Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)  New!
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	E.U. Moratorium on Biotechnology Foods
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As ex-president Jimmy Carter stated “Responsible biotechnology is not an enemy, starvation is. Without an adequate supply of food at available prices we cannot expect world health or peace”.

• Potato, corn and cotton plants have been modified to produce a bacterial toxin (Bacillus Thuringiensis or Delta Endotoxin “BI”) to have insects move away on their own and reducing the need to apply external chemical products.
• Cotton, corn and biotech soybean that tolerate herbicides have given farmers the possibility of applying herbicides in lesser quantities and utilizing those that are less harmful to the environment.

Environmental tension caused by frost or droughts or floods can level crops. Biotechnology can provide stronger resistance to natural climate variations and decrease dependency on the use of hydrical resources. In addition, it is possible to increase the capacity of plants to endure a decrease in temperature and frost when their production of linoleic acid is modified.

Biotechnology can minimize the need to claim new land for agriculture, as the soils considered unacceptable become productive (due to salts, metals, acids) and marginal land can be cultivated.

Biotech cultures can preserve the capacity of the land to support continuous agriculture upon the reduction of the need to farm, which causes drainage of soil and water, and exhausts soil nutrients.

• Biotechnology has improved the quality of grains of seeds and the capacity to producer bigger crops in lands that are presently farmed.
• The yield of crops and the reduction in costs of chemical products and farming represent a larger income to the farmer.
• North American farmers spend US$12 million a year on fertilizers, half of which evaporate or are lost. Some plants, such as corn, can be modified to attract nitrogen from the ground and air, therefore considerably reducing the need for fertilizers.
• Biotech crops can be produced in a more innocuous manner. For example, farmers can be less exposed to toxic agricultural chemical products whenever they use less pesticides and herbicides.
• The capacity of farmers regarding new agricultural technology is encouraged and crops that require less manipulation can be produced, are also easier to store, do not require refrigeration, and endure longer.

• Corn, soybean, canola, and other plants can be modified to reduce the content of saturated fats in cooking oils derived from said plants.
• Potatoes can be modified to absorb less fat when fried.
• “Nutritious products” can be elaborated, among which we can find fruits and vegetables containing high levels of certain nutrients like vitamins C and E, and Beta Carotene, to aid in reducing the risk of chronic illness, for example, some types of cancer and heart conditions.
• Rice can be produced with a better presence of protein to include larger levels of lysine, an essential amino acid.

• Proteins that cause allergies in food can be removed, including in rice.

• “Nature Medicine” magazine dated May 1998 reported on clinical experiments of the first eatable vaccine. Researchers could introduce antigens in potatoes and “hope to modify bananas to produce antigens”. Results were promising in developing safe, efficient and less costly medicines to cure intestinal illness in developing countries (presently thousands of children die due to the E. Coli Bacillus).
• Biotechnology can reduce high costs, transportation logistics and the need to refrigerate vaccines in developing countries.

Biotechnology can help to maintain prices of food low by future advancements to increase production, distribution, packing and manipulation of biotech food products.

• Renine, an enzyme used to manufacture cheese is taken from the inside coating of calves stomachs after they are dead. Biotechnological researchers have isolated and copied the specific gene that produces renine and have reproduced it in bacteria, allowing production of renine through bacteria. Today, almost 50% of renine is produced by biotechnology, providing a more homogenous and pure enzyme.

Research will continue to promote better methods to identify and localize toxins, pathogens or contaminants in food.

Agreements to obtain licenses with seed producers can allow for the exchange of benefits on the rights over patents.

Promoting capacity and information exchange will support worldwide trade of biotechnological products.