PMB 10 Final

intersection of GM and CRISPR

CRISPR and other tools have enhanced potential to increase yields, reduce prices, and improve env health along with GM but restrictions to both have been costly and need smart regulations if biotech is continued to be restricted

science behind CRISPR

CRISPR is an immune system to protect bacteria and archaea against viruses with the associated cas gene 9 using RNA-DNA base pairing

case study: stomatal density of rice

STOMAGEN/epfl10 is a regulator of stomatal (major sites of water loss) development which reduce stomatal density in rice and conserve water

contracts

a choice of innovators for production to establish contracts with upstream suppliers- good because the innovator has limitations of human capital/credit and the desire to build a large brand to ward off competition

adoption

a decision by a specific individual to use a new technology and is measured at the individual level

s-shaped diffusion curve

a diffusion curve characterized by slow initial growth followed by a rapid increase in diffusion which levels out due to early educated adopters influencing their followers which leads to a takeoff/growth while less educated individuals join late or not at all

biofuels

a fuel derived directly from living matter- sugarcane and corn are economically viable

transgenic plant

a genetically modified plant that results in a viable plant carrying a new gene- artificial genome

household production model

a modern approach to food demand where the demand for food depends on household composition and labor market considerations because it recognizes that families purchase food products and use equipment/time to produce meals

innovation

a new way of doing things that can include new markets or a new product

CRISPR

a technology that can be used to edit genes by adding and removing them- can lead to animal free meats, improved livestock, and new plant varieties

genetic modification

a technology that changes the genetic material of a living organism- can introduce any gene, quick, best for simple traits, more regulation

hedonic model

a theoretical model that allows consideration of differentiated goods through a value function (product price) based on a food's health, quality, taste, and convenience because value is placed on a willingness to pay for convenience and taste

agrobacterium tumefaciens

a tumor-inducing bacteria in plants that has been altered by scientists to transfer traits (genes/DNA) from one plant to another

diffusion

aggregate adoption or the overall use of technology in society, measured by the percentage of potential users in a market who actually adopt

biotechnology and crop biodiversity

agricultural biotechnology allows minor modification of existing varieties and under appropriate institutional setup can be adopted while preserving crop biodiversity

traditional demand theory

an inadequate modeling of demand that does not take into account non-market activities, product innovation, and product quality differences because it ignored the intrinsic properties of goods

interdisciplinary research

an integrated approach to research that introduces biological and physical concepts to risk-analysis framework

economic applications to agriculture

analysis of behavior and outcomes (crop choice, new tech, agriculture prices), policy impact assessment (policy/tech), and policy design (incentives/efficiency)

public policy research

analysis of government activities in various areas- pragmatic applied, interdisciplinary (combines politics with economics and math)

interdisciplinary elements in economics

analyzes resources allocation and emphasizes explaining policies, rationality, markets, and money, borrows heavily from stats, can be used as an integrating discipline in policymaking, strong applied subfields

agricultural biotechnology

applies modern tools of molecular and cell biology to agriculture since the discovery of DNA

how does biotechnology revive biofuelds

applying CRISPR technology in rice will reduce acreage to grow sugarcane for biofuels in places such as india, vietnam, china, and africa

assumptions and problems with US agriculture

assumptions: high innovation, many small firms, competitive markets, inelastic demand, randomness, and environmental side effects results: low farm income, unstable yields/prices, rural poverty, environmental/resource degradation

applications of CRISPR in bananas/cocoa

bananas: stop damage caused by foc virus on bananas that would affect 60-80% of bananas and their production cocoa: aims to lessen vulnerability to swollen shoot virus of cocoa faster than years and to increase yield/make new varieties

genetic modification and regulations

bans and excess regulations prevent genetic modification from reaching its potential- misguided policies lead to missed opportunities

bioeconomy

basic definition: economic activities that rely on biological processes to produce economic value process based: economic activity derived from research activity input based: economic activity based on processing of organisms/systems

current wold food outlook

because of millennium development goals and other initiatives, poverty and malnourishment has been decreasing despite increased demand for foods such as cereals from developing countries with population growth

zinc fingers

binds a zinc ion; part of the finger of amino acids that bind DNA

regulations and bioeconomics

bioeconomy in the past and present has been shaped by regulations (ex: prohibition) but there is underinvestment in private sectors and not enough incentives to further develop biorenewable solutions despite a desire to have a renewable economy

implications of gene editing on the environment

can increase food yields without farmland expansion, reduced input and fuels use, carbon savings from land changes, carbon sequestering possible on saved lands, less toxic chemical use/runoff

integrated genomic institute (IGI)

centered in berkeley/parterened with USCF/davis, it is an institution that is involved with new genetic tools, research on regulations, and new applications of gene editing

main elements to attain sustainable development

conservation (less consumption of energy/nonrenewables), recycling, use of renewable energy resources, and the bioeconomy (associated with transition to renewables/husbandry)

examples of GE plants

corn: waxy corn has high amylopectin and less amylose compared to traditional yellow dent corn soybean: TALE edited soybean oil will not need trans-fat generating hydrogenation wheat: CRISPR editing increases fungal/mildew disease resistance

