M4 Guided Questions
What does the World Health Organization say about GM foods?
"GM foods currently traded on the international market have passed risk assessments in several countries and are not likely, nor have been shown, to present risks for human health."
Cotton is the only GM approved crop in India. Why?
"If you can afford to buy organic, and that's what you want? Fantastic," he says. "But 900 million people in the world go to bed hungry every night, and 600 million of them are farmers. Don't push this on them."
List 5 pros (benefits) for GMOs
1. Drought resistant crops or low water usage crops providing adequate nutrition 2. Pathogen resistant crops - largest commerical application 3. Corns and soy that have genes for natural pesticides, normally found in the bacteria that colonizes plants - reduces the amount of expensive and harmful pestiticde 4. High yield crops - more food per acre - keep cost of foods low and availability high - has positive impact on the environment 5. edible vaccines - introducing vaccines into plants. - incredibly cheap, easy to transport and administer - areas affected by poverty 6. Green production - biomass fuel
What are seven benefits listed for GMOS ?
1. Increasing nutritional content 2. Nitrogen fixation 3. Enhancing photosynthesis 4. Drought resistance 5. Pathogen resistance 6. cold tolerance 7. other ways of increasing yield
List 6 cons (disadvantages)
1. Moral / religious objections - "we're playing God" - we have been doing this for years people!! 2. Safety of consumption - very little data - little evidence suggesting that GMO products don't have the same nutritional content - matter of turning off a product 3. Contamination of wild strains - overruse of roundup is the bigger threat - indirect cause 4. environmental consequences - same as non-gmo - soil depletion - more yield = more chemicals needed. big risk for developing nations - can contribute to permanent ecological damage 5. corportization of food crops - corporations are amoral - make decisions that best benefits them - don't look at corporations to be self-regulating 6. mono-cropping - too much wheat, corn and soy in places where it doesn't grow - market is not as strong - local crop = low profit
Describe three benefits for GMOs
1. Potential benefits to agricultural producivitiy through development of crops more resistant to pests, disease and severe weather, decreasing the risk of devastating crop failure 2. Enviornmental benefits: - improved productively could result in more food from less land and a decreasing reliance on the cultivation of marginal land - genetically engineered pest and disease resistance could reduce need for pesticides and other chemicals, thereby decreasing the environmental load and farmer exposure to toxins 3. Potential benefits to human health and wellbeing - genetic engineering could be used to remove genes associated with allergies. The blocking of the gene that produces the allergenic protein in peanuts - insertion of genes into crops such as rice and wheat can enhance their nutritional value. Ex: golden rice - Produce healthier foods by eleiminating trans fats or caffeine - Develop pharmaceuticals and vaccines in plants, decreasing the risk of adverse reactions adn enabling faster vaccination of large populations
Describe four risks of GMOS
1. Potential risks to the environment and wildlife 2. potential risks to human health 3. Socio-econimic effects 4. Risk to public trust generated in part by industry refusal to label GM foods as much 4. Risk to public trust generated in part by industry refusal to label GM foods as such
With regard to GMOs , the author states that he would like to think about the butterflies, the rich white people and what other group?
16,000 children that die of starvation everyday 1 billion people that go home hungry and the suffering and starvation in the world
Why were over 70 million rice farmers in developing countries having trouble growing rice?
40% of harvest is lost to pest and disease For this reason, farmers plant rice that has genes for this resistance Because the fields are flooded, and rice farmers are living on less than 2$ a day - rice grows well in standing water, but most will die if submergered for more than 3 days - very problematic
According to the article, who is responsible for the declining number of Monarch Butterflies: the farmer or the technology he (or she) is using?
A loss of agricultural milkweeds is a major contributor to the decline in the monarch population Farmers are responsbile, not the technology that they are using. - milkweed is a weed, and weeds decrease yield, and farmers always havr and always will fight them.
What is the consequentialism theory?
A morally correct decision is made by a cost-benefit analysis of an action's consequences Those who reject absolutist rhetoric-either genetic modification equals playing God or genetic modification equals better living through science-can find themselves in the realm of what philosophers call "consequentialism."
