WORKSHOP: ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING SYSTEMIC
ITEM 9: HERE AND NOW TRANSGENIC
Student Guide Text
base
 is now possible to produce living organisms in laboratories ease | modify some of its characteristics through biotechnology.
In that way the so-called "genetic organisms cally modified (GM) or transgenic.
This is being implemented, for example,
plants grown for use as food.
One of the main things
want to modify is
make them resistant to insects that destroy crops, but also
para que crezcan más rápido, para aumentar su producción, o para que los frutos
que produzcan sean más grandes, etc. Estas plantas
modificadas no son iguales a las naturales. Y tampoco se sabe si esos cambios hechos en
ellas puedan afectar la salud de quienes las usan
como alimento o cuál será su comportamiento en
el ambiente natural.
¿Se resolverá el problema del hambre
en el mundo?
El argumento más fuerte de la industria para
promover los transgénicos es que la biotecnología ahora sí va resolver el problema de disponibilidad de
alimentos y del hambre in the world. Indeed, the world's population over the past 40 years has increased exponentially
but
comparing their growth with agricultural production based on the "Green Revolution", is evidence of a
overproduction of food, especially in countries
North.
But analyzing what has been the availability of food
per capita on the planet,
presents a totally inequitable distribution and access of this
global overproduction food production and media, as not reaching the populations
need. The vast difference between
production and access to food is evident in 800 million people currently suffering from hunger in the world
, which indicates that the underlying problem to solve
hunger, it is of a "technical", but
a problem, above all, political, economic.
The vision of life
With the introduction of genetically modified organisms
could change the natural
environments are not known. New scientific discoveries indicate that genes networks operating in a non-linear complex, multidimensional or circular and are subject
the regulation of the biophysical environment.
There is much evidence to show how can jump horizontally genes between unrelated species,
mutated, activated, deactivated and recombine.
industry strategies to introduce GMOs
 Most biotechnological innovations in the industry are aimed at finding | economic gains without
limits and not affecting responses needs to most human populations.
Therefore, until now, the emphasis of
industry really has not been solve the fundamental problems of agriculture and food
the world, but
increase profitability. Currently
companies are investing millions of dollars in creating
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) high-value commercial
protected by rigid systems
photos Intellectual Property (patents), but do not want to spend money to investigate the
risks and hazards that can cause these organisms
ie demedidas implementation of biosafety.
What you should know
Organize your group (maximum 4) and analyzes the following questions:
What about GM?
-
Who decides on the consumption of GM?
-
How does it affect traditional farmers planting GM?
-
You think GMOs are safe?
-
Is there a prevention program to avoid any risk happen with GM?
-
What is the precautionary principle adopted by
the European Union for the use of GMOs?
-
What you see
Risks and impacts on agriculture
-
Effects of transgenic health
-
The case of Starlink corn in the U.S..
-
Dangers of RR soybeans for human and animal health
-
GM foods in Colombia
-
For more
can join the Internet, offers the following and many other Web pages to search, sort and analyze information . With it you can r onduct a news archive, consultation on the methodology of organization Portfolio type news that appears on this CD
.
 | http://www.semillas.org.co
http://www.agrobio.org
http://www.cisas.org.ni
http://www.analitica.com
http://www.colciencias.gov.co
http://www.sur.iucn.org
Methodology
to work on this topic, it is imperative that you an overview on GMOs, and how as being implemented in Colombia, for it must lean on additional readings with order to have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe case.
Activities
 1. Discuss what raised on transgenic ylimitaciones comments on the advantages of transgenic | health, hunger and agriculture, among other things
. Which stakeholders should decide on the use and consumption of GM
in our country? L Remember that you
social actors are the groups of people and institutions that have formatienen to do with a certain subject.
2. Analyze it theme of community participation, to address the risks of GMOs
health and agriculture.
3. In meeting with all groups, p resents the analysis, taking into account all the points raised
. U sing different resources and media to your socialization.
