Is agricultural biotechnology safe?

Many of us are concerned by the possible risks of agricultural biotechnology. For example, when you grow transgenic crops, can their modified genes alter wild varieties of similar wild plants? The latest issue of the California Agriculture magazine carries several articles focusing on transgenic crops, fish and animals. And some discoveries are alarming: "one of the world’s most important crops, sorghum, spontaneously hybridized with one of the world’s worst weeds, johnsongrass, even when they were grown up to 330 feet apart; furthermore, the two plants are distinct species with different numbers of chromosomes." Read more for selected excerpts of these three important research papers.

California Agriculture is a peer-reviewed journal reporting research, reviews and news from the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of California. Its latest issue contains several articles about transgenic crops, fish and animals which show that "crop transgenes wander in the environment" and asks the question: "But is this is cause for worry?"

Here is a link to the abstracts of this July-September 2006 issue.

Let’s start with the paper about transgenic crops, "When crop transgenes wander in California, should we worry?" (PDF format, 10 pages, 1.08 MB). Here is the introduction of this article from Norman C. Ellstrand.

The movement of transgenes into populations for which they are not intended remains a primary concern for genetically engineered crops. Such gene flow in itself is not a risk. However, we know that the transfer of genes from traditionally improved crops into wild populations has already resulted, on occasion, in the evolution of weeds more difficult to control, as well as an increased extinction risk for rare species. Just like traditional crops, genetically engineered crops could occasionally create the same problems.

Before going further, do you have an idea of what kind of genetically enhanced products exist today? Below is a picture that will show you that there are many food products genetically engineered (Credit: Stephen Ausmus, USDA-ARS).

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