Contents - Faperta

432 Biotechnological Approaches for Pest Management and Ecological Sustainability
have resulted in improved yield, environmental adaptation, resistance to specifi c diseases
and insect pests, and quality attributes preferred by farmers, the food industry, and the
consumers. Scientifi c advances in cell and molecular biology have now culminated in
genetic modifi cation of crops resulting in novel germplasm that allows plant breeders to
respond more quickly to increasing consumer demands. Despite numerous promises,
there is a multitude of concerns about the impact of genetically modifi ed crops on the
environment. Key issues in the environmental assessment of genetically modifi ed crops
are: non-target effects on natural enemies, development of resistance, invasiveness, vertical
or horizontal gene fl ow, effects on biodiversity, and the biosafety of food and food
products (Conner, Glare, and Nap, 2003; Clark, 2006). The biosafety issues arising as a
result of deployment of transgenic plants include:
Risk to animal and human health: Toxicity and food quality/safety, allergenicity, and
resistance to antibiotics.
Risk for agriculture: Loss of biodiversity, evolution of weeds or super weeds, possible
alteration of nutritional value, reduction in diversity of the cultivars grown, and development
of resistance or tolerance in the target organisms.
Risk for the environment: Persistence of gene or transgene products, unpredictable
gene expression or transgene instability, impact on nontarget organisms, and increased
use of chemicals in herbicide-resistant crops.
Risk of horizontal transfer: Interaction among different genetically modifi ed organisms,
genetic pollution through pollen or seed dispersal (transgene or promoter dispersion), and
transfer of the transgene to microorganisms through DNA uptake or generation of new
viruses by recombination—transcapsidation, complementation, etc.
A crucial component of ecological risk assessment is defi ning the baseline for comparison
and decision making. For genetically modifi ed crops, the most appropriate reference
point is the impact of plants developed through traditional breeding. An extensive
knowledge base underpinning the development of genetically modifi ed crops should
provide greater confi dence in plant science for deployment of genetically modifi ed crops
for sustainable food production. It is suspected that the genetically modifi ed crops may
have some undesirable impact on the environment and the people (Tiedje et al., 1989;
Tzotzos, 1995). The public concern is becoming increasingly vocal, and at times violent.
In Europe, consumer acceptance of genetically modifi ed products seems to be quite distant,
while consumers in the United States are awakening to the controversy (McHughen,
2000). The coming years may, therefore, prove to be quite decisive for deployment of
genetically modifi ed crops. The United Nations and other international organizations
have indicated that the world is facing serious problems with food and nutrition security
globally, and that it cannot afford to turn away from genetically modifi ed crops
(Chrispeels, 2000; NAS, 2000; Schrope, 2001; Leisinger, Schmitt, and Pandya-Lorch, 2002).
In such assessments, genetically modifi ed crops are not presented as the only solution,
but as an important component of an array of measures and incentives to solve the
problem of food security. Many of the concerns raised about genetically modifi ed crops
are a refl ection of the changing nature of agriculture (Beringer, 2000), and draws
on values and philosophical positions that do not change readily upon presentation of
technical information, but indicates the importance of socioeconomic and other issues
for technology assessment (Bruce and Bruce, 1998). A prudent and transparent linking of
science and politics would be the biggest challenge for evaluation and deployment of
genetically modifi ed crops for sustainable food production (Levidow et al., 1996; Levidow
and Carr, 2000).