Genetically engineered crops

Metcalfe, D.D., Astwood, J.D., Townsend, R., Sampson, H.A., Taylor, S.L. and Fuchs, R.L., Assessment of the allergenic potential of foods derived from genetically engineered crop plants. Crit. Rev. FoodSci. Nutr., 36(S), S165-S186, 1996. 

The EPA approved the release of the first genetically engineered crop, gene-altered tobacco plants. 

Duke, S.O., Scheffler, B.E., Dayan, F.E., Dyer, W.E. Genetic engineering crops for improved weed management traits. Crop Biotechnol. ACS Symp Ser 2002c 829 52-66. 

The debate about genetically engineered crops offers a good example of the concerns that people have about the safety and benefits of powerful and potentially transformative new technologies. Have there been other scientific advances that have provoked so much controversy and presented such a radical alternative to established practices If so, was the technology ever completely accepted and integrated into everyday life And finally, was it useful ... 

I point out that the ordinance contained no language concerning the role of corporations, and that it simply bans farmers from growing genetically engineered crops. I mention, too, that the National Academy of Science and the United Kingdom Genetically Modified Science Review (NAS 2004 GM Science Review Panel 2003) have both already indicated that the crops currently on the market are safe to eat. 

Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge, and Margriet Caswell, 2006. The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States. USDA Economic Research Service. Economic Information Bulletin, Number II. 

Fernandez-Cornejo, J., and W. D. McBride. 2000, April. Genetically Engineered Crops for Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture Farm-Level Effects. Agricultural Economic Report 786. USDA Economic Research Service, http //www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer786/aer786. pdf (accessed April 12, 2006). 

We wrote this book for consumers, farmers, and policy decision makers who want to make food choices and policy that will support ecologically responsible farming practices. It is also for consumers who want accurate information about genetically engineered crops and their potential impacts on human health and the environment. Our book is for those who wish to know more about the food they eat, besides just how to prepare it. It is for every shopper who has at one time or another perused the aisles of the local supermarket wondering what labels such as organic or GE-free really mean for the health of their families and for the future of the planet. 

Gay, P. 2001. The biosafety of antibiotic resistance markers in plant transformation and the dissemination of genes through horizontal gene flow. In Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops, R. Custers, Ed. VIB Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, Zwijnaarde, Belgium, pp. 135-159. 

Glyphosate is toxic to plants and free-living microorganisms because it inhibits aromatic amino acid biosynthesis. On the other hand, it is extremely nontoxic to humans and animals because humans derive their amino acids from the diet. Additionally, it is broken down in the soil, so it is non-persistent. The only problem with glyphosate herbicides is that they will kill crop plants as readily as weeds. Recently, genetically engineered crop varieties have been introduced which are resistant to the herbicide, allowing weeds to be killed preferentially. 

The herbicide Roundup kills all natural plants it encounters. It began to be used in the 1990s in combination with genetically engineered crops that include a gene intended to make the crop (and only the crop) resistant to the herbicide. This combination of chemical and genetic technology has been an economic success but it has raised many concerns about potential problems in the future. 

Sevenier, R., van der Meer, I.M., Bino, R., and Koops, A.J., Increased production of nutriments by genetically engineered crops, J. Am. Coll. Nutr., 21, 199S-204S, 2002. 

USDA-ERS, Genetically engineered crop varieties gain further acreage share in 2004. Amber Wives, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Washington, DC, September, 2004. 

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