The case for genetically modified crops with a poverty focus

• Published in: Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 91 - 96
• Main Authors: Atkinson, Howard J., Green, Jayne, Cowgill, Sue, Levesley, Aurora
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Bolivia; Developing Countries; economics; Ecosystem; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Engineering; Genetic Engineering - economics; Genetic technics; genetically modified food; genetics; GM crops; Humans; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Nematoda; Nematode control; Nematode Infections; Nematode Infections - prevention & control; parasitology; pest resistance; Plant Diseases; Plant Diseases - genetics; Plant Diseases - parasitology; plant parasitic nematodes; Plants, Edible; Plants, Edible - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Poverty; prevention & control; Safety; Solanum tuberosum; Solanum tuberosum - genetics; Solanum tuberosum - parasitology; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants; Transgenic plants; South America; Bolivia; America; Nematode control; transgenic plants; genetically modified food; GM crops; Solanum tuberosum; Developing countries; Biosafety; Pest; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Helmintha; Pest resistance; Nemathelminthia; Spermatophyta; Agriculture; Transgenic plant; Solanaceae; Economic aspect; Tuber plant; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Public health
• ISSN: 0167-7799; 1879-3096
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-7799(00)01547-X

Recently seven National Academies of Science produced a report on transgenic plants and world agriculture. The report provides scientific perspectives to the ongoing public debate about the potential role for transgenic technology in world agriculture. In this article, we develop the themes of the report and emphasize the potential for future genetically modified (GM) crops with a poverty focus, emphasizing the potential of GM resistance to plant parasitic nematodes for subsistence potato farmers in Bolivia. We judge that a range of incremental gains to crop yields from many transgenes are valuable for future world security. We advocate the establishment of a standard that GM crops must achieve before they are both biosafe and appropriate for resource-poor farmers and we believe that the best interests of the poor require biotechnologists to work towards that objective.