00:00:00 Food. Few things touch our lives so profoundly. It sustains us, of course. It also provides

00:00:10 enjoyment and a time for us to connect as family and as friends. But food is also a

00:00:16 very important business. Starting on the farm and throughout the production chain, the food

00:00:22 industry is driven by technology. Because food is so important to us, new technologies

00:00:29 sometimes promote serious public discussion.

00:00:41 When ancient Egyptian farmers began to choose seeds from healthy plants exhibiting favorable

00:00:46 traits, such as size or flavor, they were defining the ongoing goals of agriculture.

00:00:57 In nature, birds and insects transfer pollen from one plant to another. A new combination

00:01:02 of thousands of different traits, or genes, from both parents is expressed in the new

00:01:07 plant. This results in changes from one generation to the next. By identifying these naturally

00:01:14 occurring variations, man has, over many years, directed the evolution of both plants and

00:01:20 animals. Along the way, breeding advances, such as hybridization of plant stock and artificial

00:01:27 insemination of animals, have allowed farmers to optimize yield and improve palatability.

00:01:34 The most dramatic increases in productivity have come in this half century. Since 1960,

00:01:40 we've doubled food output throughout the world. In the United States, where production and

00:01:44 yield were already high, in that same 30-year period, we have more than doubled the yield

00:01:50 of soybeans and wheat, tripled the yield of cotton, and increased corn production fourfold.

00:01:57 While advanced breeding has been responsible for much of this increase, so have chemical

00:02:01 fertilizers and pesticides, as well as improved mechanization and better management practices.

00:02:08 In 1950, U.S. families spent about one-fourth of their income on food. Today, that percentage

00:02:14 is down to one-tenth. This is much lower than in most developed countries, and substantially

00:02:20 lower than in the underdeveloped world, where 60 to 80 percent of income may be spent on

00:02:26 food.

00:02:29 Even with today's technology, we are losing ground. World population will nearly double

00:02:34 to 9 billion people in the next 40 years. The developed world must help feed these people,

00:02:41 but we have an obligation to do so without harming the environment. In the past, low-yield

00:02:46 farming techniques in underdeveloped areas have sacrificed rainforests and other natural

00:02:52 habitats to accommodate the expanding needs of growing populations.

00:02:59 For the past few decades, field tests have been conducted on a wide variety of products

00:03:04 that may provide a better answer, and may herald the latest revolution in farming techniques.

00:03:09 The products of agricultural biotechnology.

00:03:15 An Augustinian monk, Gregor Mendel, began to unravel the secrets of genetics. Working

00:03:20 in the monastery garden in Czechoslovakia around 1860, Mendel documented the inherited

00:03:26 qualities of garden peas and flowers. Each trait he isolated was found to be transmitted

00:03:32 from one generation to the next by a discrete, independently inherited unit, later called

00:03:37 a gene. His discoveries were largely ignored until the 20th century.

00:03:43 In 1954, Watson and Crick began the process of unraveling the secrets of genes when they

00:03:49 discovered the structure of DNA, the long strands of molecules in chromosomes that carry

00:03:55 all the genetic information in every living organism.

00:03:59 But remember what we didn't understand, that the answer was going to come out in such a

00:04:02 dramatic way, and that the structure would tell us so much. We didn't know that. Of course,

00:04:09 when we saw the structure, then of course we immediately recognized, I mean the same

00:04:14 day, you might say, we immediately recognized most of the implications.

00:04:19 The implications were profound, but practical applications of this breakthrough had to await

00:04:24 the development of recombinant technology in 1969. This made it possible to isolate

00:04:30 specific gene segments, cut them out, and transfer them to another genetic structure.

00:04:36 This is a targeted, controlled version of what happens in nature when change occurs.

