scholarly journals Current Status of Genetically Modified Crops in Iran and the world: Overview of Production and Consumption Challenges

Author(s):  
Abolfazl Baghbani-Arani ◽  
Mona Poureisa ◽  
Hossein Alekajbaf ◽  
Rezvan Karami Borz- Abad ◽  
Khodadad Khodadadi-Dashtaki

Abstract Transgenic technologies expanded in many countries regarding the nutritional needs of the increasing population. There are, however, some concerns about possible risks in growing genetically modified (GM) food such as threats of biodiversity and food allergies making it a challenge. This study aimed at examining the economic effects and political scopes of GM food in the production sector and policies made by different countries in the world and Iran. Moreover, essential (practical and legal) solutions and guidelines for GM food production and consumption are provided, which are useful for governmental entities and Iranian politicians and consumers' rights. transgenic technology has been accepted by high-rank farmers to produce genetically modified crops due to an increase in net profit caused by improved yield in spite of the high cost of transgenic seeds. Among 11 countries producing GM crops in the world in 2018, the USA is the first country followed by Brazil and Argentina at second and third ranks. In 2018, 78, 76, 30 and 29% of soybean, cotton, corn and canola production areas respectively were under cultivation of GM varieties. Although Iran has been one of the leading Asian countries not only in the field of transfer of technical knowledge of genetic engineering, but also in the development of specialized knowledge of biosafety, and despite the production of several transgenic plant lines by Iranian researchers, no GM crop has obtained release and cultivation license except for genetically modified rice that its growing process was banned after government change. This study implies that GM crops growing and production process does not follow the global trend owing to scientific and legal infrastructures.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abolfazl Baghbani-Arani ◽  
Mona Poureisa ◽  
Hossein Alekajbaf ◽  
Rezvan Karami Borz-Abad ◽  
Khodadad Khodadadi-Dashtaki

AbstractRecently, there has been a development in transgenic technologies in many countries to meet nutritional needs of increasing worlds҆ population. However, there are some concerns about possible risks in the field of growing genetically modified (GM) food, such as threats of biodiversity and food allergies making their use a challenge. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the economic effects and political scopes of GM foods in production sector and policies made by different countries in the world and Iran. Moreover, essential (practical and legal) solutions and guidelines were provided for production and consumption of GM foods, which are useful for governmental entities, Iranian politicians, and consumers' rights. The latest situation of transgenic crops in the countries with which Iran has the highest exchange of agricultural products (including Turkey, Pakistan, and the European Union (EU)) was also studied. Although, Iran has been one of leading Asian countries not only in the field of transfer of technical knowledge of genetic engineering, but also in development of the specialized knowledge of biosafety, and despite production of several transgenic plant lines by Iranian researchers, unfortunately no GM crop has obtained release and cultivation license except for GM rice that its growing process was banned after change of government. According to findings of this study, in Iran, growing and production process of GM crops does not follow the global trend owing to scientific and legal infrastructures.


2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250013 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE GALLO PIZELLA ◽  
MARCELO PEREIRA DE SOUZA

Brazil is the second largest producer of genetically modified crops (GM crops) and the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) the decision making agency on this matter. The country uses Risk Analysis (RA) and project EIA as tools for biosafety evaluation. This paper aims to review the appropriateness of these tools for evaluating the environmental impacts of GM crops, also considering institutional aspects. An overview of the process of release of GM crops in Brazil along with important operational and institutional aspects is provided. The results indicate that project EIA could be applied to GM crops in specific sites and RA could give support to the evaluation of GM crop itself. Regarding institutional issues, it is concluded that decisions should be made by the environmental bodies, and not by the CTNBio.


Afrika Focus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gheysen ◽  
J. Maes ◽  
M. Valcke ◽  
E.I.R. Sanou ◽  
S. Speelman ◽  
...  

Genetically modified (GM) crops are cultivated globally on more than 185 million hectares, but the use of GM crops in Europe and Africa is very limited. Politicians are reluctant to allow such crops because they fear negative public reaction. The political hostility in the EU towards GM crops also has a significant impact on how African policy makers form their opinions for accepting GM crops in their own countries. However, studies reveal that specific types of GM food are welcomed by consumers and that few Europeans avoid GM labels when buying food. Similarly, African farmers and consumers are generally positive about GM crops. Policy makers should take these results into account when a decision needs to be made on whether or not to allow GM crop cultivation in their country. KEY WORDS: ACCEPTANCE, AFRICA, CONSUMERS, EUROPE, FARMERS, GM CROPS


2004 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1423-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E Goodman ◽  
John N Leach

