TSBiotechnologyMR

Pathfinder Intro:
Is genetically engineered foods good or bad for human beings?

Biotechnology is changing society rapidly, and the way that our food and crops that are grown everyday. Genetically modified foods are entering our supermarkets and we are starting to consume food that has been modified by scientists. Is it good? Or is it bad? Genetic engineering has brought an uproar in England, while other countries such as United States, and Southeast countries are promoting this newly developed food. Genetically modified foods are plants or crops that scientist alter the gene [gene splicing] or its chararcteristic, such as making a tomatoe more red, making watermelons more sweet, and rice to grow faster. Genetically modified food being in the supermarket has brought rivarly amongst many peoples. While it can help with providing foods and saving countries from starvation, and being able to keep up the food production with the rapid human population growth, this could be harmful in a way, because we are not sure what the side effects may be, or what will happen to these crops in the future, and how peoples bodies will react to it in the future. Bioengineerd foods, a.k.a Genetically Modified foods, is it good for us? or is it bad?

People:
Richard Hamilton-SIRS Government Reporter (State Department DOS) Patrick Moore-SIRS Researcher (American Enterprise)

Organizations:
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA)-a non profit organization that believes in agricultural biotechnology for developing countries. USDA-Unites States Department of Agriculture-research health effects of biotechnology (branch of the government) FDA-US Food and Drug Administraion-checks to see if US food crops have been contaminated with bioengineered crops and the safety of it

Search Terms:
Agricultural Biotechnology Biotechnology Gene Spilicing GM Foods Agricultural Biotech Bio tech Adding Hormones Biotechnology Production Genetically Modified Genetic Engineering

- How it affects gene splicing? - What it does to adding hormones? - Is it healthy or unhealthy? Key words: biotechnology, food production, hormones
 * How has biotechnology effected food production?**


 * Article Citation from Group Member:**


 * Title:** [|Biotech Crops Celebrate 10th Birthday]
 * Source:** Kidsnewsroom
 * Publication Date:** July 8-15, 2005
 * Database:** SIRS Discoverer

-75% of processed food contains at least one GM ingrident. -One-billionth acre of biotech crops is maturing somewhere in the world. -Ten years ago U.S farmers first began plants GM crops. -The most rapidly adopted technology in agriuclutre. -"At their commercial introduction, proponents of biotech said the crops would boost productivity and help feed a growing world population."
 * 3 Things Interesting:**
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-Is it always helpful, or is it also harmful?
 * 1 Question:**

Title: Asia Seen As Next Focus of Agricultural Biotech Production Source: Washington File Author: Kathryn McConnell Publication Date: Feb. 16, 2007 Page Number: n.p. Database: SIRS Government Reporter Service: SIRS Knowledge Source  [|http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SINFOTECHH-0-753&artno=0000257546&type=] [|ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=y]&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N -After cotton the next main crop to be commercialized in Asia likely will be "golden rice"-- rice enhanced with vitamin A, which is important for vision and the respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts -In 2006, India tripled from the previous year the area it planted in biotech cotton, its first commercialized biotech crop. -India now has a total of 3.8 million biotech hectares while China has 3.5 million such hectares.
 * Article Citation 1**
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-Biotech crops, also known as genetically modified crops, increasingly are being grown in and approved for import by Asian countries - India is emerging as a key biotech leader in Asia, surpassing China for the first time in the number of hectares planted with biotech seed.
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

Which countries do not want to make GM foods legalized?
 * 1 Question:**

Title: Researchers Developing New Science-Based Crops, Experts Say Source: Washington File Author: Kathryn McConnell Publication Date: Feb. 12, 2007 Page Number: n.p. Database: SIRS Government Reporter Service: SIRS Knowledge Source  http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SINFOTECHH-0-753&artno= 0000257547&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N
 * Article Citation 2**

-Genetically modified tomatoes. -Bananas and tomatoes are being engineered to deliver, among other things, antibodies for -E coli bacteria-induced diarrhea, a major killer of children around the world. Making more crops able to grow in current nonarable conditions could contribute to food security and help promote sustainable agriculture, the scientists said.
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-So far, the United States has approved more than 70 genetically modified crops. -The latest biotech crop commercialized in the United States was alfalfa, a feed crop, which entered the market in 2006. -Can these products be harmful to human beings?
 * 2 Things Discovered:**
 * 1 Question:**