economic effects of GMOs

costs of production have decreased (esp in developing countries), greater flexibility in farm management, gains are distributed to farmers/consumers (benefits to consumers increase over time)

constraints on supply chain

credit and finance: integrator may need to finance both feedstock production, access to credit may lead integrator to vertically integrate, invest in other facilities, and price credit to contractor risk/uncertainty: concern about reliability of processors, tech/regulatory uncertainty, and variable product demand

designing supply chains

designed to maximize profit while taking into account price, cost, and quantity of output so that the optimal output of production gains marginal benefits from production

sustainable development

development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations emphasizing 3 pillars- economy, society, and environment

evolution of disciplines

disciplines are born from conflict within disciplines, integration of methods, and new complex problems (cs, chem engineering) disciplines die from a lack of excitement (astrology)

genome editing applications for climate change

disease mitigation, land sparing/enhanced yield, abiotic stress tolerance, nutritional improvement

myths about GMOs

does not make a difference in yield, benefits the rich, not useful for the environment, can make a much bigger impact in the future

useful traits in genetic engineering

drought resistance, disease resistance, consumer benefits, herbicide resistance, altered growth, and yield, storage, or processing improvement

inelastic product

elasticity < 1, low responsiveness to price change due to few substitutes- most goods are inelastic in the short term bc it takes time to adjust to price changes

elastic product

elasticity > 1, high responsiveness to price change due to high number of substitutes

environmental outcomes of climate change

erratic rainfall, storm severity, more co2, increased temperature/desertification, droughts, rising seas, flooding, increased salinization

mutation breeding

exposes seeds to chemicals or radiation to generate mutants with possible disease resistance and physiological improvements- but mutations are random, not frequently desirable, and a lot of work

trends in US agriculture

farm population/labor has declines, bigger farms, stable acreage, higher yield per acre, real price/value decrease, share of agr in GDP declines

three generations of GM traits

first generation production traits: insect, disease resistance and herbicides second gen: better quality/nutrition/efficiency and tolerance to stress third gen: pharmaceuticals/industrial products in plants

established and emerging food trends

fresh tasting foods, convenient foods, fusion foods, ethnic foods, prepared home meal replacements, natural and organic, physical performance foods, and food mixtures

why use genetic editing over selective breeding?

genetic engineering allows for precise gene editing, cuts labor, time, and costs, and there are a variety of tools available

case study: golden rice

golden rice is a genetically enhanced rice variety that contains higher levels of beta-carotene/vitamin a to help with deficiencies that can cause blindness- if golden rice was introduced and adopted slowly there would be many cumulative benefits that were missed // example of the limited capacity of GM from restrictions and how this has been costly in monetary and human terms

summary of changes in agricultural landscape

greater use of modern tech, better management practices, greater industrialization of agriculture, more free trade, and change in policies to accommodate environmental/energy concerns

exampled of technological innovations

green revolution (new strains, pesticides, irrigation), GM seeds, water tech, low till agr, and integrated pest management

economic growth theory

has evolved to introduce other factors such as human capital investment, introduction of new and improved vintage capital goods, and endogenous growth

how to create transgenic plants

have a gene of interest (transgene with promoter sequence and selectable marker), introduce this into appropriate delivery system (agrobacterium/ bombardment), transform totipotent (underdeveloped-callus/flower) plant cells, verify the transgenic plant (test cross for homozygous)

target traits for plant breeding

high primary productivity, crop yield, nutritional quality (ex: golden rice), adaption to intercropping, better nitrogen fixation, efficient water use, drought resistance, resistance to pathogens/pests (bt cotton), plant architecture, elimination/tolerance of toxic compounds (roundup ready)

market conditions in agricultural markets

high rates of innovation, many small firms, inelastic demand, uncertainty, lack of flexibility/input mobility, and credit imperfection

meganucleus

highly specific homing endonuclease used to engineer plans with new DNA sequences

invisible hand

in a free market, an individual pursuing his own self-interest tends to also promote the good of his community through the invisible hand (faces criticism for being false)

threshold model

incorporated micro level decision making, heterogeneity, and dynamic processes (processes that change with time) into the adoption process

implications for agriculture

increase growth and productivity (from high demand), change/increase farmer support, industrialization of agr (brands, professionals, constracts, more diverse/expansive agr sector, change in production and trade patterns, rural development

normal good

increase in income results in less than proportional increase in consumption (bread, cheese)

luxury good

increase in income results in more than proportional increase in consumption (caviar, filet mignon)

inferior good

increase in income results in reduction in consumption (canned corn)

impacts of technological innovation on agriculture

increased global food production, improved yields of specific crops, slower expansion of cultivated lands, reduced deforestation, increase in irrigated land

innovation process

initial idea and research, development (up-scaling/testing), production, marketing, adoption and use

why it is important to project aggregate demand of food?

