GMO Part 2 - What Could It Do?

James Hutson from Bridge8 presents Part 2 of this 3-part series on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Tree-grown plastic, fuels and vaccines, and nuts without allergy-causing agents - what else could GMOs do?

Written, animated and directed by James Hutson.
Recording and music by Audrey Studios.
Produced by Bridge8.

[techNyouvids]

re: non GM version of the crops. Correct. You need to remember that the GM tool is just one of many in the plant breeder's toolbox. They will use the most appropriate tool for the job, which isn't always the GM one. In the case of the GM iron-rich rice, it can't be done by conventional breeding. And yes, it is better to have a varied diet to get your iron. This is the ideal solution, but the rice isn't for us in the Western world who can afford such a diet. It is for those that can't afford it.

[slash]

@techNyouvids did you guys try and go for a dr. Suess theme in this short with the rhyming of words and child-like animation from the books.

[lillianlaura]

Once again the "The New Biomassters" report goes into biofuels and says that algae and microbes still need land and water and nutrients and are extremely difficult to scale up. Canada already uses 40% of its corn crop for biofuel. The more useful questions are: what are we using this biofuel/crop land for? Adopting the meat, milk, sugar, fat, junk food diet in Mexico, China and Brazil has created huge public health problems in only a few years.

[techNyouvids]

Ah, this is all well acknowledged, hence the push for research into algae/microbes. Even then there are serious questions about how much influence algae and microbes can have - at least in medium term. And yes acknowledge that push for growing biofuel crops in non-arable land could lead to clearing of natural ecosystems. I was thinking of its effects on agricultural/arable land - which is where they are growing most of these crops at moment. Jason TechNyou

[lillianlaura]

Hi TechNyou, not sure I fully understand your comment. Agree with you that there are problems with using algae and microbes for fuel (probs with upscale, land, water and fertiliser) see p. 47 on of ETC The New Biomassters Report. Often non arable land is where people graze animals or women gather food and fuel. Therefore 'marginal' land often used by the poorest. Think we'd do better to rethink our use of fuel. Agroecological farming reduces use of pesticides, fertilisers, transport so gd start!

[lillianlaura]

Former Monsanto employee Kirk Azevedo, interviewed on Food Nation Radio Network explained that the company realised that the GM plants were producing more proteins than the intended one and that no one knew what they were doing. Proteins can be toxic. Also in the GM RR canola growing in Australia Monsanto could not identify and characterise one of the proteins the GM plant was producing so they gave the standards body FSANZ details of a different one. Google "GM canola approved on false grounds".

[techNyouvids]

If this is truly the case then Monsanto have been dodgy at best and illegal at worst. There is no such thing as zero risk - as you pointed out toxic/allergenic proteins can unknowingly and unpredictably appear in conventional-bred food. But to equate all GM food research with Monsanto is an unsound argument. ie there is a difference between the technology & how people choose to use it. Jason TnY

[lillianlaura]

As for Monsanto being "dodgy at best and illegal at worst" I suggest you watch the video "The world according to Monsanto" or read the book of the same name. They detail Monsanto's crimes. There is no such thing as zero risk but there is taking unnecessary and potentially catastrophic risks and GM breeding as it currently occurs seems, by the evidence, to fall into that category. I understand that GM is not only conducted by Monsanto.

[maxpower]

Does anybody know the real scoop on GMOs?

[techNyouvids]

GM not precision? Compared to non-GM it is. W non-GM you get many unwanted genes & mutations, many potentially deleterious. Random, yes, which is why they must determine where gene has inserted and its effects. Yes Vit A can be solved by more varied diet, but one must be able to afford it. We have been trying to achieve it as a solution for decades (100s) years and failed. Yes biofuels are an issue and that question is posed in the video. How will making plastic from plants destroy biodiversity?

[lillianlaura]

GM affects genetic diversity in several ways. One by direct contamination. The work by Chapela on the contamination of indigenous Mexican landraces and varieties by imported GM maize. GM also contaminates related weeds and wild plants. Canada found that it was virtually impossible to grow GM free canola after 3 years as there had been no attempt to keep GM separate and virtually all seed stocks were affected. Seed companies have been taken over by chemical companies (see Phil Howard infographic)

[techNyouvids]

I am unsure how GM affects the genetic diversity?? It is not like you have only one cultivar of GM soy or Bt cotton. There are hundreds of different cultivars of each. Plant breeders simply license the particular technology from the company and insert it into their various cultivars specific for their regions or markets. So how does GM pollute this? re: varied diet, we have tried fixing poverty, war, etc forever and failed. So should we reject st like iron-rich rice that might help? Jason TnY

[lillianlaura]

This is why we need agroecological agriculture, money for social issues like the support of women and girls and the provision of contraception. There are hundreds of millions of couples worldwide who do not have access to contraception. War, corruption, fuel and water limitations are often linked to the resource grabs by the west. Listen to Vandana Shiva's recent talk in Melbourne. Google inform yourself + shiva + eltham

[lillianlaura]

Hi Chrisatmosphere I certainly do not say 'let them eat cake'. The way to feed the world, according to the most in depth research done (IAASTD report agriculture at a cross roads) is to use agroecological agriculture. This means the intelligent working with natural systems as well as supporting research and local farmers. This sort of farming has been doubling yields in the third world. Google System of Rice Intensification (SRI). We need to stop throwing money at failed GM tech

[lillianlaura]

Therefore it is in the interests of chemical/seed companies to promote GM seed and to reduce the ability of farmers to access non-GM. There are some good reports on what has happened in N.America - if you want I can reference them. "We have tried fixing poverty, war etc forever and failed". Really? Maybe we should look more closely at why war develops, how it is funded, who benefits and who pays the price.

[TheaDragonSpirit]

0:37 - Eating: Carrots, or Sweet Potato, or Butternut Squash, or Kale or so many other foods that are part of a balanced diet, and teaching people in poor areas how to grow these foods would have been too difficult. I mean the only way to get vitamin A, is to genetically modify food... no. It's a bit like instead of giving people oranges for scurvy they instead took oranges genes and implanted them in bread... then claimed they stop nutrient issues. Seems like a bit of an excuse to me.

[lillianlaura]

Hi Jason, Virus resistant crops have been developed using non-GM breeding. Flood resistant rice was developed by non-GM breeding (google Do we need GM?Introduction+ GM watch). It is better to have a varied diet than a high iron content food however non-GM breeding has created a better iron rich cassava than GM breeding. Google Non-GM cassava research outclasses GM. The really important thing for breeding is to have a wide range of genetic diversity. GM pollutes this and is ineffective.

[lillianlaura]

An iron-rich non-GM rice has already been developed by the IRRI in the Phillippines. Google "Non-GM iron rice a solution?". One in five US families is food insecure. Recent reports have shown that when Brazil, Mexico and China adopted a US fast food and supermarket culture their populations showed a rapid increase in obesity, diabetes and diet related illness. Poverty and lack of access to nutritious food is hurting many people including in places where they should be well fed and healthy.

[vanillaglue]

i agree, the other videos are great. this one was annoying to listen to.