Abstract Global commercial production of genetically modified (GM) crops has grown to over 67 million hectares annually, primarily of herbicide-tolerant and insect protection crop varieties. GM crops are produced by the insertion of specific genes that either encode a protein, or a regulatory RNA sequence. A comprehensive safety evaluation is conducted for each new commercial GM crop, including an assessment of the potential allergenicity of any newly introduced protein. If the gene was derived from an allergenic organism, or the protein sequence is highly similar to a known allergen, immunoassays, e.g., Western blot assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, are performed to identify protein-specific IgE binding by sera of individuals allergic to the gene source, or the source of the sequence-matched allergen. Although such assays are commonly used to identify previously unknown allergens, criteria have not been established to demonstrate that a protein is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. This review discusses factors that affect the predictive value of these tests, including clinical selection criteria for serum donors, selection of blocking reagents to reduce nonspecific antibody binding, inhibition assays to verify specificity of binding, and scientifically justified limits of detection (sensitivity) in the absence of information regarding biological thresholds.


2021 ◽  

Meeting future food needs without compromising environmental integrity is a central challenge for agriculture globally but especially for the Asia Pacific region – where 60% of the global population, including some of the world’s poorest, live on only 30% of the land mass. To guarantee the food security of this and other regions, growers worldwide are rapidly adopting genetically modified (GM) crops as the forerunner to protect against many biotic and abiotic stresses. Asia Pacific countries play an important role in this, with India, China and Pakistan appearing in the top 10 countries with acreage of GM crops, primarily devoted to Bt cotton. Genetically Modified Crops in Asia Pacific discusses the progress of GM crop adoption across the Asia Pacific region over the past two decades, including research, development, adoption and sustainability, as well as the cultivation of insect resistant Bt brinjal, drought-tolerant sugarcane, late blight resistant potato and biotech rice more specific to this region. Regulatory efforts of the Asia Pacific member nations to ensure the safety of GM crops to both humans and the environment are also outlined to provide impetus in other countries initiating biotech crops. The authors also probe into some aspects of gene editing and nanobiotechnology to expand the scope into next generation GM crops, including the potential to grow crops in acidic soil, reduce methane production, remove poisonous elements from plants and improve overall nutritional quality. Genetically Modified Crops in Asia Pacific provides a comprehensive reference not only for academics, researchers and private sectors in crop systems but also policy makers in the Asia Pacific region. Beyond this region, readers will benefit from understanding how GM crops have been integrated into many different countries and, in particular, the effects of the take-up of GM cropping systems by farmers with different socioeconomic backgrounds.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
Marina Mühl

Worldwide, there are many Insect-Resistant Genetically Modified Crops (IR-GMCs) planted with the purpose of controlling their many insect pests. All genetically modified (GM) plants have to pass through a regulatory system before being commercialized. In the case of Argentina, specific information is requested for these particular GM crops. This review will cover all the data required of IR-GMCs in Argentina in relation to insect resistance to the insecticidal products expressed (the most common in Argentina: Bt proteins) as well as the current situation of Bt crops in Argentina. From earliest times, man has used living organisms and their products in order to produce goods and services to meet their basic needs. For instance, man has modified, first unconsciously and then intentionally, the genome of many commodities so as to obtain improved cultivars. Taking the example of maize, its ancestor, the teocintle, is different in appearance (compared to the maize we consume nowadays). The selection process, which has taken place over many years, introduced improvement in many phenotypic characteristics such as the size of the grain. This example illustrates what is considered "Traditional Agrobiotechnology" or 'Traditional Plant Breeding'. The advent of Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology in the second half of the 20th century has opened the door to "Modern Agrobiotechnology". The increase of agricultural production worldwide is demanded by a constantly increasing global population. As result of this, man has taken advantage of this valued tool so as to produce more in the same amount of land in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Thus different kinds of crops have been genetically engineered around the world with beneficial traits like insect resistance, herbicide tolerance and nutritional improvement. Worldwide, insects are a major cause of crop damage and yield loss, often requiring farmers to make multiple applications of chemical insecticides to control pests. For that reason, the commercial release of IR-GMCs also called Insect-resistant biotech crops has been an important contribution from Modern Agrobiotechnology to increase the global agricultural production. By the end of 2016, the cultivated area under GM crops reached 185.1 million hectares. 53% of that area was planted with IR-GMCs (single and stacked events with tolerance to herbicides). The commercialized genetically engineering crops that have protection against insect damage around the world are cotton, maize, soybean, potato, rice, tomato, eggplant and poplar. Insect-resistant biotech crops provide a number of benefits, such as a reduction in the use of chemical insecticides, improvement in yield, quality and lower production costs compared to the conventional crops.


