1. A New Paradigm for Genetically Modified Foods Alec Lee UBC-BCIT Biotechnology Vancouver, Canada

2. Immediate Response GM foods incite discomfort in the public –Safety? –Exploitative economic scheme? We feel powerless in choosing GM or non-GM

3. Why I’m Here GM foods have been misrepresented Agribusiness has tainted the image of GM foods We do not have to be resigned about GM foods The technology has great humanitarian potential

4. Who Am I A biotechnology student from Vancouver, Canada with experience in: –performing genetic modification of plants –working with genetically modified organisms An advocate for the potential of GM foods technology, not of its current use

5. Changing the Paradigm 1.Scope of the Technology 2.What Happened along the Way? 3.Out with the Old 4.In with the New

6. 1. Scope of the Technology How do we get genetically modified foods? a.Identification of a problem b.Identification of a target organism c.Modification of the organism

7. Rice

8. Gene Gun

9. Golden Rice Flagship of humanitarian GM foods Rice is the staple of approximately half the world’s population 40% (approx. 250 million) of children in the developing world under the age of 5 suffer from Vitamin A deficiency 250,000 to 500,000 children go blind every year due to Vitamin A deficiency More than half of them will die within a year of going blind

10. 2. What Happened Along the Way? Why don’t we trust the potential of GM foods? The technology was abused for monetary gain People became fearful of the health effects of these strange foods –Chemical-resistant –Infection-resistant –Weather-resistant

11. Roundup-Ready Soy Roundup-Ready Soy patented in 1995 87% of farmland with soybeans used Roundup-Ready Soy Other Roundup-Ready Crops: canola, cotton, alfalfa, sugar beet, and corn.

12. Terminator Gene In 1999, Monsanto pledged not to commercialize plants with Terminator In 2003, Monsanto changed its mind Several countries have placed a moratorium on Terminator seeds

13. Intellectual Property Patents provide ownership of an organism and all its future generations Farmers no longer own their seed; they are licensed to plant it Patents typically last 20 years –Technology for Roundup-Ready Soy is due to be free-for-all in 2015

14. 3. Out with the Old Why the Current Framework Does Not Work To name a few: a)Roundup-Ready Soybeans b)Terminator Gene c)Intellectual Property

15. Social Barriers Many groups are deeply concerned about the effects of the technology: –genetic contamination of non-GM plants? –toxicity effects in animals and humans? –exploitation of the poor?

16. Back to Golden Rice Vitamin A and Zinc alone could save 4 million children annually Breeding institutions around the world can develop the technology for free for humanitarian use –Some of the patents donated are owned by big names in agribusiness, including Monsanto

17. Safety Little safety testing has been publicized by independent groups –Existing studies are not widely known Most safety testing is performed by corporate-sponsored agencies

18. 4. In with the New We must reject the current paradigm of GM foods and embrace a new one – a paradigm focused on benefitting humanity rather than profiting at humanity’s expense

19. Thank You Works Cited –Benedict, M. R. & Stine, O. C. (2007). Agricultural Adjustment Act. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/A/AG002.html –Golden Rice Humanitarian Board (2009). The science behind Golden Rice. Retrieved January 22, 2009 from Golden Rice. Website: http://www.goldenrice.org/Content2-How/how1_sci.html –Golden Rice Humanitarian Board (2009). Golden Rice Risk Assessment. Retrieved January 22, 2009 from Golden Rice. Website: http://www.goldenrice.org/Content2-How/how3a_biosafety.html –Pinstrup-Andersen, P. & Schioler, E. (2001). Seeds of Contention. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press –Ruse, Michael & Castle, David (2002). Genetically Modified Foods. New York: Prometheus Books. –Smith, Jeffrey M. (2003). Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies…: Yes! Books –World Health Organization. (April 1995). Countries Categorized by degree of public health importance of vitamin A deficiency. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/vmnis/vitamina/prevalence/mn_vitamina_map_1995.pdf –Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (2007). Finding of No Significant Impact (Petition for Non-regulated Status for Soybean Line MON 89788 [APHIS 06-178-01p]). Retrieved Feb 1, 2009 from http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/06_17801p_ea.pdf –Vidal, John (1999). World braced for terminator 2. Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved Feb 1, 2009 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/1999/oct/06/gm.food2 –www.etcgroup.org (2003). Monsanto Breaks Promise to Abandon Terminator Technology. Organic Consumers Association. Retrieved Feb 1, 2009 from http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/promise042403.cfm