Title: 9.1 Agriculture Applications
Course: ATEP - Biotechnology Module B > Section: Extended Learning Applications

9.1.1 Agriculture

Considering how important food is to people all around the world, it’s not surprising that the Agricultural Green Revolution and now the Agricultural Gene Revolution both focus on the mass production of food. The Gene Revolution resulted in genetically modified crops or GM crops that improved crop yields and even the nutritional value of crops. For example, there are soybean crops that are resistant to herbicides, such as Round Up, allowing farmers to spray fields with an herbicide, and only kill weeds that decrease crop production. The Gene Revolution also resulted in crops that contained a gene that produces a pesticide so the pest insects die when it eats the plants. Therefore, there would be no need to spray pesticides, and there was no crop damage as a result of a particular insect. These types of crops are known as genetically modified or GM crops.

Depending on whom you talk to, GM crops may one day end world hunger. Others believe that GM crops are dangerous, toxic and should not even be allowed to be grown in the U.S. What do you think? Take a moment to discuss your thoughts with a partner. You may not have an opinion because you simply don’t have enough information and that’s fine as well. You will soon.

Before answering that question, it’s important to equip yourself with some foundational knowledge and history. As a class, view the videos below Raise your hand if you would like your instructor to pause the video for clarification and summarize. Throughout the video, capture the main ideas and viewpoints in your notebook. Questions you should be able to answer:

1. What’s the controversy?
2. What’s the history of the controversy?
3. What’s the evidence?

9.1.2 Round Up Ready

Some of the most famous and controversial GM crops are the Round Up Ready GM crops, and one of the most well-known examples is Round Up Ready soybeans. First approved for commercial use in the United States in 1994, it has subsequently been approved in Canada in 1995, Japan and Argentina in 1996, Uruguay in 1997, Mexico and Brazil in 1998, and South Africa in 2001. It has been modified to be glyphosate resistant (the active ingredient in Round Up) plant. Glyphosate kills plants by interfering with the synthesis of the amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. These are essential amino acids; we do not make them, only plants do.

Visit this website http://www.monsanto.com/weedmanagement/Pages/roundup-ready-system.aspx to learn more about the Round Up ready system. Explore the site for opinions, data and research studies.

9.1.3 Bt Crops

Another type of GM corn crop has a gene that codes for a pesticide known as the Bt delta endotoxin. This toxin was cloned from the naturally occurring soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Growers use Bt corn as an alternative to spraying insecticides for control of European and southwestern corn borer. Other types of GM crops have been enhanced nutritionally or resist ice damage. All of these changes appear to make the crop more advantageous to use compared to the unaltered crop.

Visit this website to learn more about the Bt crop system. Explore the site for opinions, data and research studies.

9.1.4 The Task

When did the controversy around GM crops and GM foods start? As soon as the public became aware of their existence. The US regulatory bodies involved are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plus all of the governmental regulatory bodies in other countries. It is your job to find out how these bodies regulate the development and implementation of GM crops and it is also your job to discover the economic, ethical, and ecological pros and cons of developing such crops. Nature does not make this easy, since mechanisms of gene transfer within the environment, and the ecological impact of these crops is not completely understood. Plus, the social agenda for developing or not developing these crops is not always obvious.

9.1.5 Social Media Crops

Assignment: Social Media Crop

1. Choose a crop:

  - GM tomato
  - Bt corn
  - Round up ready soybean
  - Golden rice
  - GM salmon
  - GM papaya
  - rBGH milk

2. Create a social media page for your crop.

3. Your page should include:

  1. A scientific explanation of how the crop/organism is produced
  2. An explanation of how the FDA, EPA and USDA regulates your product and aids in making sure it is safe
  3. List the potential health benefits and risk associated with your crop/organism.
  4. List the potential environmental benefits and risk associated with your crop/organism.
  5. List the potential economic benefits and risk associated with your crop/organism.
  6. A commentary which includes a clear statement to the US government about whether you believe as a group if this product should be for sale in the US.

4. Submit your finished product to the assignment folder titled Social Media Crops.

* A list of resources is provided for you below to help with your research.

Resources:

- http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/biotech/
- http://www.epa.gov/biotech_rule/
- http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology/index.shtml
- http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Biotechnology/default.htm
- http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch/Biotechnology/

Summary of regulations can be found at:

- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/viewpoints/benefits.html
- http://biotechbenefits.croplife.org/paper/environmental-benefits-of-genetically-modified-crops-global-and-european-perspectives-on-their-ability-to-reduce-pesticide-use/
- http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol4/iss1/art13/
- http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotechnology/pusztai.html

What are round up and Bt crops:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hjy-CJlzbM

Choose an article from these Golden Rice Resources:

- http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech-info/topics/goldenrice/index.html
- http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/psyc-123/lecture-9

Green Revolution Perspectives:

- http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/eng15/sp2006/E15spring2006GR.pdf

Monsanto news article:

- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/28/us-monsanto-wheat-idUSBRE95R0KY20130628

Food prize:

- http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/business/monsanto-executive-is-among-world-food-prize-winners.html?_r=0

Should we grow GM Crops?

- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/exist/

9.1.6 Digging Deeper: What’s the Controversy?

1. Your instructor will assign you one of the following GM crops: Bt Corn, Round Up Ready crop or Golden Rice.
2. Using the resources listed below, create an electronic table like the one below and submit into the assignment box.

BENEFITS
Health | Economic | Environmental

RISK
Health | Economic | Environmental

REGULATIONS
EPA | FDA | USDA

9.1.7 Facing Social Media

As a group you must come to a consensus of whether or not GMOs should be sold in the US. You will share this group vision in the form of a social media page to express your opinions for the US government and local officials to understand your position.

Each person should share their opinion and why.

As a group, you all must come to an agreement on the sale of GMOs in the US.

Create a social media page that reflects your groups opinions, regulations, exceptions and laws.

Rubric:

- Makes a clear statement based on info.
- Expresses opinion of all group members.
- Current regulation procedures are addressed. Recommended changes are given.
- Risk and benefits are accurate and depth.
- Elements of social media page are present.

Examples:

http://millerasbill.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rubric-for-social-media.pdf

http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=yes&code=N488W6&