According to the article, how long does it take to build an inch of top soil?
About 100 years to build an inch of topsoil. Taakes a bad storm on a weekend to destroy it
Why did the California Food and Agriculture Department deny Ventria's request to grow GM rice?
After rice growers expressed concern that international customers would refuse their rice out of fear of contamination
Can GM foods cause new allergies? (#23)
Allergies are typically caused by proteins, and because most engineered crops produce new proteins, it is possible that new allergens could be present in a GE plant. In fact, in the 1990s, Pioneer Hi-Bred inadvertently transferred an allergen from the Brazil nut into a GE variety of soybeans. That allergen was detected by safety tests and the GE soybeans were never commercialized. No tests currently exist that could predict conclusively whether or not a GE protein new to the food supply, as is the case with many engineered crops, will cause allergic reactions. Instead, several tests are used that together provide some confidence that the new protein will not be an allergen. Those tests have been conducted for the already commercialized products, but often not with the best test procedures. (For more on the inadequacies of the current safety testing at the FDA see It is also important to keep in mind that while we consume tens of thousands of different proteins, most serious food allergies are caused by only a handful of them, such as a few proteins from peanuts, milk, or tree nuts. The likelihood that any particular protein will be an allergen is small. On the other hand, government regulators should ensure to the greatest extent possible that new allergens are not introduced into the food supply, because foods allergies can cause significant discomfort and, in extreme cases, death. To date, there is no evidence that anyone eating food made from a GE crop grown in the United States has had an allergic reaction. When Starlink corn, an engineered corn with a specific Bt gene, was grown in the U.S back in the year 2000, several dozen people contacted government agencies complaining of reactions to Starlink that resembled an allergy. Subsequent testing by FDA and the Centers for Disease Control determined that those reactions were not to the Starlink protein, although some experts were not entirely satisfied that the tests were completely reliable.
How long have GMOs been on the market here in the United States without the consumer knowledge?
Almost a decade - About 50% of soybeans grown in the US last year were genetically modified, and yet nothing in the label on these products ever indicated the presence of genetic modifications.
what are the GM benefits for bananas, potatoes, peanuts and tomatoes?
Bananas: Syngentha's Stay Ripe Banana - ripens slowly and has a prolonged shelf life Peanuts and potatoes: - less liable to trigger life-threatening allergic reactions Tomatoes: help prevent cancer and osteoporosis
In less developed countries, 500,000 children go blind every year because of a lack of what vitamin?
Because of lack of Vitamin A
Why are the risks of GMO being defined by those who are frightened?
Because of the previous deceptive practices of the market
What should the government be doing to ensure food safety of GE crops?(#17)
Before any GE crop is turned into food, the FDA should have to formally approve that the crop is safe for human and animal consumption. Congress needs to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require a mandatory pre-market approval process that is open to public participation and review In 2004, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation that would give the FDA such authority (S.2654), but Congress did not act on that proposed legislation. CSPI continues to advocate for specific provisions in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that would address the food safety of engineered crops and hopes that other consumer groups and food industry representatives will support those needed changes. Formal approval of GE crops might lengthen the approval process, but also would result in greater assurance of safety and greater public confidence, around the world, in the safety of these widely consumed crops.
According to "Hawaii GMO Papaya: Real Solutions; Real Lives" when did the disconnect between Hawaii's culture and farming begin?
Began when the pineapple and sugar plantations closed, shaking the foundation oflife in Hawaii. - Hundreds unemployed - people desperate for new crops
Why does the author compare GMOs to microwaves and DDT?
Bioengineered foods are like microwaves, a product that people originally thought might give you cancer but is now widely accepted. GMOs might be like DDT, a pesticide that was touted as the key to higher production but that eventually resulted in harm to birds and fish
What is mutation breeding?
Breeders do this when impatient to wait for a fortuitous mutation to occur developed what is called mutation breeding exposing plants to chemicals or to radiation that increases the mutation rate
Evanega claims there are increased benefits in the use of GMOs for women in developing nations. What are these benefits?