Global Jurist ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Chiarabolli

The objective of the research is to analyse the way the European Union is addressing the issue of the coexistence between traditional, organic, and GM crops.In the European Union no form of agriculture, whether conventional, organic, GM, should be excluded. Farmers are free to choose the production type they prefer, without being forced to change patterns already established in the area, and without spending more resources.Today EU rules on genetically modified crops are very rigid; in particular, before starting a GM crops commercial cultivation, it is compulsory to obtain a specific European Commission authorisation (based on a safety risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority), and GM food and feed (threshold 0,9%) must be labeled (to inform consumers) and traced.Coexistence is the weak point of the European legislation in the field. The European Commission defines the term coexistence as the farmers’ ability to make a practical choice between conventional, organic and GM-crop production, in compliance with the legal obligations for labeling and/or purity standards. In simple terms, coexistence is a way of allowing farmers to choose between the three agricultural systems. Farmers’ choice to grow GM or non-GM crops depends not only on technical aspects related to the productivity gains and agronomic benefits to be gained from adopting this technology, but also on consumers’ preferences. Particularly in Europe, consumers continue to be concerned about the potentially adverse implications of widespread GM crop production for the environment and food safety. According to Directive 2001/18/EC (Article 26 bis), Member States may organise measures to avoid the unadventitious presence of GMOs in other non-GM products. In order to help the Member States to organise national coexistence measures, the European Commission adopted the Recommendation 2003/556/EC on the guidelines for the development of national strategies and best practices to ensure the coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming. The act establishes that the approaches to coexistence need to be developed in a transparent way, based on technical guidelines and in co-operation with all stakeholders concerned. The guidelines are based on experiences with existing segregation practices and, at the same time, they ensure an equitable balance between the interests of farmers of all production types. Further, they state that management measures to ensure coexistence should be efficient and cost-effective, without going beyond what is necessary to comply with EU threshold levels for GMO labeling. Today it is accepted that total isolation of GM material, certainly once agricultural biotechnology is widespread in the EU, is impossible; coexistence focuses on the practices used to decrease the adventitious GM presence. The implementation of coexistence measures is a complex process owing to the diversity in field, farming and natural conditions extending over Europe.On 13 July 2010, the European Commission adopted a new coexistence package that consists of a coexistence Communication, a new Recommendation on co-existence of GM crops with conventional and/or organic crops, and a draft Regulation proposing a change to the GMO legislation. The new approach aims to achieve the right balance between maintaining an EU authorisation system and the freedom for Member States to decide on GMO cultivation in their territory. The new flexible European scenario will give to the Member States the possibility to decide whether to cultivate biotech crops, maintaining at the same time an EU wide science-based authorization system.


2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (9) ◽  
pp. 653-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Knight ◽  
Damien W. Mather ◽  
David K. Holdsworth

PurposeMany countries have held back from planting genetically modified (GM) food crops due to perceived negative reaction in export and domestic markets. Three lines of research have tested the reality of this fear.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews were conducted in European countries with key companies and organisations in the European food sector. Supermarket intercepts were used to ascertain purchasing intent for products from countries that do or do not produce GM crops. A purchasing experiment was conducted, where cherries labelled as GM, organic or conventional were on sale in a roadside stall.FindingsFood distribution channel members expressed concern about possibility of contamination or mix‐up between GM and non‐GM food. However, presence of GM crops in a country does not cause negative perception of food in general from that country. Approximately 30 per cent of consumers in the purchasing experiment proved willing to purchase GM cherries when there was a defined consumer benefit – either lower price or spray‐free.Practical implicationsCountries that have not yet planted GM food crops need to be cautious about possible negative impacts on channel member perceptions of non‐GM versions of the same crop from the same country. However, planting GM crops does not appear likely to damage the overall reputation of a food‐supplying country. GM applications in non‐food areas seem unlikely to damage perceptions of country image in relation to supply of food products from that country.Originality/valueProvides useful information for those planning to plant GM food crops.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 240-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiros Gebretsadik ◽  
Ashenafi Kiflu

