Environmental Impact of Agriculture and Food Biotech

The Green Revolution

-the introduction of scientifically developed food crops that can produce high yields, under conditons of high inputs of water, fertilizers, & pesticides

-saved millions of people from starvation in developing countries but with serious environmental consequences…practices deplete and destroy future capacity to produce food

Dr. Norman Borlaug

-the father of the Green Revolution

-Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1970 in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply

-developed dwarf wheat varieties that are high yielding and disease resistant

Six environmental problems created by current agricultural practices

Declining biodiversity

soil erosion

soil salinization

desertification

chemical fertilizer pollution

pesticide/herbicide pollution

Solutions to soil erosion

Less plowing, more perennials, crop rotation, green manure crops like clovers, shelterbelts, contour cropping, and strip intercropping

Excessive or improper irrigation

the ironic cause of soil salinization

Solutions to salinization

-New trickle irrigation systems that deliver water directly to roots, giving the plant water only when they need it

-Laser leveling of fields to prevent soggy areas

-Restoration of damaged land by adding excess water (though expensive)

Causes of desertification

-overgrazing

-cultivating crops on nearly arid land

-improper irrigation

-deforestation

-slash and burn agriculture

Solutions to desertification

-replanting with drought tolerant plants (like grasses) to cover the soil

-retiring the land

Solutions to chemical fertilizers

-Using organic fertilizers

-Composting

-Crop rotation with leguminous crops to provide nitrogen fixation

-water treatment to remove excess nitrogen/nitrate runoff

Solutions to avoid the use of chemical pesticides

-Biological control: using living organisms to eat the pest insect

-Parasitoid insects, predators, pathogens, and antagonists

-Integrated Pest Managment (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management (IMP)

combines natural biological controls with chemical controls (only when needed and in necessary amounts) to attack pest problems when they occur

Biotechnology

the use of living organisms to provide useful products for humanity

Plant biotechnology

the use of scientific techniques to create plants with new useful characteristics with the goals of identifying a useful trait or characteristic (gene) and incorporating it into a valuable crop plant

can only use genes from one species or closely related species, not specific, and takes time

Limits ot traditional/selective breeding

Genetic engineering

the transfer of specific genes between organisms using techniques of molecular biology

Recombinant DNA technology

the ability to construct new combinations of DNA which don’t occur naturally which is possible because central dogma occurs in all organisms

Transgenic organism

an organism taht contains a “foreign” gene in each of its cells

Applications of biotechnology

Herbicide resistant, insect resistant, disease resistant plants, ripening control, enhanced nutritional value, healthier food products, stress/salt tolerance, pharmaceuticals and edible vaccines, and improved non-food crops

USDA

makes sure GM crops are safe to grow

FDA

makes sure GM crops are safe to eat

EPA

makes sure GM crops are safe for the environment

Soybean, corn, cotton

top transgenic crops in the U.S.