By growing crops that can tolerate herbicide applications, the children are freed up to attend school and the women have time to earn income to help support their families.
Why does Evanega claim that we reduce pesticide use with GM crops?
By suppressing the population of damaging insect pests, it's also created a "halo effect" that benefits farmers raising non-GM and organic vegetable crops, allowing them to reduce their use of pesticides, too. To summarize, the use of pesticides for GM crops is disrupting ecosystems, contaminating the water and food supplies for the environment's organisms, and harming the soil microbiome. Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that these chemicals are harming the soil microbiome. We are just now beginning to recognize that the various organisms living in the soil act to protect plants and make them more disease resistant. Destroying these protective organisms with the use of these chemicals weaken plants' natural defense mechanisms and, therefore, will require the use of even more pesticides and other chemicals. The USDA Pesticide Data Program reported in 2015 that 85 percent of crops had pesticide residue. Other studies that have looked at the pesticide levels in groundwaters reported that 53 percent of their sampling sites contained one or more pesticides. These chemicals are not only contaminating our water and food supplies, they're also contaminating the supplies for other organisms in the surrounding environment. So the fact that GM seeds now account for more than 50 percent of global glyphosate usage is certainly concerning.
Why did the environmental activist Mark Lyman change his mind about GMOS?
Claims that they were trying to protect the planet. "What if we got it wrong? What if eliminating GMOs was not the way to achieve these ends?" Apologizes for his actions. Discovered science, and in the process, became a better environmentalist. Spent many years developing a career as a science writer. everything he wrote, he wanted peer-reviewed science references. GMOs: he was arguing against the scientists without any sciencetific data Science should be about changing your conclusion on the basis of objective evidence Learned to think like a scientist
What is INB Biotechnologies developing through the transgenic modification of petunias?
Developing a nontoxic anthrax vaccine through transgenic modification. Causes plant to manufacture new proteins, which when eaten prompt the development of anti-anthrax a ntibodies
Under what conditions does the Food and Drug Administration require the labeling of Genetically modified foods?
FDA has not required labeling that indicates a product has been genetically altered unless it contains one of the eight most common food allergens. More stringent labeling would be one way to increase trust in the process. That way, consumers could choose whether they wanted to expose themselves to potential GMO risks. The EU requires labeling of any food with 1% or more genetically modified ingredients
Both Jeffery Smith and Vani Hari (The "Food Babe") have extensive backgrounds in science. True or False?
False
According to the article, studies comparing GM and non-GM potatoes, soy, rice, corn and triticale found that the GM and their non-GM counterparts are NOT nutritionally equivalent." (True or False?)
False they are nutritionally equivalent
Perlmutter claims that altering the genome of soil microbes would be a better way to increase crop yield. True or False?
False, Dr. Evanega does
Since 1996, Farmers have been forced to purchase GM seeds which are not as resilient (True or False?)
False, GM seeds are MORE resilient - also yield more crops on less land and require less labor
Only 10% of all acres planted with soybean or corn are GM crops (True or False?)
False. More than 90% of all acres planted with corn and soybeans are now GM crops
According to the article,. Monsanto has attracted a bushel of researchers, universities and other agribusiness concerns to its side because of something they fear. What is it they fear?
Fear a decision in favor of Bowman would leave their own technological innovations open to poaching. g. The company's allies even include a company that is embroiled in a separate legal battle with Monsanto over one of the patents at issue in the Bowman case.
This article describes a landmark case. It is the first time in Australia where one farmer has sued another for negligence over what?
First time in Australia one farmer has sued another for negligence over contamination of organic crops by GMOs and will set a precedent for future cases The case also illustrates the challenge Australia faces developing its agribusiness sector as it looks to become a "food bowl" for Asia amid rapidly growing demand for everything from grains to beef.
Why is Monsanto suing this Indiana farmer?