00:04:41 Although nature's process for passing on the complex genetic code is remarkably accurate,

00:04:46 variations do occur, and generational change results. These will survive if they are better

00:04:51 suited to their environment. The color of a flower, for example, might mutate naturally

00:04:56 from yellow to red. If it can successfully attract birds and bees, it may survive as

00:05:02 a red flowering plant. Mimicking this natural process, biotechnology allows us to identify

00:05:08 and isolate desirable traits and introduce them into targeted plants. The principles

00:05:13 of breeding are the same, but the tools are much more accurate and more effective.

00:05:20 Genetic engineering allows us to be more precise in the way that we improve our crops.

00:05:26 We know exactly what we're going to end up with. We don't know that in traditional

00:05:31 breeding. In general crossbreeding, you're taking

00:05:34 individual organisms with thousands of genes apiece and seeing what comes out. It's a

00:05:40 much more random process. The biotech is a much more predictable process.

00:05:46 What we're seeing is just a more modern way to produce better crops. To me, it's

00:05:51 no different than genetic plant hybridization that we've done for a hundred years.

00:05:56 Not everyone agrees. In part, there is a natural distrust of new technologies.

00:06:04 These familiar sentiments may sound like contemporary concerns. They were actually made early in

00:06:10 this century in opposition to milk pasteurization. So what role should public opinion play? Twentieth

00:06:18 century agricultural practices involve complex issues.

00:06:22 In terms of productivity and net farm income, agricultural chemicals are probably unequal

00:06:29 in their impact on the farming community. So there was a net increase in farm income,

00:06:35 but the main benefits were accrued to consumers who saw lower prices and a more stable supply

00:06:41 of food in the marketplace. But some chemical insecticides and herbicides,

00:06:46 like antibiotics in human medicine, are becoming less effective. Nature continues to develop

00:06:52 resistance. I'm very concerned about the development of

00:06:57 resistance. We're seeing resistance in insects. We're seeing it in weeds. We're even seeing

00:07:02 it with plant diseases. As the effectiveness of chemical pesticides

00:07:06 declines with specific crops, farmers look for other solutions. Biotechnology may provide

00:07:12 one answer. For example, field tests have been conducted on a potato plant that actually

00:07:17 contains its own insect protection in its genetic structure. Instead of a chemical insecticide,

00:07:24 this genetically modified potato plant uses the same protein that is produced by a common

00:07:29 soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, or BT, commonly used by organic farmers. This

00:07:36 protein protects the plant from the number one pest plaguing the potato farmer, the Colorado

00:07:41 potato beetle. The effect is very specific to the beetle and has no effect on humans,

00:07:46 animals, or other insects. The worst thing about this pest is that uncontrolled

00:07:51 it will destroy the entire crop. They have an unbelievable appetite and they have an

00:07:55 unbelievable capacity to reproduce. Basically, they've taken the gene from this

00:08:00 bacteria that produces this protein and they've taken that gene and through the use of what

00:08:06 we call recombinant DNA technology, they've been able to insert that into the potato plant.

00:08:11 That gene produces the same protein in the potato plant that it produced in the bacterial

00:08:16 species that it came from. It's amazing. It is 100% effective, controls

00:08:22 the beetles completely. The potato plant on the left has been modified

00:08:26 to be insect protected. The one on the right is unprotected. As genetically altered plants

00:08:32 such as this potato are introduced, work is being done to safeguard against future resistance

00:08:38 issues. But their value as a part of the farmer's integrated pest management system is significant.

00:08:44 We no longer have to use insecticides in these fields more than once a year. It means a reduction

00:08:49 of five to six applications of insecticide in a year's time. That means a lot less residues,

00:08:56 means a lot less impact on the environment, and it means lower cost.

00:09:00 These field tests suggest an additional advantage. When such targeted approaches are used, the

00:09:06 beneficial insects common to these fields are allowed to flourish again. These beneficial

00:09:11 populations normally reduced or destroyed when broad spectrum chemical insecticides

00:09:16 are applied can provide additional natural pest control. Farmers like Ron Reinman realize

00:09:23 the advantages. So that's why I get excited about this thing.

