STAS (LESSON 3)

• Rosalie Ellasus, a former overseas Filipino worker in Singapore turned farmer, attended the Integrated Pest Management Farmers Field School and was introduced to Bt Corn


  2001
• Bt Corn yielded 7.2 tons per acre as compared to a regular yield of 4.2 tons per hectare. No insecticide spraying was needed.
• Genetic engineering


  The deliberate manipulation of the organism's genes, where it may involve transfer of genes from other organism
• The term genetic engineering was coined by Jack Williamson, author of the science fiction novel Dragon's Island


  1951
• An antibiotic-resistant E. coli bacteria was created in 1973
• There are ongoing researches on GMOs such as using genetically modified male mosquitoes as pest control over female mosquito carriers of Zika virus
• Genetically modified organism (GMO)


  An organism created through genetic engineering
• The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) defines GMO as an "organism, either plant, animal, or microorganism, in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination."
• The development of GMOs was perceived to help in the advancement of technology for the benefit of humans in different industries like agriculture and medicine
• Roles of GMOs in the food and agricultural industries

  • Pest resistance
  • Virus resistance
  • Herbicide tolerance
  • Fortification
  • Cosmetic preservation
  • Increase growth rate
• Pest resistance

  • Bt Corn
• Virus resistance


  • GM papaya or rainbow papaya
• Herbicide tolerance


  • Roundup Ready soybean
• Fortification


  • Golden Rice
• Cosmetic preservation


  • Arctic Apple
• Increase growth rate


  • AquAdvantage salmon
• GMOs in non-food crops and microorganisms

  • Flower production
  • Paper production
  • Pharmaceutical productions
  • Bioremediation
  • Enzyme and drug production
  • GMOs in the medical field
• Flower production


  • Blue Roses
• Paper production


  • Poplar trees
• Pharmaceutical productions


  • Periwinkle plants
• Bioremediation


  • Shrub tobacco
• Enzyme and drug production

  • CGTase, Artemesin
• GMOs in the medical field

  • Humulin, Humalog
• Potential benefits of GMOs

  • Higher efficiency in farming
  • Increase in harvest
  • Control in fertility
  • Increase in food processing
  • Improvement of desirable characteristics
  • Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
  • Reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides
• There are over 400 million acres of GMO farmlands all over the world. The top five countries that operate GMO farmlands are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Canada.
• Some of the GMO agricultural crops that have been approved for public consumption and are already in the market include: alfalfa, corn, papaya, soya bean, sugar beets, and squash.
• Most of these GMO crops were made to be resistant to pests.
• Some examples of common food with GMOs are Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Ultra Slim Fast, Quaker Yellow Corn Meal, and Alpo Dry Pet Food.
• In the animal industries, there are ongoing researches like studies on Pacific salmon that grows twice faster than the native salmon and chicken resistant to H5N1 bird flu viruses. However, these GMO animals are all in research laboratory and not yet approved for public consumption.
• Potential risks of GMOs


  • Inadequate studies on the effects of GMOs to humans and the environment
  • Genetic engineering promotes mutation in organisms which the long term effect is still unknown
  • More allergic reactions
  • Gene mutation
  • Antibiotic resistance
  • Nutritional value change
• Potential environmental risks caused by GMOs

  • Risk in gene flow
  • Emergence of new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems
  • Recombination of Virus and Bacteria to Produce New Pathogens
  • Introduction of the GMOs in the natural environment may cause disruption of the natural communities through competition or interference
  • The possibility of unexpected behavior of the GMOs in the environment
• Emergence of new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems in GMO crops
• GMO crops resistant to certain pesticides may trigger new form of pest resistance while GMO herbicide-tolerant crops may lead to the over use of the herbicides which may trigger new form of weed resistance
• Recombination of Virus and Bacteria to Produce New Pathogens - the modified gene can be transferred and integrated in the viral or bacterial genes which may lead to viral or bacterial gene modification or mutation
• Living modified virus and bacteria may then cause new disease that may affect other organisms including human beings
• Direct environmental risks of GMOs

  • Introduction of the GMOs in the natural environment may cause disruption of the natural communities through competition or interference
  • The possibility of unexpected behavior of the GMOs in the environment if it escapes its intended use and may post threats or become pest
  • May cause harmful effects to ecosystem processes if GMOs interfere with the natural biochemical cycles
  • The persistence of GMO genes after its harvest which may cause negative impacts to the consumer of GMO products
• Indirect environmental risks of GMOs

  • Alteration of agricultural practices like managing negative impacts of GMOs to the environment such as evolution of insects, pests, and weeds that became resistant to GMO crops
  • May have impacts to biodiversity caused by the alteration in agricultural practices
  • May have varied environmental impacts due to GMOS interaction and release in the natural environment
• Potential human health risks of GMOs

  • Consumption of GMOs may have adverse effects since it is not naturally or organically produced
  • Consumption of GMOs may alter the balance of existing microorganisms in the human digestive system
  • Production of toxins may be detrimental to human health
  • Production of allergens may have adverse effects on humans
• Worldwide, there are many groups that campaign against GMO food consumption and encourage people to boycott GMO products and to be vigilant in checking if the food they buy has GMO ingredients
• In the Philippines, the Supreme Court has ruled against the use of Bt eggplant, another genetically modified crop