For the unauthorized use of patented technology, namely the Roundup resistant soybean seeds
What are the major environmental risks from the growing of GE crops? (#24)
GE crops might harm the environment in several ways. One way is if the crop produces substances that kill beneficial insects, birds, or other organisms above or below ground. Those toxic effects would be limited primarily to the crop fields, but since crops are a major land use, the harm could be substantial. Initial evidenc years ago suggested that Monarch butterflies might be harmed by exposure to the pollen from certain Bt corn Another way GE crops could harm the environment is if they grow where they are not wanted. While most cultivated crops do not survive beyond well-tended fields, seeds from one year's crop that are not harvested may grow the following year, when a different crop may be planted. Those "volunteer" plants may be undesirable in the new crop. If the "volunteer" is an herbicide-resistant variety, the herbicides that could control it might be more toxic or expensive than the glyphosate that is usually used. That has occurred with some herbicideresistant canola in Canada. Those volunteer plants have now become weeds that farmers need to address with other control options. Another problem might result from mating between GE crops and their wild relatives (some of which may be serious weeds). Many crops have sexually compatible wild relatives, often in the regions where the crop originated. In the United States, corn and soybeans do not have wild relatives, but squash and canola do The herbicides sprayed on herbicide-tolerant crops can also impact the environment by harming other organisms or polluting soil, rivers, or groundwater. When Dicamba or 2,4-D are sprayed on GE crops tolerant to them, those herbicides could drift to nearby farms and harm crops. For crops that allow spraying of glyphosate, the glyphosate could impact the health of farm workers, since the International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that glyphosate is a "probable" carcinogen. Of course, many farm workers use protective gear or equipment when they spray herbicides but the herbicide still could be inhaled or ingested by workers, their families, and others near the sprayed crops.
Genetically engineered Bt crops have increased the use of dangerous insecticides. True or false?
GE= modern form of breeding Goal: add useful traits into food - has been part of our lives than most are aware - insulin for example - creating plants that are tolerant to drought - disease resistant: like the hawaiian papaya from being completley wiped out Bt: Bacterial disease of caterpillars - need for sprayings greatly reduced - has REDUCED harmful insecticde use in corn production by 45% FALSE - their net impact is better for the enviornment
Beliefs concerning GMOs tend to be dominated by two opposing narratives: What are they?
GMO critics: despise corporate control and greed and fear unnatural GMO advocates: see this technology as an example of the triymph of human ingenuity and science
Neurologist David Perlmutter claims that with increased use of GMOs comes increased use of a the chemical, Glyphosate. What does he claim Glyphosate is dangerous?
Genetically modified (GM) crops are associated with an increased use of chemicals, like glyphosate, that are toxic to the environment and to humans. These chemicals not only contaminate our food and water supplies, but they also compromise soil quality and are actually associated with increased disease susceptibility in crops. This ultimately leads to an increase in the use of pesticides and further disrupts ecosystems. And yet, despite these drawbacks, we haven't seen increased yield potential of GM crops, although that has always been one of the promises of GM seeds.
Why does Perlmutter claim Gm crops are harmful to the environment?
Genetically modified (GM) crops are associated with an increased use of chemicals, like glyphosate, that are toxic to the environment and to humans. These chemicals not only contaminate our food and water supplies, but they also compromise soil quality and are actually associated with increased disease susceptibility in crops. the use of pesticides for GM crops is disrupting ecosystems, contaminating the water and food supplies for the environment's organisms, and harming the soil microbiome. Organic crops also have an environmental cost because they're generally less productive and require more tilling than conventional and GM crops. They also use fertilizers from animals, which consume feed and water and produce methane gas in their waste. In some cases, take apples for example, the "natural" pesticides that organic growers use are far more toxic to humans and the environment than what conventional growers use.
Is the BT toxin harmful to humans ? Is it harmful to most other insects?
Harmless to most insects and humans, but Can kill corn boar caterpillar
According to Pamela Roland in "The Case for Engineering our Food", instead of worrying about the genes in our food, we must focus on what?
