Solving the Food Crisis With an Unlikely Alliance
A new book argues for a marriage of organic farming and genetic engineering
Many groups oppose genetically engineered crops on the grounds that they're unsafe. What exactly are they worried about, and is the concern justified?
Raoul: BT [Bacillus thuringiensis] protein is one example. The gene for BT comes from bacteria and is integrated into some genetically engineered crops. Some people are concerned about the idea of eating that protein over long periods of time, even though it is present only in trace amounts. As an organic farmer, I've applied BT protein, which is approved for use in organic farming, many times. The protein affects a relatively small range of butterflies and moths but is nontoxic to humans and other animals, which is one reason it is a favorite tool of organic farmers.
You mentioned that some genetically modified plants require less insecticide. That seems like something that organic farmers would embrace.
Pamela: Yes, I think the public is not aware that the use of genetically engineered seed has dramatically reduced insecticide use. In China, cotton farmers were able to eliminate 150 million pounds of insecticide in a single year by using genetically engineered varieties. For comparison, in California, we spray about that much every year.
Raoul: One interesting part of this story, however, is that those huge gains started to fall off after six or seven years. Those farmers in China have started to see a resurgence of "secondary" pests because they are no longer spraying insecticides. I'm betting that if those farmers had been using crop rotation and biological controls [releasing beneficial insects, for example, or interspersing crops in ways that make it harder for insects to get the upper hand]—the practices that organic farmers use—instead of growing monoculture [one crop in one place], they wouldn't have had such problems with secondary pests.
How common are genetically engineered crops around the world now?
Pamela: Every time a GE crop has been approved for use, farmers have embraced it and the GE acreage for each crop has quickly grown to 50 to 90 percent of the total acreage. According to a recent article in Science magazine, the top producer is currently the United States with 57 million hectares; the next is Argentina with 20 million hectares; and then Brazil with 15 million hectares. These three are followed by Canada, India, China, Paraguay, and South Africa.
Globally, are we using the breadth of what's scientifically possible or just focusing on modifying a few specific traits?
Pamela: There are essentially just two traits out there: herbicide resistance and insect resistance. Those two have been put mainly in soybeans, corn, and cotton. We are just at the tip of an enormous iceberg of possibility.
Raoul: Flood resistance, drought tolerance, frost tolerance, salt tolerance—all of these could potentially be put into crops to increase yields. I'm particularly interested in crops resistant to nematodes, a class of tiny, cylindrical worms commonly found in soil. There are researchers working at Davis who are working on nematode resistance for tomatoes. They say it would even be fairly easy to put nematode resistance into heirloom tomatoes, such as Brandywine.
Heirloom tomatoes and Brandywines have become such a staple—even a symbol—of organic farming. Would you grow genetically engineered Brandywines if they existed?
Raoul: Well, I couldn't grow it as an organic farmer. I'd have to grow it as a nonorganic crop, but I would. Heirlooms are extremely susceptible to nematodes. You basically can't grow them organically if you have nematodes.
What about the concern that corporations can own the patent rights to genetically engineered seeds, so farmers can't save them and have to buy from the same company year after year?
Raoul: Actually, it's the same for many hybrid varieties that are popular among organic growers.
Reader Comments
GM Foods; The Human Race's Last Stand?
I am deeply disturbed that we are using GM Foods with no idea of the long term consequenses on the human race, and other species that are affected by whatever the GM Foods have been designed for. We are gambling and playing with the survival of all species on earth. In most cases it appears the yield is much the same or less, and the it is only for the benefit of the Seed companies, or like.
I am a financier age 64 who does business all over the world.
Rice cultivation
6/5/08
Dear Prof. Pamela Ronald,
I am deeply concerned about the rice supply situation in the Philippines. A relative told me of a very sad story of an elderly woman who stood patiently for more than two hours at a government rice supply facility during the hottest time of the day. She received barely two pounds of rice (not the best kind), went home and cooked some of it. After less than an hour into her cooking she just dropped dead. I suppose she had heat stroke, and did not even realize it. This incident deeply touched me. I know that food supply is greatly dependent on an effective production and storage. I am also painfully aware that most industrialized and developing economies are to a great extent oil-driven. Thus, when oil prices rise, all other commodities prices will also increase. In the Philippines, rice and other carbohydrate staples are grown mostly with the use of the water buffalo as the main beast of burden, and each rice seedling is planted by hand. My parents had more than 12 hectares (roughly equivalent to 24 acres), which they planted to rice. Their biggest challenge were the yearly typhoons, which can destroy the whole crop of rice, which were ready for harvest. I witnessed one huge typhoon ("Didang" was its name), where rice stalks laden with golden grains floated in the water brought about by the typhoon. Although the rice fields were surrounded with very reliable dikes/irrigation system, yet monsoon rains brought about by the yearly typhoons usually flooded the fields. Dr. Pamela Ronald, since you have been involved in generating a rice variety that is flood resistant, is it possible for you to supply us with seeds. I would like to acquire at least two (2) 50 lb bags of rice seeds, which I can send to my kin folks, who are still in the business of planting rice. Please advise me where I can pick up these flood resistant rice variety. If you can supply them for free, then that would be great, but if not, how much would it cost to purchase about (3)-50 lbs bags of seeds as a starter.
Dr. Ronald, I have been telling my kin folks and friends to supplement their carbohydrate diet with corn and sweet potatoes ( "camote/kamote") and other root crops (yucca=cassava tubers, yams = white taro type/"gabi", purple type locally called "ube") and bananas. These tubers are slightly cheaper than rice and corn. I have also tried to encourage them to plant and eat more vegetables.
Dr. Ronald, can you please advise me where I can also get hold of some bags of brown rice seeds. Brown rice are more fibrous, thus, a lot healthier to eat than the plain white rice.
Thank you very much for your help.
Sincerely,
Jo
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