marker-assisted breeding led to new millet hybrid with downy mildew resistance

Tissue Culture Used To Remove Diseases of Banana in Philippines

Tissue cultured banana plantation in Philippines

PCR for pest disease detection for bananas and papaya

Productivity: Evidence for Bt Cotton Gains

Bt cotton in:

• United States: yield effect 0 – 15%

• China: yield effect 10%

• South Africa: yield effect 20%-40%

• India: yield effect 60 – 80 %

SOURCE: David Zilberman (UC Berkeley), Gregory Graff (UC Berkeley), Matin Qaim (University of Bonn) and Cherisa Yarkin (UC Berkeley)

Won’t intellectual property issues interfere?

Insect Resistant Maize for Africa - IRMASyngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

GE crops will not address small farmers’ needsOnly large agrochemical companies will benefit

Farmers will be dependent; seed diversity will be lost

Environmental risks - gene flow, insect resistance

Insufficiency of biosafety regulations

Should African farmers and consumers make their own decisions on these issues?

How?

Participatory Rural Appraisals

Involving 900 Kenyan farmers from 43 villages

IRMA with Kenyan regulatory system did tests on corn for Bt-medicated stem borer resistance in laboratories and soon in biosafety greenhouses

Patent issues do not preclude local use

Bt maize can be commercialized locally

Bt is dominant; seed can be recycled; moved into local varieties

NO MAGIC BULLET

Bt maize

Is this the only way to address the problems?

No, problems are different

Different ecology

Different health issues

Different agronomic limitations

Sorghum – a staple food in parts of

Africa

USAID grant to address nutritional deficiencies

Digestibility

Amino acid imbalance

Are there potential problems?

Releasing GE varieties near wild relatives or weeds?

Working with U.S. and African sorghum breeders

Intellectual property rights?

Why did I become involved?

Part of my mandate as public sector scientist and CE

specialist

Is this the only answer?

Is this the best answer?

No, but it is something I want to and can do!