00:09:26 If we don't have to put that chemical on and we can allow the beneficial insects to spray,

00:09:32 we have no idea what we can do then. I mean, those beneficial insects may do everything

00:09:36 for us like they do in my field corn. I see biotechnology as providing a whole variety

00:09:44 of tools, crop protection tools, essentially for the farmer.

00:09:49 Even if biotechnology does lead to a more sustainable approach to farming by offering

00:09:54 new approaches to controlling insects, viruses, and other pests, feeding the world in the

00:09:59 21st century will require more than improved production.

00:10:04 We do need greater production, but then we also need more efficient distribution, and

00:10:11 that's where some of the applications of biotechnology will be very helpful.

00:10:14 The estimate right now is we lose 80% of the world's banana crop to rotting. We can't get

00:10:23 the bananas to where they need to go.

00:10:26 Similar waste occurs with other staple crops. In developing countries, improving distribution

00:10:31 through biotechnology may mean that people who would otherwise go hungry can be fed.

00:10:37 In the United States, the impact is not usually as dramatic, but the promise of an improved

00:10:41 food supply is still significant.

00:10:45 In a genetically modified tomato, already available in supermarkets, the gene that causes

00:10:50 the fruit to soften was identified and isolated. By copying the gene and reinserting it in

00:10:56 reverse, the ripening is slowed instead of accelerated. Now, instead of picking the fruit

00:11:01 green and immature so that it will remain hard enough to survive the journey to the

00:11:06 market, the new tomato is allowed to ripen on the vine to its full flavor potential.

00:11:12 Working on the level of genes, other approaches to slowing the ripening process will also

00:11:17 delay the rotting process. These approaches will be applied to other crops and could help

00:11:22 to reduce the massive spoilage of food around the world today.

00:11:26 If we could use the technologies that have been used to develop the flavor-saver tomato

00:11:30 for a longer shelf life to crops such as mangoes, papaya, and bananas, the amounts

00:11:37 of food deterioration would drop dramatically.

00:11:41 But the development of such modified crops is expensive, requiring years of research,

00:11:45 testing, and approval. The continued interest in such research and development depends to

00:11:50 some measure on the commercial and financial success of these products in developed countries.

00:11:56 We have a great luxury in this country in assessing things like biotechnology because

00:12:02 we don't have a need for it particularly. You would look at this kind of an issue in

00:12:07 a very different way if it was about feeding yourself as opposed to, you know, does it

00:12:12 make you feel real comfortable?

00:12:14 How will those who are concerned become comfortable with these new products? Terry Medley of the

00:12:20 USDA.

00:12:22 As a federal regulator, my responsibility is to assure to the public that those products

00:12:30 I'm responsible for, that I have an adequate, comprehensive system in place to assure safety.

00:12:39 Whether or not you then purchase product A or B is a marketing decision. But the ability

00:12:46 to place it on the market is a regulatory decision.

00:12:50 It's very easy to throw fears and concerns to the press or to the public and speaking

00:12:58 audiences. It's more difficult to highlight the exceptional opportunities in biotechnology.

00:13:06 For example, most people don't know that as much as 40% of the insecticides in the U.S.

00:13:10 are used to produce cotton. And if there is a way to reduce that by 10 to 15%, if we tell

00:13:16 an audience that we can reduce the load of insecticides by that dramatic amount through

00:13:20 biotechnology, if it gets a favorable response, very seldom is that kind of information provided.

00:13:25 Is it an equal tradeoff? I don't know. Because again, I'm not convinced. You know what, I

00:13:30 don't think there's anybody that really knows what the long-term effects are going to be,

00:13:35 you know. So, you know, is it better not to use pesticides and have the thing genetically

00:13:40 engineered? I don't know.