Introduction:Genetically modified (GM) crop species were proven to be a solution for the increasing food consumption in many countries. The cultivation of transgenic plants is increasing from time to time. In 2017 alone, 27 different genetically modified (GM) crop species were produced in 40 countries.Explanation:Biotechnology is revolutionizing science, promising to solve hunger, malnutrition and production demands of industrial raw materials from plants. However, there are biosafety concerns that GM crops may have unintended and hazardous impacts on living organisms well-being and environment both on target and non-target organisms. To tackle such potential problems many countries are implementing international as well as national biosafety regulations. America, Brazil, Belgium, China and India are among the top GM crop users in the world, whereas Egypt, Sudan, South Africa and Burkina Faso are leading GM crop producers in Africa. Ethiopia has also developed its own policy and biosafety regulations for biotechnology products.Conclusion:The Ethiopian government has given due attention to GM crops as a tool for the transformation of agricultural productivity and quality. Before a couple of years, Bt cotton (cotton containing toxic protein fromBacillus thuringiensis) has been introduced to Ethiopia and is expected to bring fundamental change in the production of fibers for the textile industries and also will have crucial consequence to the forthcoming use of the modern biotechnological Science in the country. The introduction of Bt cotton is a typical example worth mentioning here which shows a relative flexibility of the current Ethiopian biosafety regulation. This paper reviews the possible challenges and opportunities of using GM crops in Ethiopia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Bahagiawati Amir Husin ◽  
Toto Hadiarto

<p>Genetically modified crops (GM crops) have developed very fast globally, although to date controversies over the GM crop uses are still occurring. GM crops have been planted on over 191.7 million hectare area and cultivated in 26 countries in five continents. Biosafety of GM crops both globally and domestically are guaranteed through regulations made at the level of law, government regulations, related ministrial regulation including the guidelines. In general, those regulations have been implemented, thus the biosafety of GM crop utilization is guaranteed in Indonesia. Unfortunately, although Indonesia gave a certification for released permit for drought tolerant sugarcane, it only grown in a limited areas belongs to state-owned agricultural company (PTPN XI). The country has certified 27, 7, and 16 GM events for food, feed, and seeds for environment safety, respectively. The implementation of these regulations needs a monitoring system that is equipped with facilities of GMO detection laboratory with adequate capacity. Indonesia has several such laboratories. The methods of GMO detections have developed from very basic techniques, i.e. qualitative screening to the determination of specific events that define the type of trait of GMO, even quantitative detection, both single and multiplex. Each method has its own advantages. The capacities of GMO detection laboratory in Indonesia still need to be upgraded to master the fast-developing technology. The purpose of this review is to provide information on the development of global GM crops utilization including in Indonesia and the development of regulations and detection methods with their prospects and challenges.</p><p>Keywords: Genetics, modification, regulation, detection methods</p><p> </p><p><strong>Abstrak</strong></p><p>Pemanfaatan tanaman produk rekayasa genetik (PRG) telah berkembang cepat dan mendunia walaupun sampai saat ini masih terjadi kontroversi. Luas penanamannya telah mencapai 191,7 juta ha dan ditanam oleh 26 negara di lima benua. Keamanan hayati PRG secara global maupun domestik telah dijamin oleh peraturan pada tingkat undang-undang, peraturan pemerintah, peraturan kementerian terkait, dan pedoman pelaksanaannya. Secara umum peraturan peraturan tersebut telah dijalankan sehingga keamanan hayati dari pemanfaatan PRG terjamin di Indonesia. Sayangnya di Indonesia PRG yang sudah diberi izin edar hanya ditanam secara terbatas seperti tebu toleran kekeringan di beberapa kebun milik PTPN. Indonesia juga telah memberikan sertifikat aman hayati pada beberapa varietas PRG diantaranya 27 PRG pangan, tujuh PRG pakan, dan 16 PRG benih (lingkungan). Implementasi peraturan yang telah ada memerlukan sistem pengawasan yang dilengkapi dengan fasilitas laboratorium deteksi PRG dengan kapasitas yang memadai. Indonesia telah mempunyai beberapa laboratorium tersebut. Metode deteksi PRG telah berkembang dari teknik yang sangat mendasar yaitu deteksi untuk skrining kualitatif PRG sampai teknik penentuan spesifik event yang menetapkan jenis/sifat PRG, bahkan teknik deteksi secara kuantitatif yang bersifat tunggal maupun multiplex. Metode-metode deteksi tersebut memiliki keunggulan masing-masing. Laboratorium penguji PRG di Indonesia masih perlu ditingkatkan kemampuannya dengan penguasaan teknologi yang berkembang dengan pesat. Makalah ini memberikan informasi perkembangan pemanfaatan PRG global termasuk di Indonesia dan perkembangan regulasi dan metode deteksi serta prospek dan tantangan.</p><p>Kata kunci: Genetika, rekayasa, regulasi, metode deteksi</p>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document