How we can help children grow up healthy, ask farmers in rural communities if they can thrive, and if everyone can afford the food - minimize environmental degradation
Which agencies regulate the environmental safety of GE crops?(#18)
If a crop has been engineered to make its own biological pesticide (such as Bt corn or Bt cotton), the EPA reviews and approves the safety of that crop or at least the effects of the added pesticide. In its regulatory process, the EPA performs a risk assessment to determine the benefits and risks to the environment from the biological pesticide and imposes any conditions needed to minimize or eliminate any potential harm to the environment. . The EPA's approval process also assesses the safety to humans and animals if they eat the pesticidal compound. The EPA establishes a safe tolerance level below which the pesticide is considered safe to eat in food consumed by humans. For GE crops (such as herbicide-tolerant canola or soybeans, as well as Bt corn or Bt cotton), the USDA is responsible for ensuring that growing those crops will not adversely impact U.S. agriculture or the environment. The USDA has established a notification and permitting process for field trials with engineered crops that developers must comply with before planting most GE crops on open fields. The USDA also has established a regulatory process that allows developers to petition the agency to deregulate their GE plants, allowing crops to be grown commercially without any regulatory restrictions or requirements. To date, over 25,000 field trials have gone through the USDA's regulatory procedures and over 95 crops have been deregulated (although many of those deregulated crops have not been commercialized).
Why does Evanega claim GM foods are more healthy than non-GM foods?
Imagine peanuts that can be genetically engineered to reduce levels of aflatoxin, and gluten-free wheat, which would give those with celiac disease a healthy and tasty bread option. GM corn has cut levels of naturally-occurring mycotoxin— a toxin that causes both health problems and economic losses — by a third. Other GMO foods, such as vitamin A-enriched Golden Rice, has been fortified with vitamins and minerals to create healthier staple foods and help prevent malnutrition. the process of engineering crops to contain a certain trait, such as pest-resistance or drought-tolerance, does nothing to affect the nutrient quality of food. Insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops actually reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide applications, which further improves their healthfulness and safety. Since growing pest-resistant Bt eggplant, however, they've been able to greatly reduce their pesticide applications. And that means GMO crops are healthier not only for the farmer, but the consumer. Similarly, studies have shown a new disease-resistant GMO potato could reduce fungicide use by up to 90 percent. Again, this would certainly result in a healthier potato — especially since even organic farmers use pesticides.
Why does Ben and Jerry's Ice cream not support GMOs?
It styles itself "an environmentally friendly, socially progressive brand" and GM food don't fit that image. Ironic, considering that GM crops help the environment by reducing pesticide use. Thanks to fewer sprays and less tillage, GM crops in 2012 reduced world-wide carbon emissions by 26.7 billion kilograms—the equivalent of taking 11.8 million cars off the road for a year, according to a 2013 report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.
What disease occurred in Europe that ultimately put the blame on farmers and, according to the authors, led to a heightened fear of the food industry by Europeans?
Mad Cow disease - Was pooh-poohed by government scientists for years before they addmitted the probability that his devastating neurological disease was caused by British cattle-feeding practicies. - Mad Cow disease is unreleated to GMOs - Created a "shapeless sort of fear" that something was wrong with the food supply
What might increase the consumer's trust in the use of GMOs?
More stringent labeling, so consumers could choose whether they wanted to expose themselves to risks of eating GMOs
What are some of the other fruits affected worldwide by viruses that GM technology could enhance?
Most of the transgenic fruits Potatoes, summer squash, apples and papayas (not correct...)
Where did the Modified Bacterium approach to gene insertion come from?
No longer is the outcome determined with random genes - rather, scientists directly insert the desirable DNA into the plant - use the DNA of different organisms, and cross those with the plant genes - new genes are inserted into host cells, by means of modified bacterium Scientific knowledge of the common Crown gall bacterial disease on ornamental plants, provided foundation of current genetic enginnering the crown gall bacteria contains a plasmid - genetic particle that moves bacteria into plant DNA, and reprograms the plant to produce food for the bacteria and create a tumor like structure - natural process in crown gall was modified so desirable genes could be inserted into the bacteria and then inserted into plants
Has any medical harm resulted to humans as a result of ingesting GMOs?
No medical harm to humans has been traced to ingesting GMOs
How specific can farmers get with conventional pesticide spraying techniques?
