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^ lll| rcdaulj SCIENCE83TECHNOLOGY feday, April 6, 2000 THE BATTALION Page 7 odified foods stir safety debates rmers, scientists and consumers disagree on risks from altered foods BY YOLANDA LUKASZEWSKI The Battalion We’re running out of farmland,” said Mari- damek, a Texas A&M junior horticulture . “If we can produce more tomatoes this , we should.” or Adamek, modifying foods is not a contro- ial issue, whether the modification is through entional methods or genetic engineering, damek’s family practices a form of biotech- gy in their peach orchard near Yoakum by ting, or growing together, high fruit-pro- ing tree tops with strong root stocks of oth- otech crops courtesy of DREAMwoRKs-ifrmers are planning to scale back e road touring or vvritimw« altered crops amid restaurant in Sconce tF nCemS about their impact on the V. Keith Will pla\ attM J' /ironment and controvers y overseas r, l ■, i „ i,. u, ' tBout biotech food. Here are the . i icKets tor tne show nia\ sH ^ Mother’s Bookstore \eroli |® rcenta g es of the major crops that iro biotech. K)m nr 'Ct resistant §■■■■121% ige 25% >00 ■M|19%* marriaj ies could have grantedtki vised simply on Conger') Cotton enrequest,butsaidhecdl biotech varieties enger 46% legal wedding ceremon;.’® ■ 55% John llanuB) 48% igeles. told the judge the im' fraud and that Conger;iii: : F 0 y^ )eans td signed an agreementl)e# rbi cide resistant i live broadcast sayingthti§ 42% am tim^B ■■■■■■■■■■■■H 57% side court and once moreBo 52% i. Conger said she neverpl,, Rockwell again. iave to learn from this* p )fe 2000 figures are projected crops ie said. based on USDA survey of farmers in major en a reporter asked !iBoctL/c/ng states. 11 r Source: USDA’s National Agricultural AP d: Is that a proposal. Statistics Service nicliving.com/cai ‘Includes some conventionally bred varieties. er trees. These two parts combined produce bet ter peaches. Scientists have long used these traditional or classic breeding techniques to develop new va rieties of peaches. But greater controversy surrounds organisms that have been genetically engineered. The public perceives these foods as riskier and more danger ous than those foods bred using the methods which have been implemented for hundreds of years. A report released Wednesday by the Nation al Academy of Sciences said that genetically en gineered crops seem to be safe. But it’s too ear ly to tell if the report will have an effect on public opinion. Small-scale farmers fear that they will be un able to afford genetically altered seeds. Con sumers worry about labeling and food allergies. And environmental groups protest against po tential ecological damage. Last week, the Associated Press reported that farmers nationwide are projected to plant fewer genetically-altered crops, especially com altered to produce Bt, a biopesticide. The expected de cline is attributed to a drop in market interest in genetically-aitered crops and a decline of the European corn borer, the primary insect targeted by the biopesticide corn. In January, Plano-based Frito Lay announced that it would stop using geneti cally-altered corn in its products. Texas, however, might not reflect the national trends in Bt-corn planting because there are fewer acres of corn production here, and the European corn borer is still a common pest in Midwestern states, but not in Texas, said Dr. Tom Vestal, lecturer and Exten sion Specialist in the De partment of Agricultural Education. The planting of cotton, however, may reflect national projections. “In Texas, because cotton production is in tense, local use of biotech varieties for crop pro tection from cotton bollworms and weed infes tations may follow national projections more closely,” Vestal said. Some scientists remain proponents of the "People have to eat. The more that you can pro duce, the better." — Mariah Adamek junior horticulture major technologically altered foods. They see genetic engineering and genetical ly-modified crops as ways to improve nutrition, end world hunger, apply less pesticide and her bicide and extend the shelf life of produce. Earlier this year, for example, a team led by Dr. Craig Nessler, professor of biology at A&M, successfully engineered a head of lettuce with seven times the amount of vitamin C of normal lettuce. The new lettuce could help battle scurvy, a disease caused by dietary deficiencies of vitamin C. Wealthier nations will use genetic engineer ing to improve the value of crops, but for the third world nations, such crops could become a matter of survival, Nessler said. “Scientists have to eat, and they have chil dren of their own,” he said. “We’d be reluctant to harm our children. We also feel a social re sponsibility to less fortunate countries,” he said. Other scientists said the question boils down to how much risk people accept in their lives. “You always have some risk. The real ques tion is: Have we created an unacceptable risk, or do we not want this risk?” said Dr. James Gio- vannoni, A&M assistant professor of horticul tural sciences. Adamek said she plans to work on her fami ly’s orchard after she graduates. She also plans to sell vegetables commercially. Depending on the area where she will plant her crops, she will use either modified or unaltered seed to grow more and bigger vegetables. “People have to eat,” she said. “The more that you can produce, the better.” A&M panel describes public’s gene fears BY LINDA WANG Special to the Battalion The recent explosion of information about genetically- modified foods leaves many people not knowing exactly what to believe. According to John Howard, CEO of Prodigene, a College Station-based biotechnology company, part of the problem is that the public is hearing different opinions from many differ ent groups. “There are a lot of agendas going on that’s left the con sumers absolutely confused about what the issues are,” Howard said. Howard, and Dr. Susanna Priest, Texas A&M professor of journalism, spoke on a panel Wednesday about issues in ge netically-modified foods as part of the Bioethics Awareness Week, sponsored by the Texas A&M Bioethics Forum. Howard said that, contrary to public perception, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are very safe. “These new products have undergone more safety tests than any other products that we’ve been eating,” Howard said. “We’re now left with the issue of how to give the public more understanding of what’s going on.” Priest says that, in general, the public has legitimate con cerns about genetically-modified foods. “One of the tendencies over the last decade is to say that people need more education and then they will accept genet ic engineering of foods,” Priest said. But she said her research of the media and public percep tions of biotechnology has revealed that people are concerned, not only with the risks to their health, but also with environ mental impact, economic concerns and moral issues. “I think the more debate and discussion we have [about the issues of genetic engineering], the better,” Priest said. Space spectacle As Mars, Jupiter and Saturn move toward alignment with other planets in May, they afford the earthbound a week’s worth of heavenly views in April. • Alderbaran Pleiades star cluster Dusk, April 6 Saturn Mars Alpha Ceti Jupiter Source: Sky and Telescope Magazine April brings planets into view, alignment Three planets — Jupiter , Saturn and Mars — along with the moon, will provide a remarkable display for stargazers across North America according to Don Carona, program director for the Texas A&M Uni versity observatory. Corona said that at approximately 8 p.m. in the southwest sky, the crescent moon will be 30 degrees above the horizon. He said what will look like a bright star nearby is Jupiter. Mars will be just north of Jupiter, and Saturn will be north of Mars and less than three degrees west of the moon. Peo ple will be able to view these planets with the naked eye. — Noni Sridhara animal instincts. Co-sponsored by ■ No purchase necessary. 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