August 2010

Source: Information Systems for Biotechnology

Sustainability of Glyphosate-based Weed Management: The Benchmark Study
Micheal Owen, Philip Dixon, David Shaw, Stephen Weller, Bryan Young, Robert Wilson, and David Jordan

The benefits and risks of the widespread adoption of genetically engineered glyphosate resistant (GE GR) crops on agroecosystems and for society has been a contentious topic of debate in scientific journals and the popular media. The complexity of assessing benefits and risks of GE GR crops is great, and often there is considerable variability, depending on the specific GE under assessment. Risks attributed to the adoption of GE GR crops include the alleged displacement of small-farmers, food safety apprehensiveness, GE pollen movement to wild species, volunteer GE GR crops, and other issues. One risk that is significant is the evolved resistance to glyphosate in weeds.

Post-market Monitoring of Bt Maize in the European Union
Ralf Wilhelm

The commercial cultivation of GE crops in the European Communities has to be accompanied by post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM), which is considered a mandatory part of an overall risk management regime. Although general surveillance has to be conducted for each authorized GE crop, case-specific monitoring may not be required if the environmental risk assessment concludes there is an absence of risk or a negligible risk. Several concepts have been proposed on how PMEM programs could be designed to meet the regulatory necessities.

Genetically Engineered Alfalfa: OTAY! Or Not OTAY!
Phill Jones

The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved genetically engineered alfalfa in 2005. The US Food and Drug Administration gave it a thumbs up. Yet questions about GE alfalfa haunted courts and APHIS for about five years. The controversy concerned the deregulation of two lines of GE alfalfa that tolerate the glyphosate herbicide, Roundup. In May 2003, Monsanto and Forage Genetics submitted a petition to the USDA that requested nonregulated status for two Roundup Ready alfalfa lines. The agency saw no need to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and unconditionally deregulated the GE alfalfa. What about objectors' fears of GE alfalfa contamination?

Website: http://www.isb.vt.edu

Published: August 6, 2010