SierraScape December 2007 - January 2008
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by Julia Evangelou Strait
Contributing Member
At the October 25th general meeting, guest speaker Dr. Barbara Schaal, professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis and vice president of the National Academy of Sciences, described the balance of risk and reward in growing genetically modified (GM) crops. Her work in evolutionary biology and gene flow highlights the importance of protecting biodiversity in wild plant species while understanding that well-managed GM crops can benefit both the environment and society.
The controversy over the health and environmental safety of GM crops is dominated by the extremes on both sides of the issue - those who believe GM crops are both dangerous to consume and a pending environmental disaster versus those who believe GM's universal use can end world hunger and save the environment from agrochemicals. According to Dr. Schaal, both views are overly simplistic. At the very least, the risks and benefits of a particular GM crop depend on the specific crop, its location, and the neighboring plant life. Only by considering the individual case can the relative risk of a GM crop be assessed.
Dr. Schaal sees the benefits of GM technology against the backdrop of modern agriculture. Speaking of the energy and chemicals consumed, she called our agricultural practices "historically the most destructive thing in our environment." GM crops benefit the American Midwest because they increase yields while reducing the use of chemicals. These GM crops pose no threat to wild corn or soybean plants because none exist in this part of the world. And GM corn has been in the food supply for years with no reported adverse health effects.
The risk and reward balance becomes trickier in the developing world and in areas with high biodiversity in native species. Farmers in developing countries cannot afford the patented GM seeds and rely on traditional methods of breeding and saving seeds for next year's planting. In Southeast Asia, Dr. Schaal has studied gene flow in rice and sees the risk of producing GM "superweeds" that could overtake the native rice plants and destroy the genetic diversity found in this region, along with the farmer's vital crop yield. In these instances, the benefits of GM crops do not outweigh the risks.
Dr. Schaal maintains that as long as GM agriculture is pursued with sound science, standard safety testing, and real penalties for those who misuse or abuse the technology, it should continue. A next generation pharmaceutical GM crop that produces insulin could benefit the ever increasing number of people with diabetes, but it must remain far removed from the food supply. Assessing relative risk of GM crops at an individual level is complex, but, according to Dr. Schaal, necessary if the world wishes to harness the full benefits of GM crops, while maintaining a healthy food supply and protecting the environment.