1
|
Caradus JR. Processes for regulating genetically modified and gene edited plants. GM CROPS & FOOD 2023; 14:1-41. [PMID: 37690075 PMCID: PMC10761188 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2023.2252947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Innovation in agriculture has been essential in improving productivity of crops and forages to support a growing population, improving living standards while contributing toward maintaining environment integrity, human health, and wellbeing through provision of more nutritious, varied, and abundant food sources. A crucial part of that innovation has involved a range of techniques for both expanding and exploiting the genetic potential of plants. However, some techniques used for generating new variation for plant breeders to exploit are deemed higher risk than others despite end products of both processes at times being for all intents and purposes identical for the benefits they provide. As a result, public concerns often triggered by poor communication from innovators, resulting in mistrust and suspicion has, in turn, caused the development of a range of regulatory systems. The logic and motivations for modes of regulation used are reviewed and how the benefits from use of these technologies can be delivered more efficiently and effectively is discussed.
Collapse
|
2
|
Myths and Realities about Genetically Modified Food: A Risk-Benefit Analysis. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12062861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development and consumption of genetically modified (GM) crops are surrounded by controversy. According to proponents, only molecular biology approaches and genetic engineering tools are realistic food shortage solutions for the world’s ever-growing population. The main purpose of this study is to review the impact of GM products on human, animal, and environmental health. People still reject GM crops not only because of safety concerns, but also for moral reasons. Toxicity, allergies, and possible horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to the environment or to other species have been associated with the marketing of GM products. Moreover, the scarce data available about the long-term implications of using GM crops is another opponent concern. Nevertheless, science has evidenced no harm from GM crops use to date but has, instead, reported several benefits that result from their commercialization, such as economic, environmental, and health benefits for the general public. Legislation and policies about GM product labeling standards are being discussed. To overcome emerging food security challenges, considering quality scientific information is essential rather than leaving the issue and merely moving toward moral discussion. Hence, a risk–benefit analysis is necessary.
Collapse
|
3
|
Giraldo PA, Shinozuka H, Spangenberg GC, Cogan NO, Smith KF. Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Feed: Is There Any Difference From Food? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1592. [PMID: 31921242 PMCID: PMC6918800 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Food security is one of major concerns for the growing global population. Modern agricultural biotechnologies, such as genetic modification, are a possible solution through enabling an increase of production, more efficient use of natural resources, and reduced environmental impacts. However, new crop varieties with altered genetic materials may be subjected to safety assessments to fulfil the regulatory requirements, prior to marketing. The aim of the assessment is to evaluate the impact of products from the new crop variety on human, animal, and the environmental health. Although, many studies on the risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) food have been published, little consideration to GM feedstuff has been given, despite that between 70 to 90% of all GM crops and their biomass are used as animal feed. In addition, in some GM plants such as forages that are only used for animal feeds, the assessment of the genetic modification may be of relevance only to livestock feeding. In this article, the regulatory framework of GM crops intended for animal feed is reviewed using the available information on GM food as the baseline. Although, the majority of techniques used for the safety assessment of GM food can be used in GM feed, many plant parts used for livestock feeding are inedible to humans. Therefore, the concentration of novel proteins in different plant tissues and level of exposure to GM feedstuff in the diet of target animals should be considered. A further development of specific methodologies for the assessment of GM crops intended for animal consumption is required, in order to provide a more accurate and standardized assessment to the GM feed safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula A. Giraldo
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Hiroshi Shinozuka
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - German C. Spangenberg
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Noel O.I. Cogan
- Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, AgriBio, The Centre for AgriBiosciences, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kevin F. Smith
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Hamilton, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao X, Tang T, Chen G, Liu F, Wang X, Bu C, Lu C. Rationalizing the isolation distance needed for field trials involving genetically modified rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) in China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-012-5595-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
5
|
Chifflet R, Klein EK, Lavigne C, Le Féon V, Ricroch AE, Lecomte J, Vaissière BE. Spatial scale of insect-mediated pollen dispersal in oilseed rape in an open agricultural landscape. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01904.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
6
|
Wilkinson M, Tepfer M. Fitness and beyond: preparing for the arrival of GM crops with ecologically important novel characters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 8:1-14. [PMID: 19419648 DOI: 10.1051/ebr/2009003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The seemingly inexorable expansion of global human population size, significant increases in the use of biofuel crops and the growing pressures of multifunctional land-use have intensified the need to improve crop productivity. The widespread cultivation of high-yielding genetically modified (GM) crops could help to address these problems, although in doing so, steps must also be taken to ensure that any gene flow from these crops to wild or weedy recipients does not cause significant ecological harm. It is partly for this reason that new GM cultivars are invariably subjected to strict regulatory evaluation in order to assess the risks that each may pose to the environment. Regulatory bodies vary in their approach to decision-making, although all require access to large quantities of detailed information. Such an exhaustive case-by-case approach has been made tractable by the comparative simplicity of the portfolio of GM crops currently on the market, with four crops and two classes of traits accounting for almost all of the area under cultivation of GM crops. This simplified situation will change shortly, and will seriously complicate and potentially slow the evaluation process. Nowhere will the increased diversity of GM crops cause more difficulty to regulators than in those cases where there is a need to assess whether the transgene(s) will enhance fitness in a non-transgenic relative and thereafter cause ecological harm. Current practice to test this risk hypothesis focuses on attempting to detect increased fitness in the recipient. In this paper we explore the merits and shortcomings of this strategy, and investigate the scope for developing new approaches to streamline decision-making processes for transgenes that could cause unwanted ecological change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mike Wilkinson
- Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences, Edward Llwyd Building, Wales University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3DA, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|