A Focus on Agricultural Biotechnology

On this page... Impact of Agricultural Biotechnology ICSU Research Report Traditional Plant Breeding vs. Genetic Engineering History of Agricultural Biotechnology Genetically Modified Food and Human Health Genetically Modified Food on the Market U.S. Federal Agencies that Regulate Agricultural Biotechnology The Benefits of Biotechnology Agricultural Biotechnology Research Glossary Resources Agricultural biotechnology is a science that includes both traditional plant breeding and genetic engineering techniques to develop, modify, or improve living organisms such as plants, animals and microorganisms. It represents a technology gradient ranging from traditional biomethods such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer to modern innovations which involve genetic engineering, monoclonal antibody production for diagnostics, tissue-culture methods leading to transgenics, and DNA markers to assess variation. Modern agricultural biotechnology allows a specific gene(s) to be moved from one organism into another unrelated species to confer a desired trait. Genetically modified (GM) food crops and agricultural biotechnology have generated interest and controversy around the world. Understanding both the benefits and the potential negative effects to the food supply and the environment are the focus of many scientific bodies. GM crops are planted on more than 109 million acres worldwide. The United States accounts for more than two-thirds of all biotech crops planted globally. GM food crops grown by U.S. farmers include corn, cotton, soybeans, canola, squash, and papaya. Impact of Agricultural Biotechnology The applications of biotechnology and the resulting implications can be categorized into the following areas: Food safety and human health Environmental sustainability Regulatory framework for gene technology and biotechnology-derived organisms and products Effects on emerging economies and trade Food security Ethical issues, public perceptions and communications Back to top ICSU Research Report The International Council for Science (ICSU) has released a report entitled: “New Genetics, Food and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries – Societal Dilemmas”. The report was commissioned by ICSU’s Advisory Committee on Genetic Experimentation and Biotechnology (ACOGEB) and is a synthesis of over 50 science-based reviews from the national academies of sciences, international organizations, and private agencies from 1999-2002. This report is a detailed analysis of scientific assessments of the risks and benefits of applying new genetic discoveries to food and agriculture. To view the full report and executive suumary, go to the ICSU Resource Centre. Back to top Traditional Plant Breeding vs. Genetic Engineering Traditional plant breeding crosses two parental lines and does not allow a specific gene(s) to be transferred. This method creates offspring containing half the genetic material from each parent, and only through continued breeding can undesirable genes be eventually removed. On the other hand, genetic engineering allows a precise and controlled gene transfer of a desirable gene(s) into the new plant. Traditional breeding can only be used among the same or similar species; whereas, genetic engineering allows gene transfer across species and into different organisms. Products of genetic engineering technology, are referred to as “genetically modified”,“genetically engineered”, or “transgenic”. Back to top History of Agricultural Biotechnology Biotechnology is often seen as a natural progression from the early techniques of traditional plant breeding that used artificial man-made crosses to modify a plant. A cross was performed by transferring pollen from one plant species to another sexually compatible plant of the same or similar species for the purpose of bringing a desirable trait(s) into the plant offspring. Desirable traits may include disease resistance and pest resistance. Some techniques used in the 1930s to perform crosses are still used today and fall under the broad classification of "biotechnology", but are not considered genetic engineering. In the 1950s plant breeding included aspects of biotechnology. Radiation and chemical mutation breeding techniques were used to create artificial variation in an organism. Since mutations were random, the plant had to be assessed to find if a mutation had occurred, brought a desirable trait, or caused a negative effect. Modern agricultural biotechnology is a precise form of breeding because of genetic engineering technology. There are two commonly used methods for gene transfer into crop plants. The first method uses the DNA from a plasmid in the common soil-dwelling bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Since A. tumefaciens naturally transfers its genetic material into the host plant, when a desired gene is placed into the bacterium, it is also transferred into the plant. The second method uses a "gene gun", developed by Cornell University researchers to create genetically engineered plant cells. The gene gun shoots DNA segments into plant cells at high speed, incorporating some of that DNA into the plant’s genome. Both gene transfer techniques require tissue culture, where the transformed plant cells are cultured in a medium before being tested in greenhouses and in field trials. Back to top Genetically Modified Food and Human Health Allergens The use of biotechnology in food raises several issues relevant to food allergies. The ability to move genes from one organism into another creates the potential of introducing allergenic proteins into foods that would not normally contain them. If the source of the gene is known to have allergenic potential, the genetically modified food can be tested to see if it now contains an allergen. The issue of concern is that novel proteins, not previously in the food supply, will be difficult to identify as potential allergens. On the other side, genetic modification can be used to remove or change proteins that are known allergens in plant foods such as the soybean. Recent research has demonstrated that a particular protein causing soybean allergies can be eliminated by modern biotechnology. A report commissioned by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology in 2002, entitled “A Snapshot of Federal Research on Food Allergy: Implications for Genetically Modified Food”, combined with a scientific meeting sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences suggest that a larger research effort is needed for regulators to understand and predict the allergenic potential of new proteins. The