00:13:41 Working for American Farmland Trust, I sort of straddle between the environmental community

00:13:47 and the farming community. I see real benefits to the farming community in providing farmers

00:13:53 with tools that will help them protect the environment and help protect their net farm

00:13:58 income. And I see real benefits to the environmental community in that we will have technologies

00:14:05 that will maybe lessen the impact of the technologies that we're currently using.

00:14:10 Many people do think that the technology is developing too fast. We would actually say

00:14:16 the opposite. We think it is developing very slowly. But we do have tremendous respect

00:14:22 for the very stringent review process that FDA and other agencies apply to new technologies.

00:14:30 The products of biotechnology are really looked at based upon what is the product, is it a

00:14:35 food, is it a pesticide, is it used to prevent disease, insects, pests, and then it's regulated

00:14:42 by the agencies that have been regulating those products for decades, the Food and Drug

00:14:46 Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture.

00:14:51 Despite a remarkable food safety record to date, our government agencies and the scientific

00:14:56 community are challenged by critics over the potential development of unforeseen complications

00:15:01 in the new agriculture.

00:15:03 Biotechnology to a great extent is an emotional issue. What I always say is the fear of the

00:15:09 unknown. Technology to me means it makes my life easier or safer. And that's really what

00:15:14 we have to get across to consumers that it's not science run amok. This is very planned,

00:15:18 very well researched.

00:15:20 I can only prove to you through science that what we have done is safe. Now if you as a

00:15:25 consumer are unwilling to accept a scientific validity of my studies, that's another issue.

00:15:31 As the FDA considers the introduction of genetically modified foods, safety issues such as food

00:15:37 composition, nutritional profile, and nutrient availability are addressed. Particular attention

00:15:43 is focused on the potential transfer of allergens from one food source to another. Because a

00:15:49 food may now contain a gene transferred from a different plant, the question is will the

00:15:54 new variety assume any allergenic characteristics from the original plant? For instance, if

00:16:00 a gene from a peanut plant were introduced into a variety of carrot, will the carrot

00:16:05 assume the allergic characteristics of the peanut plant? The scientific issue here is

00:16:11 that each plant has hundreds of thousands of genes, only a very few of which lead to

00:16:16 allergic reactions. And those would not be the genes scientists would choose to move

00:16:20 to another plant. From a regulatory perspective, the FDA requires labeling if a gene from a

00:16:27 known allergen is introduced into a food. The practical issue is that most food companies

00:16:32 would be very reluctant to introduce a potential allergen into a food. There's no incentive

00:16:38 to develop a food that would have such limited marketability. Meanwhile, in the fields of

00:16:44 medicine and pharmacology, biotechnology is being heralded as an unparalleled revolution.

00:16:50 Dr. Roy Schwarz of the American Medical Association.

00:16:54 It's the most profoundly revolutionizing change in medicine in the history of the world.

00:17:00 And over the next 20 to 30 years, we're going to learn more about what really constitutes

00:17:06 health and disease and how you treat it, how you prevent it. Enormous insights into growth

00:17:11 and development, enormous insights into cancer, enormous insights into birth defects. And

00:17:17 all of this is wrapped up in the products that are coming out of the biotech efforts

00:17:22 at this point. If I could go back and start medical school right now so that I would have

00:17:27 40 years of a career after that to see this unfold, I would do it in a minute.

00:17:33 Most people share Dr. Schwarz's opinion. Research shows that only a small minority

00:17:38 oppose the development of genetic techniques in medicine and that over two-thirds of the

00:17:42 American public support biologically improved foods. Several food products have been approved

00:17:48 and accepted by the public. Since 1990, for example, much of our cheese has been produced

00:17:54 using a biotech version of rennet, an enzyme commonly used in fermentation. Previously,

00:18:00 this enzyme could only be obtained from the stomach lining of newborn calves. Genetic

00:18:05 research has been conducted around the world for over 30 years. This work has not identified

00:18:11 any increased risk to public health or environmental integrity. Despite this evidence, as well

00:18:17 as the formal positive positions of the leading health organizations, some people remain skeptical.