Not very specific
What did the Environmental protection agency mandate in order to deal with the issue of resistant pests?
Organic pestitcide known as Bt - very specific - not a long life - used sparingly - don't use it unless they have too
Why would a farmer turn to GE crops for controlling insects?
Over time, pesticides stop working
What are the primary health concerns of GE crops?(#22)
Potential harm from GE crops could include the production of new allergens or toxins, or unexpectedly increased levels of naturally occurring toxicants or allergens found in crops. Such unexpected changes may be caused by disruption of native genes, unexpected interactions between the GE genes and plant components, or the GE process itself. A more remote possibility is that new harmful substances could be produced by the plant It is important to understand that all of those categories of unexpected changes also could occur through traditional forms of plant breeding (such as the use of gamma radiation and chemical mutagenesis to produce new varieties) that have been carried out for many decades. In fact, the only known cases of increased or new harmful compounds have been due to traditional breeding methods, not genetic engineering (but see next question). Nonetheless, it is clear that many genes that have never been in the food supply, and that could not be introduced by traditional means, can be introduced by genetic engineering. Uncertainties about the properties of new genes and uncertain interactions with the native genes of the plant warrant a cautious approach to the approval of GE plants and the employment of a rigorous regulatory process.
Monsanto's opponents argue that the company has tried to use patent law to control the supply of seeds for what crops?
Soybeans Corn Cotton Canola Sugar beets Alfalfa Result: dramatic rise in seed prices and reduced options for farmers - group opposes spread of genetically engineered crops and says their benefits have been grossly overstated
Contamination of genes from other kingdoms occurs, even in nature (True or False?)
TRUE - through horizontal gene transfer
What is the "Terminator gene" and what is the controversy surrounding it?
Technology allows breeding of plants with seeds that will not reproduce. Companies can use it to prevent farmers from holding over seeds to grow another crop the following year. Such sterility may pose paticular problems for poor farmers in the developing world, who rely on carrying seed over from one year to another. But, it may also help them, according to SCU Professor of Biology, William Eisinger. Eisinger worries that unique strains of crops developed over many generations in remote areas may be corrupted or displaced by genetically engineered varieties. While seed sterility may make some farmers dependent on large corporations, it may also protect others by preventing their varieties from being adulterated through hybridization. "Terminator technology is very much a double-edged sword," he allows. What Eisinger says of Terminator technology seems true of many genetic modifications. Given the complexities, how can we evaluate whether the risks of GMOs are worth assuming? That's a hard question to answer in a vacuum. In each case of genetic engineering, the risk has to be weighed against the potential benefits, according to Margaret McLean, director of biotechnology and health care ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
Who monitors whether or not the farmers are laying aside land for this area of refuge for insects?
The EPA - for every field with Bt crops, there must be a section of non-Bt crops
The United States has the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency to regulate food safety. Who regulates food safety in Europe?
The Eu has no scientific bodies like the FDA or EPA to regulate food safety Government regulates!
Who ensures that our food is safe to eat? (#16)
The FDA is responsible for ensuring that all the foods we eat are safe. However, the FDA does not have clear legal authority to formally approve GE crops before they are commercialized. The FDA regulates GE food and feed crops through a voluntary notification and consultation process rather than by a mandatory pre-market approval process. In that voluntary process, the developer of a GE crop submits to the FDA a summary of data that shows that the GE crop is substantially equivalent to its traditionally bred counterpart and does not pose any novel health risk. The FDA reviews the submitted data and alerts the developer to any concerns it has about the developer's food safety assessment. A CSPI report on the FDA's oversight of GE food safety found that the process is not as rigorous or as independent as it should be, and that the FDA often does not get all of the data it needs to perform a fully informed safety review
What was the first GM organism?
The Flavr Savr tomato in 1994 - Touted for its flavor and long shelf life. - DId not contain an alien gene, but a gene normally present in the tomato was blocked so that a normal protein involved in repening was not produced - Giving the tomato a longer shelf life and better flavor. Failed to attract consumers
What are the advantages and disadvantages of herbicide and pest resistant plants?