report can be found at: http://pewagbiotech.org/research/allergy.pdf. Currently, under FDA guidelines, a genetically modified food must be labeled if it contains an allergen that is not ordinarily in the food. Nutritional Disorders As in traditional plant breeding, if the essential nutrient composition of the plant is not altered, and no known potential allergens are introduced, no long-term studies are required to determine if consuming the food could cause a potential nutritional disorder. Biotech plants fall under the same guidelines as their conventional counterparts. Back to top Genetically Modified Food on the Market Recent estimates show that 60 percent to 70 percent of foods in the U.S. markets contain GE ingredients, meaning they contain at least a small quantity of some crop that has been genetically engineered. The genetically engineered plants that have been approved for commercial use in the U.S. are: soybean, corn, canola, cotton, papaya, squash, potato, tomato, rice, flax, sugar beet, sweet corn, melon and radicchio. Currently available on the market are: soybean, corn, canola, cotton, papaya, and squash. Many food products contain GE ingredients because of four major biotech crops: soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. Soybean Varieties of genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant soybeans are the most common biotech plant products on the market. More than 70 percent of the U.S. soybean crop is grown with biotech varieties used for weed management. Soybean-based ingredients are soybean oil, soy lecithin, and soy protein. Corn USDA estimates that over 25 percent of the U.S. field corn crop grown in 2002 is a biotech variety for insect control and weed management. Corn-based ingredients include corn flour, corn oil, and corn syrup. Genetically modified sweet corn is less prevalent and almost no canned or frozen corn is from biotech corn plants. Canola The U.S. imports most of its canola from Canada. In 2002, 50 percent of the rapeseed crop (canola oil is extracted from the rapeseed plant) was a genetically engineered variety for weed management. Products containing canola include: canola oil, salad dressings, margarines, processed cheese, “non-dairy” products, chips, cookies, pastries, chocolates, candy coatings, and confections. Cotton Nearly 70 percent of the cotton crop is genetically engineered for insect control and weed management. Products containing cotton seed oil include: peanut butter, candies, cooking oils, chips, crackers, cookies and pastry crusts. Back to top The Benefits of Biotechnology Human Health and Diseases - USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers find that transgenic animals may be a new source of valuable hormones and drugs to treat emphysema and infections in babies. Nutritional Value of Food – Biotechnology-derived food can boost the nutritional value of foods. For example, the transgenic “Golden Rice” contains beta-carotene for production of Vitamin A, in order to prevent blindness and death in deficient children. Animal Health and Diseases -- Biotechnology helped produce a vaccine that protects animals in the wild against rabies and a vaccine for "shipping fever" of cattle, the biggest killer of beef cattle in feedlots. Food Security – The development of pest-resistant and disease-resistant biotech crops will increase yields and improve hunger in developing countries. Plants that can be bred to tolerate dry and saline soil will increase available farmland. For example, an ARS scientist used biotechnology to find a gene that could allow wheat, a major food staple, to grow on millions of acres worldwide that are now hostile to the crop. ARS scientists have also developed an experimental potato hybrid that contains genes to resist a new, more virulent strain of the so-called "late blight," the disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. Environment - Biotechnology can help reduce the use of insecticides and herbicides. For example, Bt cotton, a widely grown biotech crop, kills several important cotton pests. Biotechnology-derived pigs can express salivary phytase and produce low-phosphorus manure that is beneficial to the environment. Transgenic cottonwood trees are being tested for their potential to remediate soil and water contaminated with mercuric compounds. Agricultural Economics - Engineered crops that are disease-resistant can rescue a crop market economically. For example, the development of two types of virus-resistant papaya saved the Hawaiian papaya industry from being devastated by the papaya ringspot virus. Back to top U.S. Federal Agencies that Regulate Agricultural Biotechnology The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all have a role in regulating agricultural biotechnology. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)of the USDA is responsible for protecting American agriculture against pests and diseases. The agency regulates the field testing of genetically engineered plants and certain microorganisms. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)ensures the safety of all meat and poultry products consumed as food. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the labeling of genetically engineered food if it determined that a GE food is not equivalent to its conventional product. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines the safe use and tolerances of pesticides and herbicides in the environment, including microbials. They have jurisdiction over biotech crops and plants that produce pesticides or plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs). Back to top Agricultural Biotechnology Research The USDA is exploring many areas of plant biotechnology research such as developing and analyzing plant genomes, understanding genetic factors that influence plant diseases and resistance mechanisms, and exploring methods to control gene expression in order to confer desirable traits. USDA/ARS National Program 301: Plant, Microbial and Insect Genetic Resistance; Genomics and Genetic Improvement (Rice Genetics and GermPlasm Enhancement) To genetically map genes controlling traits important in temperate rice production, including seedling vigor, disease resistance, tolerance to low temperature and submergence, and yield. To develop improved germplasm through the incorporation of useful genes not in elite U.S. cultivars and breeding lines. