G E N E T I C  E N G I N E E R I N G

• Even though gene technology is still a young science, it has already brought us numerous achievements.

  Initially, it was used in basic medical research. Knowledge gained in this area soon permitted a large number of applications - new drugs, vaccines, diagnostic agents and reliable testing procedures for donated blood. These days, gene technology is used in research into incurable diseases and for the development of new forms of treatment. But it is not only in medicine that gene technology brings hope of future progress - in agriculture and food production, its contribution is already significant.

  Today, modern biotechnology has the potential to provide us with even better quality and more varied foods and to provide environmentally sustainable solutions for farmers. Let's take genetically improved maize as an example. "Bt maize" has been modified to protect itself against its most damaging insect pests - the European corn borer and related insects. Simply, the maize plant was genetically modified to produce the Bt protein of a common soil bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis - hence the name Bt), which has been used in agriculture for more than 40 years as a spray. The difference is, instead of the farmer spraying his crop with a Bt spray, the corn plant itself controls the insects.

  The Bt sprays have been popular among farmers, including organic farmers, for many years, because they are effective against these main maize pests without harming other insects or wildlife and because they break down very quickly into harmless substances in the soil. The disadvantage of the sprays is that they are only effective against the corn borer while it is outside the plant - after two to three days of life, it burrows into the plant, where sprays cannot reach it.

  The ability to control this small, but very destructive, insect is of great importance to maize farmers. The damage caused by the European corn borer is enormous, amounting world-wide to approximately seven percent of the maize crop - or 40 million tons of maize annually. This is equivalent to the annual food supply, in calories, for 60 million people (approximately the population of France or the United Kingdom). Annually, corn borer infestations cause losses of FFr 330 million in France, due to lost yield and treatment costs. In the United States alone, between USD 20-30 million worth of pesticides are used annually in attempts to control the corn borer. Since the Bt-maize protects itself from the corn borer, most of the insecticides used to control this pest will not be needed.

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FEEDING WORLD POPULATION, IMPROVING CROPS and faith in science - images taken from brochure of MTA Szegedi Biologiaia Kozpont Photographs courtesy of Bela Dusha and Balazs Karman

Ensuring safety

  Although governments have chosen different ways to regulate genetically modified plants, the underlying principles for all legislation are sound scientific principles. Food and feed ingredients produced by gene technology processes must undergo safety tests laid down by each country and according to strict rules before they can reach the market. In a similar way, seeds used for cultivation must be approved before they can be planted.

  In preparation for the registration of Bt maize, a full range of tests was conducted. First, studies were done that looked at the potential for health effects of the product for both humans and animals. Results of this thorough safety examination showed that Bt maize poses no health risk in any way. Secondly, the impact of Bt maize on the environment was studied, which included, among others, studies of impact on non-target insects, such as honey bee larvae and adults and several beneficial insects such as ladybird beetles and green lacewings; and impact on mammals.

  After these extensive studies, experts from Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States concluded that Bt maize is as safe as conventional maize. These regulatory requirements are not the end of the process - both the authorities and companies, such as Novartis, will continue to monitor these products to ensure that they remain safe and beneficial. But in the end, even with official assurances about the safety of these products, consumers are interested in knowing how their food is produced. That is why Novartis supports the European food industry in its efforts to provide consumers with informative labelling and supporting materials on food products manufactured with the benefit of modern biotechnology. We are confident that when consumers understand the facts behind biotechnology they will support it - because when it's properly used, modern biotechnology can increase crop yields and decrease use of agricultural chemicals, thereby contributing to more sustainable agriculture.