The advantages of herbicide-tolerant crops are that they are less labor intensive and they save money. They also reduce the use of soil tillage, which is bad for the soil and releases CO2 into the environment. The disadvantage of herbicide tolerant crops is that they increase herbicide use, which gets into the environment, and which encourages the development of resistant weeds.
What type of labeling is already in place at the federal level?
The organic seal. "Anybody who wants to stay away from GM can buy organic. That choice is there." Department of Agriculture offers organic certification to farmers and food companies who meet a set of standards, one of which is proving that their food odesn't contain genetically modified ingredients.
Site two reasons why Evanega claims GM crops are beneficial to the environment.
They allow farmers to produce more food with fewer inputs. They help us spare land, reduce deforestation, and promote and reduce chemical use. These crops will directly benefit environmental healthby cutting the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and water. "halo effect" that benefits farmers raising non-GM and organic vegetable crops, allowing them to reduce their use of pesticides, too.
What are some of the claims made against Monsanto that, according to the article, are not true?
They do not sue farmers for seeds blowing into their fields. They have only pursued cases against farmers who deliberately tried to violate their contracts and essentially steal seed. Monsanto has not marketed a terminator seed that produces sterile seed. They obtained the rights of terminator seeds when they purchased another company, and then never brought them to market. Monsanto is also not responsible for suicides among Indian farmers. In fact the suicide rate among farmers in India has gone down slightly since the introduction of GMO crops. They assured farmers, for example, that resistance to glyphosate would not occur, but of course it has. Seed companies have pursued a strategy of maximizing their market. They would be happy for farmers to heavily rely on their crops.
What is the most common explanation for why consumers do not wish to consume GM food?
They say they had heard of GMOs, and roughly half said they try not to eat them. Common explanation: "it doesn't sound like something I should eat"
what are the most commonly grown GM crops in the US?
Those that have been engineered to withstand herbicide spraying: - roundup ready soybeans and corn Or to produce substances toxic to insects - Bt corn Crops that can tolerate herbicides have been an economic success story - approx 80% of US market in soybeans and cotton is in plants that can withstand the popular herbicide Roundup
What are the two basic types of GMOs?
Transfenic: - Refer to insterting genes from a distant species - even from different kingdoms of life, such as putting a gene from a bacterium into a plant Cisgenic: - involves inserting genes from closely related species, ones that could potentially cross breed with the target species.
According to "Food Evolution", Glyphosate is less toxic than caffeine or salt. True or False?
True
According to "Genetically Engineered Heribicide-Resistanct Weed Evolution in the United States," weeds have relatively less capacity to evolve resistance to glyphosate (remember this is the pesticide used in "Round Up Ready" GM crops) compared with some other commonly used classes of herbicides. True or False?
True
According to the American Association for the Advancement of science, GM crops are the most extensively tested crops ever added to our food supply. (True or False?)
True
According to the article "CRISPR Created Food are Different from GMOs:" The USDA has determined that CRISPR-Cas9 techniques (that do not introduce foreign DNA or use a "plant pest" bacteria for insertion) do not require their oversight. True or False?
True
According to the article "there really isn't much room for biodiversity in conventional farming, especially for plants without a clear economic value like the milkweed "(True or False?)
True
According to the article, the biotech derived products that we eat are the most highly tested and regulated components in what we consume," (True or False?)
True
According to the researchers in this video, Organic farming takes much more land than GM Crops. True or False?
True
Anti-GMO activists linked a correlation for an increase in use of GE products to an increase in cancer. The same correlation was drawn for the use of Organic Foods. True or False?
True
Evanega supports GMO technology as she claims it can reduce poverty and hunger among smallholder farmers in developing nations. She further claims they can also lessen the environmental impact of agriculture in general. True or false?
True
Food prices for consumers would not be affected if labeling of GMOs were required. (True or False?)
True
Glyphosate disrupts a pathway that is important for the friendly bacteria in the digestive system. True or False?
