Hello Jim
Some interesting observations off the wire:
Biotechnology provides better and safer products to consumers
VANCOUVER, March 20 /CNW/ - Modern biotechnology is being used in
agriculture and food production to provide more abundant, better, and safer
products, according to a new book Biotechnology and Food for Canadians,
released today by The Fraser Institute.
"Unfortunately there is much misinformation, misunderstanding and
confusion about this technology. This leads to needless anxiety and obscures
any real hazards that might exist as well as possible means of controlling
them," says Alan McHughen, professor of genetics at the University of
California and the book's author.
This new book provides a basic understanding of the techniques and goals
of biotechnology, as well as an overview of what products are now available,
what is currently in the research and production pipeline, what is on the
drawing board, and how products of biotechnology are regulated by various
government agencies.
What is Biotechnology?
Simply put, biotechnology uses living systems to give society more or
better foods, drugs, and other products. Our understanding of science,
especially genetics, has advanced to the point where specific genes and traits
can be optimized to provide even greater benefits while reducing or
eliminating undesirable features. This precision can provide, for example,
greatly increased crop production and nutritional enhancements at little or no
additional cost.
For example, recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology offers the potential for
expanding the world's food supply and biotechnology-derived food crops have
increased yields and better resistance to pests, disease, and environmental
stress.
Over the past quarter-century, rDNA technology has given us life-saving
drugs and provided a range of precise genetic diagnostic tools to identify a
number of conditions at an early stage.
The Impact of Public Opinion
The application of rDNA to medical problems was rapidly embraced by
researchers and by the public. However, the same technology applied to
agriculture is facing resistance by some people who think it might be
inherently hazardous.
"Since the basic technology is the same, it is difficult to see why it
might be hazardous to use biotechnology to make foods but not to make
medicines, says McHughen. "In any case, the distinction is becoming blurred:
biotechnology is used, for example, to develop plants that make medicines.
There is currently leading-edge research underway in Calgary that is
genetically modifying crop plants to make drugs."
The extent to which modern biotechnology will be fully utilized for the
benefit of consumers depends on support for innovation and improvement in
farming and food production, on the one hand, and on support for
scientifically sound regulatory policies that protect against tangible food
safety risks, on the other.
Biotechnology using similar genetic techniques in the field of medicine
and human health is well accepted by the public and professional communities
as a safe and effective means to provide more and better treatment. With the
continuing accumulation of evidence of safety and efficiency, and the complete
absence of any evidence of harm to the public or the environment, more and
more consumers are becoming as comfortable with agricultural biotechnology as
they are with medical biotechnology.
About the Author
Alan McHughen is a public-sector educator, scientist and consumer
advocate. A molecular geneticist with an interest in crop improvement, he has
helped develop Canada's regulation covering the environmental release of
plants with novel traits. He is currently acting Chair on the International
Society for Biosafety Research and serves on a panel of the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences that is reviewing the American regulatory framework for
genetically engineered plants.
The Risk Controversy Series
Biotechnology and Food for Canadians is the second publication in The
Fraser Institute's Risk Controversy Series, which will explain the science
behind many of today's most pressing public-policy issues. The purpose of the
Risk Controversy Series is to promote good policy, based on sound science and
sound economics, by providing readers with information from scientists about
the complex science involved in many of today's important policy debates. The
first publication in the series was Global Warming: A Guide to the Science.
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Established in 1974, The Fraser Institute is an independent public policy
organization based in Vancouver, with offices in Calgary and Toronto.
For further information, or for a copy of Biotechnology and Food for
Canadians contact:
Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications, The Fraser Institute,
(604) 714-4582
Email suzannew@fraserinstitute.ca
The media release and paper (in pdf) can be viewed on the web site at
www.fraserinstitute.ca.
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For further information: CONTACTS: Alan McHughen, Professor of Genetics,
University of California, Tel: (909) 787-7532, Email:
alanmc@citrus.ucr.edu; Laura Jones, Director, Centre for Studies in Risk
and Regulation, The Fraser Institute, Tel: (604) 714-4547, Email:
lauraj@fraserinstitute.ca; Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications, The
Fraser Institute, (604) 714-4582, Email suzannew@fraserinstitute.ca
Regards
Vaughn |
