Engineering and Environmental Challenges Technical Symposium on Earth Systems Engineering (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Benefits of Biotechnology
Benefits of Biotechnology
Pages 45-50
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From page 45... ...
Arguing eloquently that peace will not be achieved until we feed the world, he called on agricultural scientists to pursue advances in biotechnology vigorously to enable humanity to realize this fundamental goal in the twenty-first century (Borlaug, 1999~. As an administrator at a land-grant university, I can tell you that Norman Borlaug's call to advance agricultural science in the service of humanity resonates strongly with our teaching, research, and extension faculty.
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From page 46... ...
Like vaccines for humans, biotechnology enables breeders to insert small fragments of plant viruses into crops so they develop natural protection or immunity against the disease and pass this trait on to future generations. Losses of crops to insect pests can be equally devastating.
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From page 47... ...
In the developing world, diseases and poor environmental conditions often lead to total crop failure. In response to changes in global climate and the rising demand for food supplies to feed the world, marginal farmland can and must be made productive.
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From page 48... ...
However, these benefits will not occur or at least not rapidly unless we address major challenges, including ensuring adequate support for research. Biotechnology for the 21st Century, a report from the National Science and Technology Council, highlighted five broad research areas for agricultural biotechnology that merit attention by federal agencies (NSTC, 1995~: continued mapping and sequencing of animal/plant/microbial genomes to elucidate gene function and regulation and facilitate the discovery of new genes as a prelude to gene modification identification of the biochemical and genetic control mechanisms of metabolic pathways in animals, plants, and microbes that could lead to products with novel food, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses improvement in our understanding of the biochemical and molecular basis of growth and development, including the structural biology of plants and animals elucidation of the molecular basis of interactions of plants and animals with their physical and biological environments as a basis for improving the organisms' health and well-being improved food safety methodologies, such as rapid tests for identifying chemical and biological contaminants in food and water To meet these goals, funding for agricultural research must be on par with funding for health and medical research.
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From page 49... ...
Even in some rural areas of Texas, individuals participating in a national campaign run largely through the Internet have brought petitions to county courts asking that the commissioners support a declaration against genetically modified foods. The regulation and labeling of genetically modified foods will clearly be the subject of continued public debate.
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