talking with customers about gmo crops & organic farming

Talking with Customers About GMO Crops & Organic Farming

Purdue Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture www.hort.purdue.eduPurdue University Cooperative Extension Service is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

Indiana Horticultural CongressJanuary 21, 2015Indianapolis

GMOs

• Terminology: Genetically Engineered (GE)– Modified genotype, and hence phenotype, by

introduction of a gene or genes into plant cells, which leads to the transmission of the input gene (transgene) to successive generations. (FAO)

• What Crops• Regulation

GE crops were first introduced in 1995

By 2013:93% soybean82% cotton85% corn

of the acreage in the U.S. was planted with GE varieties

Technical, economic, and social factors have influenced which Genetically Engineered crops are being produced.

Rebecca GrumetMichigan State University

GE Fruit and Vegetable Crops

Squash virus resistantSweet Corn insect resistant

herbicide resistantPlum virus resistantPapaya virus resistant

Deregulated, Currently on the Market

Potato low-acrylamide potential, reduced black spot bruise, late blight resistant, lowered reducing sugars

Apple non-browning

Recent or Pending Deregulation

GE Fruit and Vegetable Crops, cont.

Potato virus resistant, insect resistantTomato altered fruit ripening

insect resistantreduced polygalacturonase

Deregulated, not Currently Produced

Confined Field Trials

Lab

Growth chamber or greenhouse

General release

Full safety assessment

Preparation for commercial productionFrom a biosafety standpoint, this stage dwarfs all others by orders of magnitude

Involves USDA, FDA, EPA

Expenses for release of a given product have been reported to be many millions to many tens of millions (US$)(Miller and Bradfield, 2010)

Any GE crop on the market today has gone through all of these approvals


The two primary categories of concern are:Food safetyEnvironmental Safety


Food Safety of GE CropsGlobal Food Safety Concerns (as outlined by World Health Organization (WHO):1. Microbial hazards

(e.g., Salmonella, Camphylobacter, E. coli, Norwalk virus)Approx. 1.8 million children in developing countries died from diarrheal

disease (contaminated food or drinking water) in 2005 (WHO)CDC (2011) estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne

diseases.

2. Chemical hazards Natural non-food toxicants/contaminants, e.g., mycotoxins, marine toxinsEnvironmental contaminants, e.g., mercury, leadNaturally occurring substances, e.g. glycoalkaloids in potatoesFood additives, pesticides, veterinary drugs

3. New technologiesGenetic engineering, irradiation, modified atmosphere packaging

“Can improve food production and safety, however potential risks should be objectively and rigorously assessed”

California company issues nationwide peach recallAnnabelle Tometich, news-press.com 12:53 p.m. EDT July 22, 2014


Food safety of GE cropsTwo aspects are analyzed:

the specific gene producti.e., what protein does the gene make?

is the protein safe to eat?

the primary concerns are direct toxicity and allergenicity

the resultant crop (including both nutrients and antinutrients)


Environmental biosafety of GE crops

Will there be an impact on the agroecosystem?

Will there be an impact on the natural ecosystem?


Risk assessment

Approaches to environmental biosafety assessment

Hazard x Exposure

Potential for harm

combined with

Chance the harm will occur

Long list of possible concernsLess well defined than food safety

Has been a good deal of effort to try to better define what and how to test


What Does It Mean to be an Organic Farmer?• Environmental stewardship: Organic farmers must

use practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity

• Synthetic substances: Organic farmers limit their use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to those approved in organic regulations and do not use sewage sludge, irradiation, or genetic engineering

• Pest management: Organic systems require preventative measures and physical controls before using approved pesticides

• Fertility and nutrient management: Organic systems focus on developing soil in ways that rely on natural materials

Slide credit: USDA Organics 101. Available http://apps.ams.usda.gov/organic/101/ 12

What Can Be Called USDA Organic? • All agricultural products sold, labeled, or

represented as organic in the United States fall under USDA jurisdiction

• Any food, feed, feed input, or fiber sold or labeled as organic in the U.S. must follow USDA organic regulations

• There are four categories of certification:– Crops– Wild Crops – Livestock– Handling (defined as selling, processing,

or packaging)

How Do I Know if a Product is Organic?

Look at the label. If it has the USDA organic seal, the product is certified organic and has 95% or more organic content.

For multi-ingredient products, if the label lists specific organic ingredients, those ingredients have been certified organic.


Who Certifies Organic Operations?• The USDA NOP does not certify organic operations

directly but instead, accredits third-party certifying agents to review, inspect, and approve organic producers and handlers

• Certifying agents may be private entities, states, or foreign governments

• All certifying agents are monitored by the USDA• Certifying agents verify that organic farms and processing

facilities meet the USDA organic standards• There are over 90 certifying agents around the world,

with more than 50 in the United States• Producers and handlers may work with any certifying

agent they choose• Certifying agents grant organic certificates to compliant

producers and handlers so that they can market and sell their products as organic


Are There Different Rules for Small Operations?

• There is an exemption to the certification requirements: – Operations grossing less than $5,000 a year from

organic products do not have to be certified– These are called exempt operations

• Exempt operations MUST follow all USDA organic production requirements to represent their products as organic

• Exempt operations are not required to submit a written Organic Systems Plan for acceptance or approval, nor are they required to pay certification fees to a certifying agent


Growth in

organic is 4% of all food sales Most people buy organic at least occasionally.

Consumers Buy Organic For:Health

EnvironmentAnimal Welfare

Strong demand for organic at urban farmers markets in 2005

$35 billion

Source: USDA ERS Organic Market Overview

But Let’s Go A Little Deeper...

talking with customers about gmo crops & organic farming

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