it is essential to predict the ability of a nation to feed itself (food security), demand for natural resources (affects land/water use), demand for other inputs, and trade impacts

transition of US agriculture policy

land and settlement policies -> farm support policies -> landscape and environmental quality policies

roles of prices

measures of scarcity, quality, and vary by time and location

elasticity

measures responsiveness of supply or demand to change in price or income, calculated by changes in supply%/price change%

types of technology/innovations

mechanical, chemical, biological, managerial, and institutional

renewable resources

natural resources that can be naturally renewed but still exhausted- sunlight, water, wind, plants, and animals that are divided between harvesting and husbandry (farming) systems

properties of demand

negatively sloped, more is demanded at lower prices, technological change creates an outward shift due to income growth

induced innovation

new technology that emerges in response to scarcity, need, or economic and social conditions

market equilibrium

occurs at the point where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied- both producers and consumers have little incentive to change

old vs new bioeconomy

old bioeconomy is based on fermentation (cheese, wine, bread, wine) and new is based on molecular biology and information technology

processes affecting agriculture

population and income growth (more demand for grain/meat), environmentalism (depletion of resources), consumerism/choice, globalization (pursuit of free trade), privatization (gov market regulation), new tech (biotech/info tech), biofuels (alt to oil with higher prices)

properties of supply

positively sloped, more is supplied at higher prices, technological change shifts supply out

solutions to US agricultural problems

price/income support (government min), crop insurance, inventory control, land set-asides (pay for farm land for conservation), and environmental regulation

what affects food demand?

prices, income, and maximum utility derived subject to income constraints

factors that affect adoption of technology

profits (total revenue vs cost), income and access to credit (how much can afford to lose), risk and uncertainty, market access and availability, education, size, and government policies (enhance and reduce)

post civil war institutional innovation

public education and outreach (USDA), collective actions (water districts, agr cooperatives), and labor supply management (unions, constractors)

new bioeconomy

relies on the discovery of dna and new genetic engineering tools- possible bc we are in a genetic revolution, the future of which depends on regulations, and less costly regulation can lead to differentiations

impacts of GMOs on yield

represents the good impact of agricultural biotech as yield has increased, lower risk of yield variability, can increase the use of complementary inputs like fertilizers

multidisciplinary research

research from multiple disciplines work independently but in parallel to analyze problems (UN task force, National Research Council)

challenges solved by biotechnology

rising food demand, falling yield growth, energy demand rising, and climate change

technology

simply defined as new ways to achieve tasks with different applications economics: changes to production function that alters relationship between inputs and outputs agr: changed in productivity of agr inputs

solutions and problems of agricultural problems

solutions to agricultural problems include price/income support, inventory control, land set asides, environmental regulation, credit subsidies problems with this: excess production, high consumer price, trade distortions, export quotas and taxes, input subsidies, and budgetary concerns

economics

studies resource allocation with several approaches- behavioral, institutional, econometric, positive and normative theory

supply and demand of technology

technology in the short run has an inelastic supply/demand but is elastic in the long run

carrying capacity

the amount of activity a resource base can sustain- depends on technology and institutions

bioeconomy and agriculture

the bioeconomy will derive the future of agriculture and enable a transition to a renewable economy as long as there are continuous increases in productivity and enlightened regulations, bioeconomy can also solve the traditional problem of low farm income

resilience

the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a disturbance by resisting damage and recovering quickly

vertical integration

the combination in one company of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies so innovators produce by themselves- good because more involvement in the system can perfect it and contracting has limits of reliability/protection of knowledge

supply chain

the connected chain of all of the business entities (producer, processor) that perform or support the logistics function as a result of innovation

imitation model

the contact among individuals is the driving force behind adoption and diffusion, and will lead to an S-shaped diffusion curve- not a great model bc potential adopters are assumed to be homogenous

political economy challenge (cocoa case study)

the government will not modernize sectors because of price effect to better control the cocoa effect by reducing acres while increasing yield, growing alternative crops

what causes the current global poverty?

the hunger and nutritional deficiencies of more than 800 million people is caused because of poverty and not a lack of food produced

how do you predict aggregate demand

the key factors to consider are population growth, income growth (GDP), and trade

fermentation

the key to the traditional bioeconomy and used to produce preserved and not perishable products, expanded the use of agriculture to provide more fun/taste, expanded supply of food in other seasons which increased range of livable locations, enhances efficiency of food use

macroeconomics

the study of the macro-aggregate behavior of the overall economy, deals with unemployment, inflation, money/interest rates, investments, and savings

microeconomics

the study of the micro behavior of consumers and firms and the resulting market outcomes, deals with prices/quantities, impact of market regulations, consumer/producer welfare, monopolies, and imperfect competition

dimensions of policy research

theoretical (policies), institutional (design), empirical (impact), and political economic to overall emphasize practicality

TALEs

transcription activator-like effectors; specific dna-binding proteins that promote disease susceptibility as repeat units form helices around DNA that form a superhelix

complements

two goods where the an increase of price of one will reduce the demand for the other (bread and butter)

substitutes

two goods where the increase in price of one will increase the demand for the other (corn syrup and sugar)

molecular breeding

use DNA markers to identify disease resistant lines with mostly elite DNA- limited traits/species, can select complex traits, laborious over generations, less regulation

angus deaton

won a nobel prize in economics in 2015 from his work to link individual choices and aggregate outcomes which transformed fields of economics