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. rice breeding programs. National Program 302: Plant Biological and Molecular Processes: Analysis and modification of plant genomes in order to improve understanding of genomic information in order to advance crop production and improve protection against pests and diseases. Develop new methods to increase the number of important crop species and varieties that can be genetically engineered. New technologies to improve predictability and control of expression of specific transgenes and their localization in the host genome. Improve knowledge of mechanisms of disease and pest resistance in order to improve plant crop resistance. Identify factors that confer tolerance to drought , flooding, heat, freezing, and soil acidity in order to transfer these traits to present crops. National Program 303: Plant Diseases: Identify and characterize plant genes for disease resistance. Enhance disease resistance in plants by incorporating the gene through conventional and genetic engineering techniques. For an update on the biotechnology research conducted by the USDA/ARS National Programs visit: Plant, Microbial and Insect Genetic Resistance;Genomics and Genetic Improvement Plant Biological and Molecular Processes Plant Diseases USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Research that addresses risk management and risk assessment of biotechnology is currently being funded by USDA/CSREES under the Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRARGP). Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research needs to be conducted in the following areas: Domesticated animals Microorganisms Plants: Unintended Effects, Gene Flow, and Resistance Management Fish/shellfish/Insects For more information about this research program please visit: Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Programs Back to top Glossary This glossary was taken from the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences publication, "Agricultural Biotechnology: Informing the Dialogue". Agrobacterium tumefaciens: A bacterium that causes crown gall disease in some plants. The bacterium characteristically infects a wound, and incorporates a segment of Ti plasmid DNA into the host genome. This DNA causes the host cell to grow into a tumor-like structure that synthesizes specific opines that only the pathogen can metabolize. This DNA-transfer mechanism is exploited in the genetic engineering of plants and is used to deliberately transfer genetic material. biotechnology-derived: The use of molecular biology and /or recombinant DNA technology, or in vitro gene transfer, to develop products or to impart specific capabilities in plants or other living organisms. gene: a section of DNA that occupies a specific place on a particular chromosome and represents the code for the inheritance and development of a characteristic. gene flow:The movement of genes from different populations of species. gene splicing: The isolation of a gene from one organism and then the introduction of that gene into another organism using techniques of biotechnology. genetic modification(GM): Used interchangeably with genetic engineering but genetic modification does not always involve genetic engineering. genetically modified organism (GMO): Usually the label GMO or “transgenic” are used to refer to organisms that have acquired novel genes from other organisms by laboratory “gene transfer” methods. genetic engineering: The technique of removing, modifying, or adding genes to a DNA molecule in order to change the information it contains. By changing this information, genetic engineering changes the type or amount of proteins an organism is capable of producing, thus enabling it to make new substances or perform new functions. genetically modified foods: Foods that are derived in part or entirely from GM crops. herbicide-tolerant crop: Crop plants that have been developed to survive applications of one or more commercially available herbicides by the incorporation of certain gene(s) via biotechnology methods (i.e. genetic engineering). mutation breeding: A common practice in plant breeding and other areas in which chemicals or radiation are applied to whole organisms or cells so that changes in the organism’s DNA will occur. Such changes are then evaluated for their beneficial effects such as disease resistance. mutation: Any inheritable change in DNA sequence. pesticide resistance: A genetic change in response to selection by a pesticide resulting in the development of strains capable of surviving a dose lethal to a majority individuals in a normal population. Resistance may develop in insects, weeds, or pathogens. pollen: The cells that carry the male DNA of a seed plant. recombinant DNA technology: A procedure used to join together DNA segments outside of the cell or organism. A recombinant DNA molecule can enter a cell and replicate there, either autonomously or after it has become integrated into a cellular chromosome. selective breeding: Making deliberate crosses; or mating of organisms so that the offspring will have a desired characteristic derived from the parents. tissue culture: It is the process of growing a plant in the lab from cells rather than seeds. This technique is used in traditional plant breeding as well as when using techniques of agricultural biotechnology. traditional breeding: The modification of plants and animals through selective breeding. Practices used in traditional plant breeding may include aspects of biotechnology such as tissue culture and mutation breeding. transgenic plants or animals: Organisms that contain genes altered by the insertion of DNA from an unrelated organism. Genes from one species are inserted into another species in order to get that trait expressed in the offspring. Back to top Resources Transgenic Crops: An Introduction and Resource Guide Colorado State University Agricultural Biotechnology: Informing the Dialogue Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences GE Foods On the Market Cornell University Cooperative Extension Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture FAO of the United Nations New Genetics, Science and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries - Societal Dilemmas (PDF Format) International Council for Science. June 2003. A Snapshot of Federal Research on Food Allergy: Implications for Genetically Modified Foods (PDF Format) Pew Initiative on Biotechnology. June 2002. Environmental Protection Agency: Regulating Biopesticides EPA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition FDA/CFSAN Foods Derived from Biotechnology WHO USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA/APHIS/Biotechnology Regulatory Services Back to top

This document was created by Tara Smith. Users are encouraged to provide feedback and comments. This document was created in Jun 2003; Updated in Dec 2005