True
Glyphosate kills plants by inhibiting a metabolic pathway called the shikimate pathway. This pathway is crucial for plants and some microorganisms, but does not exist in humans. True or False?
True
Herbicide treatments have actually increased faster in the non-GE crops rice and wheat compared with the three major GE crops./ True or False?
True
If all farmers switched to completely organic farming, it would take triple the amount of land currently being farmed. True or False?
True
If you bite into an organic conventional papaya that is infected with the ringspot virus you will be chewing on tenfold more viral protein than the "vaccinated" genetically modified papaya. True or false?
True
Monsanto was involved in the development of DDT and Agent Orange. True or False?
True
Perlmutter acknowledges that the scientific literature doesn't indicate a dramatic difference in the nutritional quality comparing conventional and GM agricultural products in terms of vitamins and minerals. True or False?
True
Plant biologist Sarah Evanega's view mirrors the position taken by the National Academies of Science and the majority of the world's scientific community. True or False?
True
Several studies have actually found that Roundup is significantly more toxic to human cells than just glyphosate. True or False?
True
The National Academies of Science states that "To date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population." (True or False?)
True
The Papaya would have gone extinct on Hawaii if Gm crop technology had not provided resistance to the Ring spot virus. True or False?
True
The first marketable product created through genetically engineered (recombinant) DNA technology was Insulin. True or False?
True
Some studies have linked glyphosate to certain cancers, while others have found no connection. True or False?
True. The effects of isolated glyphosate may differ from products that contain glyphosate as one of many ingredients.
How does a gene gun work?
Uses compressed air to fire tiny inert metal particles mixed with thousands of copies of desired genes into the plants cells The inserted genes are incorporated into the DNA of the plant, and these cells will be grown to form the improved plant The insertion of foreign DNA into plant material will produce a transgenic plant - these GM plants have hopeful characteristics to farmers crops - resistant to pesticides, and ability of the plant to create its own natural defenses that can kill insects - don't have to go through long growing periods, because we have rigged the "slot" machine - new plant varities can be formed in months, instead of years or decades
How does the government regulate GE crops? (question #15 in article)
Using existing statues. It is the responsibility of those government agencies to make sure GE crops are safe for humans, animals, and the environment. In particular, the FDA is responsible for the food safety of GE crops, while the USDA is responsible for ensuring that GE crops don't harm agriculture or the environment. The EPA is responsible for the safety of pesticides, including plants such as Bt corn or Bt cotton, which have been engineered to produce a biological pesticide.
According to CSPI, the EPA needs to ensure that farmers comply with refuge requirements. What are these?
When the EPA registered corn and cotton varieties with engineered Bt pesticides, the agency imposed obligations on farmers who planted those crops to reduce the chance that resistant pests would develop and reduce the technology's effectiveness. Farmers are required to plant a portion of their farms with non-Bt varieties, which acts as a refuge for pests that are not resistant to the Bt pesticide. Planting Bt corn seeds with two or more genes that attack the same pest, called "pyramided" products, reduces the likelihood that insects will develop resistance. If farmers adopt these new products and abide by the EPA's reduced refuge obligations, the likelihood of resistant insects would probably be postponed for many more years, allowing farmers to continue to realize the benefits of this relatively benign method of reducing pest damage.
What loophole is present in the USDA regulatory system that allows for some GE varieties to be released into the environment without any regulation?(#20)
Zinc finger nucleases ? Herbicide-tolderant turf grass developed by Scotts
According to the article ,a loss of _______________________is a major contributor to the decline in the monarch population
agricultural milkweeds
According to the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI) (under question #19) What percentage of noncompliance was seen among farmers in 2009?
farmer noncompliance with the EPA planting restrictions had increased to approximately 35%
What are the four types of GM plants currently approved for use?
herbicide tolerance insecticide production altered fatty acid composition (for canola oil), and virus resistance.
What is Confirmation bias?
the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.
After 20 years of careful study and rigorous peer review by thousands of independent scientists, every major scientific organization in the world has concluded that the crops currently on the market are safe to eat and that the process of genetic engineering is no more risky than older methods of genetic modification. True or false?
true
