1. History of GMOs
1.1. Origins
1.1.1. 1. Started with the 3rd Agricultural Revolution
1.1.1.1. Renovation of Agricultural Practices in 1940s in Mexico
1.1.1.1.1. Norman Borlaug developed resistant high-yield wheat seeds
1.1.1.1.2. New technologies-> Mexico became an exporter in the 1960s (prior to this they were importing half of their wheat)
1.1.2. 2. Spread elsewhere in 1950s and 60s
1.1.2.1. US became self sufficient in 50s, exporter in 60s
1.1.3. 3. Rockefeller + Ford Foundations + many government agencies funded research to produce more food
1.1.3.1. 1963: Mexico formed The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
1.1.3.2. 1960: International Rice Research Institution formed in the Philippines and created IR8 Rice
1.1.3.2.1. IR8 Rice was developed and produced more grain per plant when grown with irrigation + fertilizers
1.1.4. 4. 1960s: India was on the brink of famine but the IRRI and IR8 Rice spread here
1.1.4.1. Today India is a leading rice producer; IR8 spread throughout Asia
1.1.5. 5. Overall led to no famine in China & India, b/c of IR8 Rice
1.2. Modern Statistics
1.2.1. 160m hectares (10% of farmland) used for GM in 2010
1.2.1.1. 77% of soybeans
1.2.1.2. 49% of cotton
1.2.1.3. 26% of maize
1.2.2. United States, GM makes up...
1.2.2.1. 94% of soybeans
1.2.2.2. 90% of cotton
1.2.2.3. 88% of maize
1.2.3. 3/4 of processed food consumed by Americans has 1+ GM ingredient
2. What Are GMOs?
2.1. Before, farmers would selectively breed crops and livestock, which is when humans breed organisms with desired traits.
2.2. Definition: Organisms that contain genetic material that has been altered to produce favorable traits.
2.3. Benefits
2.3.1. Higher Yields
2.3.1.1. produce more grain per acre
2.3.2. Better Response to Fertilizers
2.3.3. Better Taste
2.3.4. Higher Harvest Index(HI)
2.3.4.1. HI - the ratio of harvested product to total weight of the plant
2.3.4.2. Increased for all plants so that everything would produce higher yields regardless of seed size
2.3.5. Resistance to Pesticides and Herbicides
2.3.6. Longer Shelf Lives
2.3.7. Decreased Sensitivity to Weather Conditions and Day Length
3. Health Concerns
3.1. 🤧Allergens
3.1.1. In 1997-1999, 3.4% of children had food allergies. In 2009-2011, 5.1% of children had food allergies.
3.2. 😠💪Antibiotic Resistance
3.2.1. Seeds can be modified with antibiotic-resistant bacteria
3.3. Cancerous Effects
3.3.1. no causal relationship is proven, but more GMO consumption is linked with higher cancer rates
3.4. 😨Lack of studies & evidence, but creates concern
3.4.1. 📉Less purchases and demand for GM foods
3.5. Organ Failure
3.5.1. In a Scottish study, rats were given high protein potatoes, found the rats w/ organ failure🐀
3.6. Ethical Concerns
3.6.1. Objections based on religious/cultural reasons
3.6.1.1. Europeans are much more strongly opposed to GMO's than Americans
4. Environmental Impacts
4.1. Emergence of New Diseases
4.1.1. Plants can be modified with bacteria and viruses, this can cause new diseases to form
4.1.2. Resistant Genes can be transferred to Viruses from GM plants
4.2. Monocultures
4.2.1. Definition: Only a single species, breed, or variety of a crop is grown
4.2.2. Extinction of Other Species
4.2.2.1. India used to have over 30k successful rice varieties, now only 10 remain
4.2.2.2. related to natural selection and survival of the fittest
4.2.3. GMO plants can transfer their genes to Non-GMO plants, causing a further increase in monocultures.
4.2.4. Monocultures are more prone to diseases because there are not enough varieties to fight them off.
4.2.4.1. In 1970 more than 15% of corn crops in North America were ruined because 70% of corn was grown at the same high yield variety.
4.3. Pesticide/Herbicide Use - can be Increased or Decreased with GMOs
4.3.1. Decreased when Plants are engineered to withstand pests and be stronger than weeds
4.3.2. Increased when Plants are engineered to not be affected by pesticides/herbicides, therefore pesticides/herbicides are more effective and their use increases
4.3.2.1. Pesticide resistant plants can harm endangered animals unintendely
4.3.2.1.1. Monarch Butterfly
4.3.2.2. Removal of a pest also removes its predators; could eventually effect a keystone species
4.3.2.3. Superweeds + Superpests
4.3.2.3.1. Pests and weeds can develop resistance to pesticides/herbicides through natural selection.
4.3.2.3.2. Genes can be transferred from the GMO plants to the pests and weeds.
4.3.2.3.3. Results in harsher methods needed to reduce impact of pests and weeds.
4.3.2.4. Example: Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" seeds are resistant to their "Roundup" Herbicide
4.4. Benefits
5. Economic and Political Impacts
5.1. 👍Positive Impacts
5.1.1. Sustenance farmers will have higher yields of more nutrient rich and more resistant crops
5.1.1.1. This could increase commercial farming in developing nations, boosting the economy and aiding development
5.1.2. Some reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
5.1.3. Patents incentivize GM research
5.2. 👎Negative Impacts
5.2.1. Developed countries become more dependent of the US
5.2.1.1. Monsanto manufactures most GM seeds, introducing a “terminator” gene preventing seeds from being replanted, so farmers would have to buy more
5.2.2. Unethical to patent a living thing. Patents promote stealing resources from developing regions (biopiracy).
5.2.3. Increased food production may lead to overpopulation
5.2.4. Africa is hesitant to use GMO's because of exporting issues with Europe, health concerns, and increased dependency in developed nations