00:18:23 I believe scientifically it's a significant and important tool. I remain slightly cynical

00:18:32 on the motivations of the proponents of biotechnology.

00:18:40 Will the success of biotechnology in developed countries be transferred into developing countries?

00:18:46 And besides improvements such as increased pest protection and improved handling and

00:18:50 storage, how else may biotechnology enhance the world food supply?

00:18:56 So we see just being able to increase the availability and the quality of products as

00:19:02 hopefully being a way to encourage consumers to buy and consume more fruit and vegetables.

00:19:08 Because biotechnology allows us to isolate a characteristic at the gene level so specifically

00:19:14 and to transfer an individual trait, improvements in the taste and nutritional quality of our

00:19:19 produce are a very real promise. Historically, farmers have done this through conventional

00:19:24 breeding and hybrid approaches. Corn is a good example. Originally a tall range grass

00:19:30 with few seeds, it was engineered by farmers over several hundred years into its modern

00:19:35 varieties. If, for example, in the next few years we succeed in genetically reducing the

00:19:40 saturated fat content of corn oil, the dietary impact of that single improvement could have

00:19:46 far-reaching implications. Similar work is being done on other important sources of vegetable

00:19:51 oil, including soybeans and canola. On another front, work is being done to develop a potato

00:19:58 with a higher level of solids. This means that the potato will absorb less fat when

00:20:04 it is fried into chips or french fries. Similarly, there are lots of applications globally,

00:20:10 opportunity to increase protein or vitamin content of common food products, and that's

00:20:16 of great interest to us. An example, strawberries are being developed with higher levels of

00:20:22 a component that may help reduce the risk of cancer. Besides improving the nutrition

00:20:27 profile of crops, in the future some species may also be made more tolerant to their

00:20:32 environment. What if frost-sensitive trees, such as citrus and coffee, could be made

00:20:37 genetically resistant to frost damage? Even further in the future, it's possible to imagine

00:20:42 crops made saline tolerant, so that they could be irrigated by salt water.

00:20:48 Precisely because the potential is so great, some question the future. Some environmentalists

00:20:54 challenge whether we can calculate the total impact of some of these changes on our ecosystem.

00:21:00 I would say that the moderate environmental groups right now support biotechnology with

00:21:06 some provisions. In other words, they want to make their decisions based product by product.

00:21:14 The way to save the world and its environment is not to put everybody back in mud huts and

00:21:23 have them die early. The solution to the environmental problems is to pull people through

00:21:29 the most polluting phases of economic growth. The solution is to pull those billions of

00:21:37 people on into the silicon era, where they're using non-polluting technologies and caring

00:21:45 about the environment.

00:21:48 Another charge is that technology is moving us away from the family farm towards the large

00:21:53 business farm, and that biotechnology will accelerate that movement.

00:21:57 I don't think biotechnology will change the trend in agriculture any more than economics

00:22:02 has already done. We see fewer small family farmers and larger farms develop. It's a matter

00:22:10 of economics.

00:22:11 It isn't going to put the smaller grower out of business. In a lot of cases, I think it

00:22:16 may be of more benefit to the smaller grower that is working on a tighter budget where

00:22:21 that extra dollar to spray is very important to him.

00:22:24 So where does the public get accurate information on such a complex issue?

00:22:28 Well, consumer surveys show repeatedly that consumers most trust are health professionals

00:22:35 and particularly dieticians, and that is why the American Dietetic Association took a very

00:22:40 strong positive position in support of food biotechnology.

00:22:44 Even if all the issues are answered, the question for some is why.

00:22:48 Why do we need agricultural biotechnology?

00:22:52 What biotechnology is going to do is help the plant breeder to continue to achieve its

00:22:57 goal of increased productivity over the next 20 years in small increments, not as a big

00:23:02 massive change, but in small increments.

