Exam 10: Agriculture, Biotechnology, and the Future of Food

What was the Green Revolution, and what impact did it have on developing countries? Discuss the impact of the Green Revolution on the environment.

Honeybees are vanishing at an alarming rate because of it

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM)crops, American companies have invested in their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns. Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, Monsanto Company first marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food, which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future. -Why have most bioengineered crops been modified for "resistance" traits?

What are the dangers associated with pesticide use? How can biocontrol and use of crops with high genetic diversity help to decrease the amount of pesticides used?

Introduced for control of agricultural pests in Hawaii

____________ % of the food we consume comes from ____________ crop species.

A successful case of biological control, introduced from Argentina to Australia in the 1920s to control invasive prickly pear cactus

In Japan, the presence of ducks and the aquatic fern Azolla in rice cultivation has shown that ____________.

In Queensland, Australia, cactus moths ____________

Which of the following is true?

What are the arguments for and against genetically modified crops? Discuss the scientific, economic, and political issues.

It is more energetically efficient for us to eat more ____________.

The European Union nations ____________.

Why did the Indonesian government support IPM for agriculture in 1986?

Researchers in Switzerland have demonstrated that organic farming _______________.

Read the following scenario and answer the question below. Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM)crops, American companies have invested in their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns. Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, Monsanto Company first marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food, which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future. -The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety ____________.

Plants with showy flowers typically ____________

Normal Borlaug, who passed away in 2009, pioneered the development of ____________.

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. Despite the high cost of the technology to design genetically modified (GM)crops, American companies have invested in their development. The first genetically engineered crop was the Flavr Savr tomato, which was created by reversing the function of a normal tomato gene. It was approved by the FDA for sale in the United States in 1994. Its grower, the Calgene Corporation, maintained that it would ripen longer on the vine, taste and ship better, and last longer on supermarket shelves compared to conventional tomatoes. It is no longer marketed because of technical problems and public safety concerns. Today, most engineered crops are modified for insect and herbicide resistance. In 1997, Monsanto Company first marketed GM corn. This Bt corn was engineered using genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria that made the corn resistant to some pests. In 1999, environmentalists were alarmed when it was reported that pollen from Bt corn could kill monarch butterfly larvae if corn pollen drifted onto milkweed plants that monarchs fed upon. Consumers feared the unknown and were concerned about potential food allergies. Presently, corn, along with soybeans, cotton, and canola dominate the GM food market. These crops are grown and distributed mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China. They are used mostly for animal feed, clothing, or to make oil or other ingredients for processed food, which has helped them gain public acceptance. Although GM crops such as strawberries, potatoes, and lettuce have all been marketed in the United States, GM food field trials involving biotech fruits and vegetables have dropped significantly during the past several years, and the pace of new product introductions has fallen sharply. This narrow range of crops could mean that biotechnology may not realize its full potential in the future. -Which of the following was a positive environmental aspect of the Flavr Savr tomato?

Monoculture ____________.