Risks and impacts on agriculture
GM foods in Colombia
support Reading
By: Hermann Alonso Vélez
In recent years, from biotechnology, |
lastécnicas
especially through recombinant DNA, it was possible to break all the barriers in reproduction of living things, allowing transfer or exchange characteristics 
Genetic between plants, animals and microorganisms, thereby causing
called genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) or transgenic
. "
transfer genes between unrelated species is a totally new phenomenon in nature
and since there were no you can not predict exactly what will be the
behavior of these new bodies once released into the environment.
area planted to GM crops in the world
There has been an exponential growth in area planted with transgenic . In 1996, only planted 2.3 million hectares (ha.) and in 2000 increased to 44.2 million, of which 74% of the area planted
(32.7 million ha)
corresponds to crops of corn and soybean
herbicide resistant. Of these, 25.8
million, or 59% of the total area planted with RR soya
Monsanto Glifossato resistant; followed by the field of corn with 10.3 million ha, representing 23.3% of total area . But less than 1% profile area of \u200b\u200bGM crops has
features that improve the quality of food. countries in more areas are:
United States with 30.3 mill. ha , followed by Argentina with 10.3 million hectares
. and Canada with 3 million ha.
Currently, more than ten corporations control
North
seed market in the world, the same situation happens to the chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food. The trend is that in the coming years
few companies, such as
Novartis, Aventis, Syngenta, Monsanto, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Dupont and Dow Chemical
,
controlled all productive sectors
related to living beings.
What are the crops that are to be massively?
In 2000, 32.7 million ha planted
( 74% of the entire area)
transgenic crops resistant to herbicides,
with just this feature or combined with another. The industry strategy is to generate more dependence and consumption of the herbicide. Monsanto
increased 78% in sales of glyphosate in the U.S., after releasing RR soy market.
Another type of cutting-edge technologies
you want to enter is:
"system of protection of biotechnology and gene protection
" , commonly called
"Terminator and Traitor" , which is
create sterile seeds and plants chemically dependent to express their physiological processes, as germination,
flowering, fruit maturation and activation or deactivation of the immune system makes a plant susceptible to disease. These processes are controlled through the addition
the cultivation of a chemical that regulates such processes. for the industry is more profitable to produce sterile seeds that
protect themselves, to rack their brains in complex process and demands
court for violation of their rights
intellectual property and royalties.
Terminator technology is evil, because it breaks with
rights over their biological and reproductive cycles
all living beings and because it violates the right
millennium of farmers to reproduce, store or exchange seeds
. It is an irreversible process.
This concern is greatest in diverse countries as
Colombia is the center of origin of much
of agricultural biodiversity, there is a risk of contamination
GM genes from cultivated species to wild relatives and landraces
. It may also happen
to transgenic animals, eg if released into a river or lake
transgenic salmon grow three times more than normal salmon, the
GM salmon can break the balance in the ecosystem and trophic
to eliminate the weaker fish.
Socioeconomic
These technologies are not compatible with the needs, expectations and conditions ecosystem, socio-economic and productive our countries. generate economic dependence of farmers throughout the production chain, which is controlled by a few companies
. The mass market products can generate transgenic
the collapse of economies agricultural exporting countries in the South, since many of the transgenic
are being designed to replace
foods that are only produced in tropical countries
: sugar cane, cocoa and vanilla, among others.
Creation of weeds and increased use of herbicides
Since the most widely used GM crops in the world
are resistant to herbicides, we must ask: What if
introduced potatoes Herbicide-resistant transgenic in laregión Andina, which is the center of origin of the potato or a variety of RR corn in Mexico? Could create a superweed
uncontrollable if the resistance gene is transferred
herbicides to wild relatives of these crops ? That problem would not arise
U.S. or Europe, because there are no weeds
relatives of corn, or native varieties
Pope.