Title: Plant Biotechnology: Advances in Food, Energy, and Health Source: Economic Perspectives Author: Richard Hamilton and others Publication Date: Oct. 2005 Page Number: 17-21 Database: SIRS Government Reporter Service: SIRS Knowledge Source  http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SINFOTECHH-0-753&artno=0000240257 &type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N
 * Article Citation 3**

-Most of the crops that we grow today did not spring forth from a mythical Garden of Eden and do not grow naturally. -The first genetically engineered crops developed in the early 1980s were resistant to herbicides and insects. - The United States is the leading grower of biotech crops, with more than 48 million hectares, followed by Argentina (16 million hectares), Canada (6 million hectares), Brazil (4.8 million hectares), and China (4 million hectares).
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-The world will need to produce more food, feed, and fiber during the next 50 years than in the entire history of humankind. -Crop yields need to be increased beyond the spectacular gains of the 20th century in order to meet increasing demand and save open space.
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-In the future are we going to stop growing plants the the old way like farmers or are all plants n food going to be genetically modified and grown like that?
 * 1 Question:**

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SINFOTECHH-0-753&artno= 0000183057&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N -The risk of not allowing farmers in Africa and Asia to grow Golden Rice is that another 2.5 million children will probably go blind. -There is not a single example or shred of evidence in the Greenpeace report of actual bollworm resistance to Bt cotton in the field. -The Greenpeace report is a classic example of the use of agenda-based "science" to support misinformation and distortion of the truth. -The environmentalists' campaign against biotechnology in general, and genetic engineering in particular, has clearly exposed their intellectual and moral bankruptcy. -In 2001, the European Commission released the results of 81 scientific studies on genetically modified organisms conducted by over 400 research teams at a cost of U.S. $65 million
 * Article Citation 4**
 * Title:** [|The Green Case for Biotech: Resisting the Anti-Science, Anti-Human...]
 * Source:** American Enterprise
 * Author:** Patrick Moore
 * Publication Date:** March 2004
 * Page Number:** 24-27
 * Database:** SIRS Researcher
 * Service:** SIRS Knowledge Source 
 * 3 Things Interesting:**
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-What is the proof of the food?
 * 1 Question:**

Website Citation 1
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/biotechnology/

-Over the past ten years, farmers have adopted genetically engineered (GE) varieties of corn, soybeans, and cotton widely and at rapid rate and benefited from such adoption. -Crop variety R&D over the past 30 years has moved from being predominantly public to predominantly private. -Genetically engineered varieties of soybeans, corn, and cotton have been available commercially since 1996.
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-Beginning in the late 1990s, the larger agricultural biotechnology companies began acquiring the smaller ones. -Biotechnology is often associated with promise to feed the world, promise to reduce environmental harm, promise to expand agricultural markets and production possibilities, promise to create products that consumers want.
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-What are the good things of biotechnology?
 * 1 Question:**

Website Citation 2
[|http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/biocon.html]

-In the 1992 policy, FDA recommended that developers consult with FDA about bioengineered foods under development; since issuance of the 1992 policy, developers have routinely done so. - The Federal Register of January 18, 2001 the FDA issued a proposed rule that would require that developers submit a scientific and regulatory assessment of the bioengineered food 120 days before the bioengineered food is marketed. -In June 1996, FDA provided additional guidance to industry on procedures for consultations [|the consultation procedures.]
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-Most bioengineered plants are considered "regulated articles" under regulations of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). -The safe use of pesticidal substances is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-How can pesticide effect our crops?
 * 1 Question:**

Website Citation 3
[|http://whyfiles.org/240GM_1/]

-Genetic engineering was first introduced around the early 1970's. -Bt makes crystals that are deadly to Lepidoptera, moths that are major plant pests. -The biggest Bt crops are corn and cotton.
 * 3 Things Interesting:**

-"Portugal, France and the Czech Republic all started growing biotech crops, raising the count of nations that permit biotech plantings to 21, and surging growth of genetically modified cotton in Brazil and China has fed the increase." -Experts claimed that GM products would boost production.
 * 2 Things Discovered:**

-No Question.
 * 1 Question:**

__//**Links:**//__

 * [|SIRS]
 * [|Librarian's Internet Index]
 * [|Internet Public Libraray]
 * [|HomeworkNYC]