00:23:05 If we could simply distribute the foods that were made and grown around the world into

00:23:09 the places that need them, we'd solve the problems.

00:23:11 On the other hand, do we want to see ourselves only as a distributor and not a helper and

00:23:16 implementer of self-sustenance and self-sustainability?

00:23:20 And I think the latter is the case.

00:23:22 We don't have the farming resources in hand to triple the world's food output again

00:23:29 without plowing down wildlife habitat.

00:23:32 We need additional research.

00:23:35 And in fact, the plant breeding, the chemical fertilizer, and the irrigation that gave us

00:23:44 the three-fold increase in farm resource output in the last 30 years are probably not

00:23:51 going to be enough to do it cost-effectively in the next 30 years.

00:23:55 The fertilizers Dennis Avery mentioned present a significant opportunity.

00:23:59 Farmers in most countries cannot hope to spend anywhere near the $12 billion a year

00:24:04 that American farmers spend on chemical fertilizers.

00:24:08 But perhaps in the next century, we will develop crops that will draw nitrogen

00:24:12 more efficiently from the soil and air and dramatically reduce the need

00:24:16 for topical fertilizer applications.

00:24:20 Even small incremental increases in productivity on the subsistence farms

00:24:24 of developing countries will improve many lives.

00:24:27 For that reason, extensive research is being conducted around the world

00:24:31 on specific local agricultural problems.

00:24:34 Several years ago, I met a very bright and ambitious woman in Africa

00:24:38 named Florence Wambugu.

00:24:40 Her interest was in sweet potatoes and viruses that affect sweet potatoes.

00:24:43 I saw, as others had, that she is a very exceptional woman.

00:24:46 And because of that exceptional capability, we made arrangements for her

00:24:50 to come to the U.S. for advanced training.

00:24:53 She did that at the Monsanto Research Company.

00:24:56 The sweet potato is a much more important crop in Africa than in the U.S.

00:25:00 But the sweet potato in Africa is plagued by a virus.

00:25:04 The average yield is less than half the yield on American farms.

00:25:08 Most African farmers cannot afford the chemicals to control the aphids

00:25:12 that spread the virus.

00:25:14 Genetic engineering is offering a different solution.

00:25:17 The major problem is this virus disease.

00:25:20 And so by just fighting this one disease, we can double the yields in Africa.

00:25:24 And so it's of a major, it's caused a major impact.

00:25:29 If the virus can be controlled

00:25:31 and the sweet potato yield increased by 50%,

00:25:34 the effects go beyond eliminating starvation.

00:25:37 If the potatoes can be harvested, processed, and sold in Kenya,

00:25:41 an entire economy may be developed and countless jobs created.

00:25:45 That is Dr. Wambugu's mission.

00:25:48 Our need is greater, and so I believe our decision-making

00:25:51 is going to be based on real issues other than imaginary things.

00:25:55 Dr. Wambugu recently returned to Kenya

00:25:58 where she continues her research and field testing.

00:26:01 She hopes to have an approved product available

00:26:03 before the end of the decade.

00:26:05 It's a very moral obligation that we have,

00:26:08 and hopefully as the industry progresses with the commercial side,

00:26:12 that enough funds are created to help us on the third world side

00:26:16 rather than just continuing giving them aid,

00:26:19 actually give them a product they can grow and become self-sufficient with.

00:26:22 That's hopefully the destiny of biotechnology.

00:26:25 I'm convinced that if we continue down this path

00:26:28 of carefully developing technology that's useful and that's safe,

00:26:32 we're going to be able to achieve higher levels of food

00:26:36 with less damage to the environment

00:26:38 and increased nutritional quality and availability for the consumers.

00:26:42 This is one of the fundamental advances in human knowledge.

00:26:46 This is going to rank with the invention of vaccinations.

00:26:50 It is going to rank with the computer.

00:26:53 And it's kind of comparable to looking at the airplane in the year 1912

00:26:58 and wondering what it's going to do for you.

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