Creating new potent pathogens
pests and diseases have always been amplified by changes to agriculture homogeneous. There is scientific evidence showing how genes introduced into microorganisms and viruses, through transgenesis, mutate, recombine,
jump from one organism to another and create new pathogens
much more aggressive and broader spectrum of action.
the case of pest situation is similar. For example:
transgenic maize has been introduced |
a gene that encodes the toxin sillusthuringensis bacteria (Bt), to the tox
ina in
plant insect pest control . But in this case pests have developed resistance to the toxin , but on a larger scale and more quickly, because the plant is becoming a "permanent insecticide throughout the crop cycle ."
"health problems can bring the consumption of GM foods modified?
support Reading
Author: Luis H. Steinberg
 -called "food GE (Genetically Engineered), also known as | GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms),
were developed from basic idea that they would be able to:
Increase organic vital resistance and
half-life of many plant species (eg avoid
relatively rapid decomposition of tomatoes);
-
Altering the composition of certain oils (soy and canola);
-
Transform to various species of legumes in varieties resistant to pesticides (cereals, potatoes and squash several);
-
Allow more extensive and intensive use of pesticides
usual crop of soybeans, cotton , cereals, etc.
-
increase the fertility of farm animals fed
"canola as a forage.
-
These are just some of the practical goals that support
from the perspective of agricultural science, the misuse of bio-engineering techniques and genetic manipulation
.
But the health problems associated with GE foods,
included among the most frequent and varied allergies
toxic effects.
The result of the GE potatoes (Russet potatoes) contain a pesticide genetically
designed in its interior (hence not require the use of pesticides in cultivation),
therefore, those who consume this type of potato are while consuming pesticide.
The "tofu", the "soy milk" shakes based on soy protein, baby porridge
soy, etc.,
contain GE soy unless the labels say otherwise .
In USA, the Nutrasweet used in soft drinks, juice diet, and other diet products, cotton oil, papayas
, rennet in cheese and radicchio among
many other products, are made based on raw materials from GE manipulation.
When any oil label says "vegetable oil",
sure it contains a variable proportion of
Canola oil (usually from the
genetic engineering), and evidence that this oil is health insurance. It is always advisable
use olive oil because there is none that meets technical
to GE.
corn oil, cornstarch (or cornstarch) and corn syrup
are prepared from grains
designed by genetic engineering. The list
genetically modified foods is growing every day, and also increase in parallel reports about
likely from eating disorders these products.
Among the most common disorders
attributable to such products, I can list right now:
1) The Pioneer brand soybeans Hybrid
in Great Britain were withdrawn from sale because of the high incidence of allergic reactions that produced very intense
. What remains unknown is the type of long-term effects that might ensue.
2) In 1989, a feed supplemented with GM
tryptophan, produced 37 deaths and left with serious sequelae
1500 other consumers. It
wrote hundreds of scientific articles on to this disaster.
When you make a change in the DNA, and was
inserted a foreign gene to that species, in particular
sequence, this gene may influence other genes, and
off a veritable chain of genetic changes within cells in the body of the consumer.
At least that is what medical science is
trying to confirm or refute. Until obtained firm conclusions should be wary of
long-term effects of such consumption.
3) 90% of GE products
market are resistant to herbicides, which means that support greater use
amount of chemicals in the environment,
and withstand a lot more attack insects.
 Each cell of these plants Ge, contain a toxin genetically designed |
act as insecticide, which when ingested by an insect pest of this crop
,
poisons him and kills, but also kill other insects that are not usually harmful
crops, let alone what can hypothetically
who
consume these products.
In a study published in the Journal of the American
Cancer Society (March 15, 1999), is concluded that exposure to consumption of Soya bean
Roundup brand (which are able to survive
massive doses of the herbicide of the same brand, one of the most used on the planet), increase the risk of a Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
(From:
http://www.enplenitud.com/paginaspersonales/Luis_Steinberg/
)
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