GE Crops - Social, Legal, Ethical Issues Flashcards
What is a plant with a novel trait?
A plant that has a trait that is new to the environment or used in a new way
How does Canada regulate new varieties of plants?
Based on the novel trait and not the breeding method
How does the US regulate new varieties of plants?
Based on the breeding method. Mutagenesis and outcrossing are considered conventional methods and aren’t regulated, but GE crops are regulated
What are Plant Breeder’s Rights?
The breeder of a new variety of plant is the only one with the rights to sell and produce that variety. Other breeders are able to use the variety to breed another new variety, and farmers are able to save and replant seeds
How does patent protection differ from Plant Breeder’s Rights?
It doesn’t allow other breeders to use the variety to breed another new variety, and farmers are not allowed to save and replant seeds unless they pay the patent holder
Why was Monsanto vs Schmeiser a landmark case?
First time patent law was tried in Canada. Upheld the patent protection on the Roundup Ready Canola
What are confined research trials?
A new plant variety is grown in a confined space to collect data on any potential environment or health effects
Why does legislation on GE crops in other countries affect us?
Export markets. We don’t grow any GE crops that could accidentally contaminate a shipment of the same conventionally grown crop being shipped to a country that has banned GE crops
Why don’t we grow any GE wheat or flax in Canada?
Major importers of those crops have banned GMOs altogether, so we don’t grow any so we don’t contaminate shipments and cause market harm
What is a crop production system?
How a product is farmed. Basically what can be added to soil, used as pesticides, what varieties can be grown, etc
What are the rules that need to be followed to get an organic certification on a product?
- Only conventionally bred varieties
- Seed must be saved or purchased
- Only certain, natural pesticides and fertilizers
Do organic and conventionally grown crops differ in terms in nutritional value, yield, or sustainability?
Not a lot of overwhelming evidence to support either side for all 3 things
What does the Non-GMO verified label mean? How does a company get that label on their product?
Means there are no GMO ingredients in that product (above a certain threshold). The product will be tested for GE if there are GE varieties of an ingredient being grown, doesn’t need to be tested if there aren’t GE varieties on the market
What are the organic and Non-GMO verified labels designed to do?
Increase profits
What are the two things Health Canada considers when assessing a product for food safety?
Nutrition and risk
What two things does Health Canada look at when determining the risk of a product? How do they do that?
Toxicity and allergenicity. Toxicity is determining the dose and exposure that people will be eating that crop at and comparing to known toxins or feeding to research animals. Allergenicity is determining how likely the product is to cause an allergic reaction, determined by stability of the novel protein and comparing to known allergens in a database
How do we prove that GE foods are safe for human consumption?
Compare the nutrition to existing varieties of the same crop. It needs to be either more healthy or at least as healthy
What are the 4 biggest concerns with GE foods?
- Food safety
- Consumer autonomy
- Environmental safety
- Corporate control of food
Why might it be difficult to label GMOs on products? (3 reasons)
- The label might be misinterpreted
- Contamination from being processed in the same facility
- Unconfined release
What is unconfined release?
The crop no longer needs to be kept separate from conventional products
Why does labelling GE crops disagree with Canada’s current labelling laws?
Law says food labels are for nutrition and risk. GE isn’t an ingredient, it is how something was produced, so it doesn’t fall under the same category
What are the two biggest concerns about the environment and GE crops?
- Loss of biodiversity
2. Increased use and reliance on pesticides
Do GE crops increase our herbicide use?
Herbicide use has increased overall, not just for GE crops. Also hard to tell because we don’t have controls to figure that out
What are 2 environmental benefits associated with GE crops?
- No till crops that result in less soil erosion and greenhouse gas emission
- Reduced insecticide use with Bt crops
What are 2 benefits to producers associated with GE crops?
- Increased productivity and profits
2. Reduced exposure to pesticides
What are some potential benefits of GE crops to consumers?
Can remove allergens, improve nutrition, improve taste, waste less
